{"id":24157,"date":"2025-10-28T20:13:29","date_gmt":"2025-10-28T20:13:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/24157\/"},"modified":"2025-10-28T20:13:29","modified_gmt":"2025-10-28T20:13:29","slug":"psta-will-buy-or-build-two-new-boats-for-the-tampa-bay-ferry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/24157\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00a0PSTA will buy or build two new boats for the Tampa Bay Ferry"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"White<\/p>\n

The Pinellas County Transit Authority (PSTA) is eager to float its plans for a new ferry between Tampa and St. Petersburg.<\/p>\n

The new service, now called Tampa Bay Ferry, will be more affordable to run and ride, with better service once it launches next year, PSTA Chief Planning and Community Affairs Officer Darden Rice told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay.<\/p>\n

The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) transferred its nearly $5 million grant<\/a> to PSTA in June to replace the defunct Cross Bay Ferry, which stopped operating in April after Hillsborough County voted to terminate its service after issues with its vendor.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Now, four months since the PSTA took the reins, the agency has selected Hubbard\u2019s Marina\u2014a family business running out of Madeira Beach since 1928\u2014to take over operations and recommended two permanent docks in Downtown St. Petersburg and Tampa.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a whole new day for waterborne transit in Tampa Bay,\u201d Rice said.<\/p>\n

PSTA was initially set to present the five-year interlocal agreement to both city councils in October, with the PSTA board\u2019s final vote scheduled for Wednesday.<\/p>\n

According to Rice, the cities needed \u201ca little bit more time just to wrap up a couple of agreements,\u201d pushing both city councils\u2019 vote to Nov. 6, the PSTA finance Committee\u2019s vote to Nov. 19, and the final vote on Dec. 3.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She\u2019s confident that both city councils will be supportive.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve already met and talked to many of the city council members and staff, and we\u2019re prepared to answer all questions,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

St. Petersburg Councilman Richie Floyd told CL in an email statement that it\u2019s been a long process so far, but he is grateful to one day provide a ferry service to residents.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope that we will be able to move the dock to a more accessible location in St Pete as soon as possible, and that the more frequent service will broaden the appeal of the ferry,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Rice ideally wants to have a boat in the water by spring break, but because PSTA plans to acquire two boats and is working with federal money\u2014which comes with its own regulations\u2014realistically, it may take longer.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s all kinds of things that go into the right kind of specs for a passenger ferry vessel. So, you know, that\u2019s going to take up to several months,\u201d Rice said, noting that PSTA is also considering having the vessels built.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\u00a0PSTA\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tCity councils to vote on new Tampa Bay Ferry next week.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"The\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Legendary\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tBecause they\u2019re awesome.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

This article appears in Oct. 23 \u2013 29, 2025<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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