Water taxi linking Anna Maria Island with Bradenton, Palmetto could start this spring
A water taxi service linking Anna Maria Island and the twin downtowns of Bradenton and Palmetto could start as soon as this spring.
“Our office is working real hard to start some type of water taxi service in the spring,” Elliott Falcione, executive director of the Bradenton Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, said Monday.
The need for relief for overcrowded island roads and the causeways connecting Anna Maria Island and the mainland was never more apparent than on Monday morning.
An accident near the Manatee bridge blocked traffic for nearly half an hour, preventing some of the members of the Manatee County Tourist Development Council from getting to their own meeting at the Anna Maria Community Center.
John Chappie, mayor of Bradenton Beach, is among those most excited that a water taxi service could start up within months.
“We are ready to go now,” Chappie said of improvements to the Bradenton City Pier, including extending the floating dock and adding more boat slips.
In fact, on Monday, a water taxi which had previously seen service in Pompano Beach, was tied up at the Bradenton Beach floating dock for repairs.
County Administrator Scott Hopes has made launching the water taxi service a priority, and Falcione has been the point man in coordinating the project. Falcione has previously said the county is in discussions with several water taxi operators.
A water taxi would benefit local residents as well as visitors.
Visitors to the island would not need a a car, given the availability of a free trolley and tram, as well as bicycle rentals. A water taxi would provide an easy way for island visitors to see the sights on the mainland, including museums, restaurants and shopping districts.
Local residents who wanted a day on the beach or who have a beachside job would have an alternative to driving.
Hours of service and fares have yet to be announced.
Angel Colonneso, Manatee County Clerk of Court, and Phaedra Dolan, director of historical resources for the clerk’s office, briefed the tourist council Monday on some of the historical resources in the Bradenton area under the clerks’ purview that visitors often find interesting.
Those resources include the Florida Maritime Museum at Cortez, the Manatee County Historical Library, Manatee Village Historical Park, Manatee County Agricultural Museum, and Palmetto Historical Park.
Eric Cairns, manager of Cedar Cove Resort & Cottages on Anna Maria Island, said his guests frequently ask about downtown attractions.
“People ask me how to get from point A to point B. The island, the cities and the county need this,” Cairns said.
Ann Wittine of Research Data Services briefed the tourism council on visitor sentiment and said that all indicators are positive.
Last year, local hosts were reporting that most of their guests were driving to the Bradenton area from other locations in Florida or nearby states. This year, the traditional guests from the Northeast and Midwest have returned in force, and international visitors from Canada and Europe are starting to return.
In October, there was an 11% decline in visitors from the Southeast to the Bradenton area, compared to a year ago. For the same time period, there were 85% more visitors from the Northeast and 44.5% more from the Midwest, Wittine said.
Or as one innkeeper told researches: “As of today, guests are coming from all over.”
Bookings for December are strong, Wittine said.
