Public transportation has taken on many forms in SoFlo.
Yeah, like Brightline or those electric rental scooters around town.
In Fort Lauderdale, they’re taking it up a notch with a free water trolley service.
Where you can stroll and link up at different stops on the new river.
All aboard.
Knowing how to hail a taxi in the streets of New York is a must.
But hailing a water trolley in Fort Lauderdale?
That’s a river party.
Brian Boucher: “Friday and Saturday nights are a little bit more lively. We have great spots right along the water, such as the wharf, right over here… We have salt seven.”
Don’t get it twisted.
The water trolley service on the new river is different from the water taxi.
Brian Boucher: “The water trolley is operated by the water taxi but it’s actually a service provided by the City of Fort Lauderdale. It’s a free service that takes you up and down the new river here. We’ve got eight different stops that you can hop on and off at. Including Laura Ward Park.”
You’re even welcome to talk to the captain.
Brian Boucher: “The captain of the boats know alot about what’s happening here on the river. They see everything happening everyday. We do train the captains to give some type of a tour to make sure the guests on board have the best experience.”
With max capacity of 20 peeps, it’s smooth sailing. And a great way to yacht watch.
Brian Boucher: “It’s a fun little cool thing. A lot of our residents here along the river especially with all these high rises, will use it as a mode of transportation to get across the river or up and down the riverwalk. Perhaps, they walked down and want a ride back.”
Like, riders with service pets.
Jonathan Pierce: “She seems to like it. We go to the field at the end by the bridge. And she likes to run around and play with the other dogs. We live right here in this building icon. We just moved here from new york. We don’t really know the area so we’re just trying different stops.”
It’s a breeze to ride for locals and tourists. And unlike you’re ex, it wants to be tracked down.
Brian Boucher: “You can go to LauderGo!, there’s a section that says tracking and you can track the trolley in real-time to see exactly where it is on the river. We get a lot of tourists and locals that just want a quick 20 minute boat ride up and down too. Especially to see all the new construction and the cool things happening around town.”
Hazel Hazinedar: “I took my father out because he’s just visiting from New York. So it was amazing. He loved it. It’s great because you get to see everything, all the bars and all the restaurants. So it’s like a nice little view.”
The water trolley operates everyday from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m.
It starts at Laura Ward park and ends at Smoker Park.
FOR MORE INFO:
LauderGo! Water Trolley
fortlauderdale.gov
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