Hillsborough County terminated its contract with the Cross Bay Ferry last week, pulling the plug on a service that has linked both sides of the bay for nearly a decade.
The operator, HMS Ferries, wanted to replace its current boat with a slower vessel that would take two hours to cross from the Tampa Convention Center to the Port of St. Pete. Instead, local governments moved to end the service months early, on April 30.
Something new is expected to take its place.
The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority has been tasked with finding a new operator for the ferry service. Recruitment will start in the summer, spokesperson Amanda Baird said.
The ferry has operated seasonally since 2016. Both major cities in Tampa Bay, plus their two counties, have funneled more than $6 million into the ferry.
The operator of the ferry has faced headwinds in recent years. Its then-parent company, The Hornblower Group, filed for bankruptcy last year and sold its ferry division to a new company called Tidal Maritime LLC.
Around 72,000 riders used the service last year. But numbers dipped after hurricanes Helene and Milton. Just 27,000 people boarded the boat between October and February, typically peak season, according to figures from Hillsborough County.
Now that this iteration of the ferry is dead, what can riders expect in the future?
When will ferry service return?
The goal is fall of this year, Baird said.
The Pinellas transit agency will start considering proposals this summer. That process will likely take a few months. The operator may then take a bit longer to deliver a boat and crew, Baird said. Local governments may have to decide how much to subsidize the service, as well.
What changes might come with a new operator?
John Muller, who oversees the ferry service for Hillsborough County, said higher fares should be on the table, particularly during peak hours. The current service caps fares at $12 each way.
More than 80% of riders use the ferry on Fridays and the weekend, Muller said. To him, that’s evidence that the service is more “transportainment” than it is a commuter service that should maintain low fares.
Muller is also encouraging Pinellas’ transit agency to find a regional operator. The current New England-based vendor requires more overhead costs to shuttle a boat down the Atlantic coast and house its crew in Tampa Bay.
Local officials plan for the service to finally become year-round, Baird said.
“Whatever this new ferry service is, we really want it to be something that’s designed for the region and our specific needs,” she said.
Two paths to restarting ferry service
How easy it is for Pinellas to find a regional, cost-efficient operator comes down to a federal grant on the other side of the bay.
The Pinellas transit agency wants Hillsborough to transfer a nearly $5 million grant to purchase a ferry boat. Hillsborough doesn’t plan on using it.
A local boat will cut operating costs. Pinellas transit officials say they’ll also have more leeway to increase the ferry’s frequency and make other improvements.
Some Hillsborough officials are reluctant to transfer the ferry boat grant and uplift a service with relatively low ridership.
Josh Wostal, a Hillsborough County Commissioner and member of its transit agency board, told Pinellas transit officials in February that he wants to see approval of the transfer from their board. Now he also wants to see formal support from the Pinellas County Commission.
“I don’t want to accidentally put a burden on Pinellas,” he said. “Until the Pinellas County board has said (yes), I’m a ‘no’ vote.”
The Pinellas transit authority, an independent agency, would purchase and assume some liability for the boat, not the county government, Baird said.
Hillsborough’s transit board is scheduled to reconsider transferring the grant in early May.
Without the grant, Pinellas will have to find a vendor that can supply its own boat, likely raising annual costs for the service.