FL: The Cross Bay Ferry is (almost) officially back

The Cross Bay Ferry is making waves once again.

On Thursday, city council members in Tampa and St. Petersburg approved a five-year agreement between the cities and the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, which will oversee the operation of the ferry service. Both cities voted to each commit $350,000 per year toward the project.

Those votes cleared a path for the return of the ferry service, which abruptly shuttered earlier this year and was caught up in regional drama. After sitting on a $4.8 million federal grant for three years, the Hillsborough Regional Transit Authority agreed in June to transfer that money to its Pinellas counterpart to buy one or two ferries.

The Pinellas transit authority rebranded the ferry service, now called the Tampa Bay Ferry. The authority also selected Tampa Bay Sea Taxi, Inc., operated by legacy Madeira Beach business Hubbard’s Marina, to run the service. The transit authority said it could lower adult fares from $12 to $10.

St. Petersburg on Thursday voted to pursue building a temporary dock back at Bayshore Drive and Northeast Fourth Street, where the ferry originally docked. Port St. Pete, where the ferry has docked since 2023 because the city couldn’t renew its temporary permit at North Straub Park, is a backup option.

Council members in St. Petersburg also approved another $336,760 for plans to build a permanent dock on the St. Pete Pier near the St. Petersburg Museum of History and the Dolphin parking lot. Engineering and Capital Improvements Director Brejesh Prayman said the space would be wide enough to accommodate docking on both sides, including tall ships.

The ferry has long been at the center of debates around regional transit in Tampa Bay. Some local leaders say it reduces traffic and provides a cost-effective alternative for daily commuters. Others call it wasteful.

“Any alternative transportation options... will help create regionalism and connectivity,” Tampa council member Guido Maniscalco said Thursday. “This is another tool in the toolbox that’s going to get traffic off the street.”

Council member Charlie Miranda was the lone Tampa representative to vote against the agreement.

“We need that $350,000,” Miranda said, adding that he’d rather use the money to expand bus services in Tampa.

St. Petersburg’s council voted unanimously for the agreement.

“I’m so glad we’re finally at this point,” said council member Gina Driscoll. “It’s been quite a road we’ve been on with this, but it is a way forward that really sets this ferry service up for greater success than we’ve ever seen.”

The Tampa Bay Ferry needs two more approvals before service can begin. The Pinellas transit authority has a committee meeting vote scheduled for Nov. 19 and a full board vote Dec. 3.

The Pinellas transit authority’s CEO Brad Miller, who was present at the St. Petersburg council meeting, said if Hubbard’s Marina can find a ferry that costs less than $4.8 million — the amount of money Pinellas got from the feds — the ferry can begin operating as soon as late spring.

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