The Cleveland Metroparks will operate the taxis, which will run until 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and until 7 p.m. on Thursdays and Sundays, along the Cuyahoga River at the Main Avenue Bridge.
The parks system says these canopied taxis are 26 feet long and can carry 18 passengers and four bikes. The $2 admission gives you unlimited rides for a day. They also say the taxis weren’t designed to cater to the bar scene but to connect points along the river and The Flats much more smoothly.
Right now the Metroparks is seeking community partnerships and sponsorships to help ease some of the planning and operating costs.
Here’s the costs to build and operate the taxis:
Dock construction, landscaping and engineering: $1,164,431Along with the daily ferrying, the taxi will be used for special events in The Flats and private tours.A Crosby Yacht named eLCee2: $172,582
Construction costs absorbed by Metroparks tradesmen: $90,000
Estimated operating costs from Memorial Day through Labor Day: $92,000.
This article appears in Feb 24 – Mar 1, 2016.