Manatee County shares new details about Anna Maria Island water taxi. Here’s the latest
A weekend water taxi service could launch as soon as February, according to the latest update from Manatee County’s tourism officials.
The water taxi, which would ship visitors from downtown Bradenton to Anna Maria Island and back, has been a goal for local officials for several years. An update during Tuesday’s Manatee County Commission meeting provided new details.
Elliott Falcione, executive director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, has been working behind the scenes to secure a vendor. He told board members he hopes to bring a final contract for approval by the end of the month.
“It’s an exciting time,” Falcione said.
The tourism head’s progress represents a reversal from earlier this year when the county sent out a statewide request to negotiate terms of service. At that time, none of the businesses gave an official response.
Speaking with the Bradenton Herald in April, Falcione said the lack of a response freed his department to begin more direct negotiations with the businesses that did express an interest in bringing a water taxi to the Bradenton area.
How will Manatee County’s water taxi work?
Falcione described how the water taxi will operate in a presentation to the board. Starting at the day dock along the Bradenton Riverwalk, the water taxi will ferry paying customers to the Anna Maria Island Pier, the Bradenton Beach Pier, one of the boat ramps near Coquina Beach and then back again.
Current plans call for two water taxis to operate continuously on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Falcione said.
Adult tickets are expected to cost $8 for a one-way ticket or $10 for an all-day pass, with discounts for children and seniors.
Guests may depart the water taxi at any of the stops, Falcione explained. Each boat is expected to carry up to 49 passengers.
“I’m really excited about this step,” said Commissioner Misty Servia. “It’s another step to get people off the road in their individual cars and help transport people to the island, so I’m really, really excited about it.”
“It’s a fantastic idea. What can be accomplished is huge — not only for tourists but also for our residents,” added Commissioner Vanessa Baugh, who also asked whether customers will be able to bring beach equipment, such as chairs and coolers, on the boats.
Falcione agreed that the ability to carry beach gear is an important feature and noted that discussions are ongoing with the water taxi vendor about how that would be handled.
The tourism department is working closely with Manatee County Area Transit to ensure the water taxi’s stops are aligned with the Anna Maria Island trolley schedule, which would allow visitors to get around without their own car.
MCAT could also serve as a backup option if inclement weather prevents customers from riding the water taxi back to the mainland, Falcione said.
“We’re not looking at this as a pilot program. We’re all in. We want to make this happen,” Falcione said.
More details on the water taxi proposal will be available when the final contract is considered during a public meeting in the coming weeks.
