Post-pandemic work, travel patterns leave questions for longtime summer commuter service: the Chicago Water Taxi
Thank you for supporting our journalism. This article is available exclusively for our subscribers, who help fund our work at the Chicago Tribune.A Wendella water taxi departs a stop on July 5, 2018, near the Ogilvie Transportation Center along the Chicago River.
Though warm weather has arrived, the taxi’s bright yellow boats aren’t yet up and running. Parent company Wendella Tours and Cruises hopes to operate the boats once again on weekdays — a departure from the past two years, when they have run only on weekends, catering to tourists — but the date service will begin and the schedule remain to be seen, taxi executive Andrew Sargis said.
“It has been, for the last few years, a challenge for a private transportation provider,” Sargis said.Service was suspended in 2020. Then, with fewer weekday commuters, the water taxi pivoted to focus on tourists in 2021 and 2022, operating for a shorter season andAnd in 2022, tourism came back strong, according to numbers made public this month by the city’s tourism arm, Choose Chicago. Nearly 49 million visitors came to Chicago, which was about 80% of 2019 tourism numbers.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Chicago's OEMC hosts water rescue demonstration on Lake MichiganFirst responders showed off their rescue equipment and skills on Lake Michigan to encourage water safety Thursday morning.
Read more »
Chicago officials share water safety tips at start of summer to decrease rescues, drowningsThere's a lot of reasons to be out on or in the water in Chicago in summer, but with that comes some warnings from city officials about safety to bring water rescues down from last summer.
Read more »
How the FBI used ‘Cop City’ protests to snoop on activists in Chicago - Chicago ReaderThe FBI flagged a 'Chicago Against Cop City' Twitter account while making inquiries about local organizations they saw supporting Atlanta activists. Originally published by grist | ✍️ adamfederman for typeinvestigate
Read more »
ABC7 Chicago celebrates Juneteenth with half-hour special, 'Our Chicago: Freedom Music'ABC7 Chicago will celebrate Juneteenth with a half-hour special called 'Our Chicago: Freedom Music.'
Read more »
Taylor Swift's Chicago Soldier Field concerts helped break a Chicago hotel record, agency saysNEW: Taylor Swift's Chicago Soldier Field concerts helped break a Chicago hotel record, agency says
Read more »
Chicago Blues Festival 2023 Archives - Chicago ReaderTonight is opening night of the Chicago Blues Festival. Festivities start at 5:15 PM at Pritzker Pavilion. Be sure to pregame with some coverage from our writers here: BluesFest
Read more »