On May 24, 2024, the city of Fall River launched its first water taxi service from the Tipsy Seagull. Mayor Coogan introduced Mike Lund, owner of the Tipsy Seagull, who spearheaded the idea in collaboration with the Mayor's office and the Office of Community Development. The water taxi aims to expose Fall River's waterfront, which has been discussed for decades without such a service. The pilot program will operate Thursday through Monday, from noon to 8:00 p.m., making four stops initially, with potential for more. It will allow residents and visitors to commute between various sites, including parks, restaurants, and attractions, for a nominal fee of $3 per ride between stops. The service will also run in conjunction with the city's new trolley. Future plans include additional boats and a dining boat that would pass the Battleship Massachusetts and go under the Braga Bridge, which is slated for illumination by the Commonwealth within the next six months. The Mayor emphasized that this initiative, along with the Route 79 project, signifies Fall River's transformation from a "dark old tired Mill City" to a "new city on the rise. Captains Don, Francis, and Mike, along with other experienced navigators, including some Mass Maritime grads, will operate the water taxi. The Mayor highlighted the importance of this pilot program for opening up the waterfront and supporting local businesses like Pi 52, The Marina, The Tipsy, Tipsy Toboggan, and Canned Heat, encouraging people to enjoy the waterfront during the summer.
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Council
Public / Other
okay we're all down here today at the beautiful Tipsy Seagull to announce our first foray into being a water taxi community in the city of Fall River uh first I want to introduce the owner of this lovely property and the guy that came up with this idea we had kicked it around a number of years Mike lond to say a few words and then we'll talk and talk about the captains if you want Mike
0:20uh well thank you mayor uh this is not possible without the collaboration with the city to really uh expose our Waterfront for so many years for decades in fact everyone's talked about fall rivs Waterfront fall rivs Waterfront and in 50 years there's never been a water taxi uh in conjunction with the mayor and the office of Community Development we came together and we are initiating
0:45the first boat ever for the city and upon its success we look forward to introducing further boats down the line our goal is to go throughout the summer Thursday through Monday from noon to 8:00 p.m. and it allows members of our community or members from outside the community hop on board at any number of four stops and commute back and forth for a nominal fee and visit the different sites here that Fall River has
1:14to offer from its parks to its restaurants to its uh attractions Inland uh a block and it will also run in conjunction at times in the peak season with the new uh trolley that the city has brought online and it's really uh our goal along with the goal of the Route 79 project is to bring people down to the Waterfront and see some of the wonderful things that Fall River has to
1:42offer and I can't thank the mayor enough I can't thank Mike Dean enough and his team for believing in this and uh and bringing it to fruition and as I said uh if we have the success that we think we all anticipate it's our goal to bring about additional boats as well as a dining boat where you'll be able to reserve a meal and go on a dining boat and pass the battleship Massachusetts
2:09going underneath the uh bragger Bridge which is our Commonwealth is Lighting in the next uh going to illuminate it over the next 6 months an incredible project uh spearheaded by our mayor and you go to often communities and all the bridges are illuminated on your way to Newport on your way to Boston and ours is sat in darkness and I think it's a real metaphor for What's Happening Here in fall river that
2:37finally our Bridge since its construction in the 50s is being illuminated to say we're not a dark old tired Mill City but we're a new city on the rise and I can't think it wouldn't have happened without our leadership team and behind me are some of the captains uh Captain Don Captain Francis and Captain Mike all experienced Navigators they're there's a couple others even some uh Mass Maritime grads
3:04so again I thank you I invite you to use it enjoy our Waterfront and it is our hope that we continue to grow this program and again it would not have been possible without our mayor Coogan thank you Michael thank you I do want to let everyone know this is a pilot program uh Mike and I have talked about additional boats as he said and that's that would
3:26be the best of all worlds if we had a number of boats doing this because of demand we're going to wait and see what it looks like for people that want to use it in conjunction with the trolley it's four stops now but we have opportunities to hit other places along the way which we will look in depending on how this goes over I just want people to understand it's a pilot we're going
3:47to get this going and it's our goal to get this Waterfront opened up to his number of people what Mike's investment has with the pi 52 the marina The Tipsy and even in the back the Tipsy um tobogan these are all restaurants that we hope bring people to our Waterfront to dine go to caned Heat have a beer that's what we want we want people having fun in the summer on the
4:08waterfront of Fall River so thanks everybody for coming out today it's extremely important to our city Mike when's the first run start today today we're we're off and running at what time right now first passenger I'll cop it for you yeah you C it for me you'll push me out over there in the water I think one important one important to knowe it's it's only only $3 the ride's $3
4:32from one stop to One Stop so if you want to aboard the vessel here and go through a few stops and then disembark at the new Tom Norton Pier that whole ride is $3 far less than an Uber or anything else thank you everyone for coming out today thank you guys guys all right