Officials with the Potomac Riverboat Co. said the water taxi service they envision uses a slower-moving passenger boat capable of carrying 75 to 150 passengers from Old Town Alexandria to National Harbor and the Anacostia Waterfront.
Potomac Riverboat President Willem Polak said the trip to Anacostia would take about 45 minutes, with boat speeds set by the strict limits on the Potomac River. He said the boat will serve food and drinks and target tourists rather than people commuting to the District.
The water taxi is “not going at 40 miles per hour. It’s geared more for tourism,” he said.
Polak said he has been in talks about the service with the District Transportation Department and Washington officials, including Stan Jackson, deputy mayor for economic development and planning and Robert Bobb city administrator. The talks are in the early stages, he said.
Charlotte Hall, Potomac Riverboat vice president, added that establishing water taxi service to National Airport, as envisioned by some on the Alexandria City Council, would be difficult because of land limitations near the airport.
