New ferry to link Tampa, St. Petersburg

Tampa and St. Petersburg’s downtown districts are about to be more connected than ever.

A high-speed commuter ferry between the two metropolitan areas is being supported – and funded – by both local governments.

While St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman has long supported the ferry, Hillsborough County was the first to pledge $350,000, or 25 percent of the total project cost, during a city council meeting in Tampa. Members voted 6-1 in favor of the funding.

City Councilman Charlie Miranda was the only hold out.

Little discussion was had before the vote, but the council's agenda for the day reflected a clearly favorable outlook.

Passenger ferries could be a cost effective option for providing transportation between the communities and destinations around the Tampa Bay area. The passenger ferries have the potential to boost tourism in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Pinellas County and Hillsborough County.

Later Thursday in a council meeting on the other side of the Bay, the city of St. Petersburg joined Tampa in a vote that would match their funding. They also passed the vote 6-1.

The pilot project is slated to begin a six-month trial run in November. The ferry system would run twice per day, three times on Fridays and would carry 150 passengers at a time.

Officials said a round trip fare during non-commuter hours would cost $20, but only $5-$10 during typical commuting times.

This story was originally published August 4, 2016 at 2:21 PM with the headline "New ferry to link Tampa, St. Petersburg."