On the rocks: Cross Bay Ferry’s future is cloudy

The Boston-based company that has operated the Cross-Bay Ferry since 2021 is about to be out of a job in Tampa Bay.

Evan Mory, Transportation and Parking Management Director for the City of St. Petersburg, notified City Council Tuesday that HMS Ferries, Inc. failed to comply, in a timely manner, with a request that it not – as the company had announced – replace the current vessel with one that would cruise at a much-slower 15 knots. This would nearly double the boat’s time on the water, taking as long as two hours to make the back-and-forth crossings between St. Petersburg and Tampa.

The catamaran-type ferry that has been in operation seasonally for four years has a cruising speed of 27 knots.

Cross Bay Ferry service has been administered by Hillsborough County, with support from the cities of St. Petersburg and Tampa, Pinellas County and the Florida Department of Transportation.

The April 3 deadline came and went without comment or action from HMS Ferries. In late March, Mory wrote a memo stating that “the Interlocal Agreement the City has with Hillsborough County and Tampa, as well as the Interlocal Agreement with Pinellas and the license agreement for HMS to dock the Ferry at Port St. Pete are all expected to be wound down and terminate too.

“Although it would be preferrable to have service continue through September, the City can expect a cost savings of approximately $102,000 during this fiscal year if the service ends at the end of April, as Hillsborough will reimburse the government partners all cost savings on a proportionate basis.”

The Hillsborough County Commission is expected to discuss ferry contracts at its April 16 meeting.

In his Tuesday memo to council, Mory said: “It is assuredly expected that April 30th will be last day of ferry service this Spring. As explained further in the March 25th memo, this means that we will be working with PSTA and our other government partners to identify a new ferry program that could be re-started as early as Fall of this year, depending on the solicitation process and the readiness of potential vendors.”

A statement issued Thursday morning by St. Petersburg administrators reads, in part: “The City of St. Petersburg is working with PSTA and other government partners to issue an RFP and explore options to provide a new ferry service for Tampa Bay residents and visitors.”

In 2024, Hillsborough officials announced their desire to get out of the ferry-management business. At issue was the distribution of a $4.86 million federal Passenger Ferry Grant, awarded to Hillsborough in fiscal year 2021. One idea was to use the remaining monies to construct a permanent dock in St. Petersburg.

“While it is unfortunate that this year’s ferry service will likely not be of the duration expected,” Mory told the St. Pete council, “we are excited to move ahead with an eye towards the future and look forward to exploring various options that could result in improved ferry services for our residents and visitors.”