MIAMI BEACH — In a city where gridlock can turn even short drives into endurance tests, a new idea is taking shape on the water. Just in time for Art Basel Miami Beach, officials plan to launch a free water taxi service linking downtown Miami with South Beach — a pilot project designed to give visitors and locals a more scenic way to navigate the city during its busiest week of the year.

Beginning December 1, the service will operate two 55-passenger boats running on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7:20 p.m. The route will connect the dock at Maurice Gibb Memorial Park on the Beach with the Venetian Marina & Yacht Club near downtown Miami, spanning roughly three miles along the Venetian Causeway.

The program, operated under contract by Water Taxi of Fort Lauderdale, will be funded through a combination of city dollars and a state transportation grant totaling approximately $1.2 million for its first fiscal year. Passengers will ride for free during the pilot phase, part of a five-year agreement approved by Miami Beach commissioners earlier this fall.

City leaders hope the initiative will ease the notorious congestion that grips the island each December, when Art Basel and Miami Art Week attract tens of thousands of visitors, art dealers, and celebrities. With streets often jammed and parking scarce, the waterway offers an appealing detour — and perhaps a brief reprieve from the horns and headlights.

“We’re surrounded by water — it’s time we start using it,” said one city transportation official. “If this pilot works, we’ll look at adding more stops and extending service beyond the week of Art Basel.”

Service will begin hourly in the morning and early afternoon, increasing to every 30 minutes after 4:30 p.m. to accommodate higher demand. The city has described the launch as both an experiment and a statement: a small but tangible shift toward reimagining Miami’s relationship with its waterways.

Whether the ferry can become a permanent fixture remains to be seen. Weather, ridership, and operating costs will determine the service’s future. But for now, as one of the world’s premier art fairs returns to South Florida, the city is betting that a simple boat ride might make getting there part of the show.