Instead of joining the daily trek through the hot and cramped Metro this summer, D.C. residents and visitors will have the chance to take a more scenic method of transportation: river taxis.

American River Taxi began test runs this month, shuttling riders between the Georgetown Waterfront and the Capitol South, Navy Yard area, ultimately letting passengers off near Nationals Park.

“I was used to dealing with passenger flow because I used to work in the aviation industry and was looking to start a system that would work efficiently on the water for residents that wanted to get across without taking the Metro,” Shaun Guevarra, president of American Water Taxi, said.

The river taxi runs from 8 a.m. until about 11:00 p.m. Monday thru Friday. The company also plans to extend hours on game days and weekends. The service began in the beginning of March and will continue to run until the end of December. A rider pays $9, with a $1 discount for commuter runs.

“It’s really a beautiful ride that gives people a new view of D.C. that they may not have ever seen before,” Guevarra said.

The ride from Georgetown gives commuters a view of all the major monuments as well as scenery of the river as the taxi gets closer to Arlington and Alexandria. Nearing Nationals Park, riders can see more of the river as well as views of the Capitol Building, Nationals Stadium and Fort McNair.

The company is family-owned and was created through a joint effort of Guevarra, his sister-in-law Anne Tabligan, vice-president of sales and marketing and his wife Donna Guevarra, who handles administrative aspects of the company.

“I love helping out with the company, and typically during the week I’ll work in Alexandria with the administrative stuff and then take the Metro and help out here on the water,” Donna Guevarra said.