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Tampa Bay ferry service charting a year-round return
“We’re ready to make some splashy headlines with this service.”
“We’re ready to make some splashy headlines with this service,” Tampa Councilmember Alan Clendenin said at a waterside press conference Monday, touting a revived ferry service linking downtown Tampa and St. Petersburg.
According to the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA), the new service will be called the Tampa Bay Ferry.
The announcement marks a major step forward following a prolonged lull in ferry service, which had relied on leased vessels operating only during winter months. In April 2025, Tampa City Council voted unanimously to terminate its previous ferry contracts.
“We are making great progress on getting the ferry going,” said Brad Miller, CEO of PSTA. “This is historic because up until now the vessels we’ve been using were from out of town only for the winter season.”
Last December, the PSTA board approved acquiring its first vessel, the Bay Breeze. On Wednesday, the board is expected to consider acquiring a second vessel, with two options under review: the Seattle-based San Juan Clipper, currently used for whale watching, and the Candy Stripe, which is being considered as a backup but reportedly would require more refurbishment before entering service.
If both vessels are secured, the ferry could operate seven days a week year-round, a major expansion from its seasonal model, and service could begin as early as the end of the year, Miller stated.
Clendenin stressed that a two-vessel system is critical to making the service viable. “It has to be frequent and it has to be reliable,” he said.
“This is just the beginning,” Clendenin added, pointing to broader regional transit ambitions. “You look at east Hillsborough. We can actually get ferry service going from east Hillsborough to downtown Tampa to the Air Force base to downtown St. Petersburg.”
“We are looking at options all across the city for transit,” he continued. “This is just one key element. You look out and see the amount of water that surrounds our community — why wouldn’t we be using it?”
Mark Hubbard, owner of Hubbard’s Marina in Madeira Beach, and his daughter Tara are helping source the vessels and will serve as contract partners for the service. The family’s boating roots date back to the 1920s.
Mark Hubbard said the expanded fleet could eventually support a more integrated network serving multiple communities, including the beaches.
Fares are expected to start at $10 for a one-way ticket, lower than previous pricing, with discounts planned for seniors.
John Burgess
April 29, 2026at4:24 pm
PSTA continues to amaze us with newly-found ways to WASTE MORE TAXPAYERS MONEY! The ferry service is solely for joy riders who will have a good time on at taxpayers’ cost. They do not even pretend to be useful for workers.
PSTA already wastes $200 Million per year on buses used by 1.5% of Pinellas population. Taxpayers pay 100% of capital costs and 95% of operating costs.
Riders pay an average of $1/ride while taxpayers pay $18/ride. PSTA should be dissolved and riders provided with ride-sharing debit cards for point-to-point transportation, no more waiting for buses, walking long distances at both ends. And saving taxpayers at least $100 Million per year!
Bradley Oconner
May 4, 2026at1:34 pm
100% correct. And definitely a proper use of taxpayer dollars.
John Harrison
April 28, 2026at3:32 pm
Government incompetence by PTSA…The ferry has been around for years (2017) and the major announcement in April of ’26 is that they’re purchasing two boats instead of one? Anyone could have told you this last year when the ferry stopped running.
Why is the ferry not running today?
Sure the MA-based company that ST. Pete used to lease the boat and crew are long gone, but why are we approaching May of ’26 without a date set for service to return?
Are there no other vessels? This ferry is so unique that there aren’t boats ready to be purchased and used?
Does insurance and dock maintenance take this long?
We have years of data on how to run this…why is it taking so long to re-implement this…
So disappointing from everyone involved at PSTA including Darden Rice and Brad Miller.
At this rate, it’ll take a full year for this service to return, if not longer…
Steven Sullivan
April 30, 2026at11:30 am
People like you who don’t believe in public transportation