NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – The idea came from Andrew Ostrowski, who noticed that the Cumberland River was quieter than it should be and wanted more people to be out on the water and spend time along the riverbank.

“When you come down here, there is often no one on the river bank. You wonder, ‘Where is everyone?'” Ostrowski said.

To change that, he decided to open the Pontoon Saloon in 2017. On the water, he always saw crowds of people walking miles back from the stadium or stuck in traffic after Tennessee Titans games.

“Because the stadium is being built, there is no parking down here. It’s an absolute nightmare getting things out of here,” Ostrowski said.

He thought people would choose an easier way to get to the games, and he was right. The water taxis are in their second week of operation and have sold out both times. They transport nearly 300 people a day.

One of these passengers was Evan Sawyers.

“It was fantastic. I came back 100 times, it was amazing,” Sawyers said.

You park at a marina two miles from the stadium and take the boat over. They pick you up when it’s ready. The round trip costs $20 and takes about 15 minutes.

“It was really straightforward. They told us our departure time, we went down and dropped off right in front of the stadium. You couldn’t ask for anything more. It was the best,” Sawyers said.

There is hope that one day they will reach more places in Nashville.

“If you go to Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, even New York or Chicago, there are water taxis that connect these amazing places all over the city. And there’s no reason why we can’t do that here too,” Ostrowski said.

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