After a long absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chicago Water Taxi is set to sail back into daily service starting this Saturday. The iconic yellow boats, a fixture of Chicago River's landscape, are poised to once again ferry passengers seven days a week between Ogilvie and Union stations, Michigan Avenue, and Chinatown.

Wendella Tours and Cruises, the parent company overseeing the water taxis, is optimistic that the return of daily operations will revive a commuter ridership that has languished since the pandemic began. According to the Chicago Tribune, the company is also to integrate major summer events such as the NASCAR Chicago Street Race and the Democratic National Convention in efforts to boost service and encourage more office workers to venture back into the urban fold.

Despite the uplifting news for daily commuters, the taxis will not revisit all their pre-pandemic stops immediately. The service will to temporarily exclude the Chicago Avenue and Goose Island stops, focusing primarily on three major locations that promise a steady flux of commuters and tourists alike. This strategic move comes as Chicago-area office occupancy was recently pegged at about 56% compared to pre-pandemic levels, as reported by Kastle Systems and cited by the Chicago Tribune.

"We had a good amount of commuters, and on the weekend we had a good amount of tourists," Andrew Sargis, chief of operations for the Chicago Water Taxi, told the Chicago Tribune. "Enough that it signaled to us that the market for ferry transportation had kind of recovered." Tourism has made a comeback as well, with hotel room demand last year nearing 91% of what it was in 2019, per data from Choose Chicago.

The relaunch of the Chicago Water Taxi is no small feat in a post-pandemic environment that still grapples with shifts in workplace and travel patterns. According to CBS, the service had been limited to rush hours and busiest commuting days previously. Now, full service across the week marks an important stride in returning to a sense of pre-pandemic normalcy for the city's public transport offerings.

While labor challenges had previously curtailed the ability of the water taxi to operate at full capacity, such issues are reportedly easing. Wendella has been able to ramp up its services due to successfully navigating the certification process required to operate the boats. The offer of commuter passes and partnerships with downtown office buildings to subsidize tickets could also turn the tides towards higher ridership rates.

Chicagoans and visitors alike can look forward to waving down the vibrant yellow taxis once more as they make their way alongside the skyscraper-studded waterfront, marking a symbol of the city's gradual resurgence. Regular service is expected to continue at least until the end of November, weather and circumstances permitting.