New ferry could have a regional ‘domino effect’

Local political and transportation leaders believe the new Tampa Bay Ferry will help propel area businesses and ongoing efforts to create a regional transit network.

The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority gathered officials from both sides of the bay Tuesday morning to discuss the next steps for a revamped ferry service. Pacuigo Gelato Caffé hosted the event along the downtown St. Petersburg waterfront, roughly a quarter of a mile from the planned site of a new, permanent dock.

PSTA’s governing board will vote Wednesday to approve Hubbard’s Marina as the ferry’s operator. Tampa City Council Chair Alan Clendenin said the service is “just one component of a larger-scale transportation system that the metropolitan area is going to be working on.”

“This is one large metropolitan city, and we have to start treating it like that,” Clendenin said of Tampa Bay. “So, as we move people across the bay, whether it is via rail, whether it’s via ferry, whether it’s our trail system – everything is a piece of a much larger puzzle.

“It’s about time to start using our waterways the way they should be used. The way other metropolitan areas around the world use their waterways.”

Tampa and St. Petersburg approved funding agreements for the Tampa Bay Ferry in early November. Each of the service’s anchor cities will pay up to $350,000 annually and receive a percentage of revenues.

St. Petersburg City Councilmember Deborah Figgs-Sanders, who chairs PSTA’s board, is confident her colleagues will offer their approval. “This marks a pivotal period for our region as we collaborate to define the objectives of this new transportation system,” she said.

Figgs-Sanders said the overarching goal is to create a sustainable service that avoids the Cross Bay Ferry’s financial pitfalls. “Each phase of this process will be thoughtfully executed to ensure optimal results.”

“We’ll create long-term, repeat customers by hiring an exceptional crew and making trips seamless,” Figgs-Sanders added. “The right boats, the right docks and the right process, right here in Tampa Bay.”

Madeira Beach-based Hubbards Marina, acting as Tampa Bay Sea Taxi, will operate the new service. CEO Tara Hubbard said her father envisioned “viable waterborne transit” in the area for decades.

Tara Hubbard (front, left) CEO of Tampa Bay Water Taxi, said the new ferry service would honor her family’s nearly century-old legacy in the area.

She explained that the service, which should begin in the spring or summer of 2026, honors her family’s legacy. Hubbard’s great-grandfather moved to the area nearly a century ago and ferried passengers to the barrier islands “before there were even bridges.”

St. Petersburg will oversee the construction of an estimated $2.85 million dock. The city has completed a conceptual design for an expanded facility near the St. Petersburg Museum of History and is now working on a detailed version.

Hubbard hopes to operate multiple vessels as part of a year-round service. However, she said stakeholders would make that decision collectively following Wednesday’s vote.

A $4.8 million federal grant will also help guide the procurement process. “There are tons of options for us,” Hubbard said.

Mark and Debbie Safko went on their first date at Pacuigo Gelato Caffé. They purchased the shop years later, after they married.

The Safkos believe a reliable ferry service will bolster their and other small businesses along the downtown waterfront. Mark noted that 77% of Cross Bay Ferry passengers patronized area establishments before the service ran aground in April.

Darden Rice, chief planning and community officer for PSTA, noted that “people are very excited about regional waterborne transit.” She said a sustainable ferry service could lead to additional investments in Tampa Bay’s multimodal transportation network.

“I think this is going to be a very successful concept,” Rice added. “And I’m certainly very hopeful that there will be a domino effect to show people that when we invest in public transit, we’re investing in our economy. And we’re investing in our people.”

When asked about the potential for Pinellas and Hillsborough County to partner with PSTA, St. Petersburg and Tampa, Rice said, “I think the real question is, why don’t we already have waterborne transit that’s been long established and successful in the region?”

She believes the county governments will want to join “this new economic development force” once the ferry’s current partners prove its viability. Clendenin noted that Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco Counties are working to create a regional metropolitan planning organization (MPO), and that the new Howard Frankland Bridge can accommodate light rail.

“Ferry now, train tomorrow,” Clendenin said.

Brandon Campbell, interim mobility director for the City of Tampa, said regionalism is the “only way” to solve many of Tampa Bay’s transportation challenges. “We’re very hopeful that this is one of those tools, in addition to several others we will be pursuing over the next several years.”

Tara Hubbard, CEO of Tampa Bay Water Taxi, said the new service would likely use vessels similar to those operated by the Cross Bay Ferry. Photo: City of St. Petersburg.