Cross Bay Ferry

The acquisition of the MV Bay Breeze will proceed only after inspection and federal transit approval. The boat is larger and faster and should provide more convenient rides than the previous ferry.

Business owners say the ferry would help bolster sales, while city officials say it could lead to a more cooperative effort to create a regional transit system.

Tampa and St. Petersburg will each pay up to $350,000 annually for the service and receive a percentage of revenues.

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The ferry between St. Petersburg and Tampa shut down in April after the previous operator wanted to replace its boat with a slower, more expensive one.

The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority will not reuse the Cross Bay Ferry’s moniker. Darden Rice, with PSTA, said it is a "whole new day" for waterborne transit in Tampa Bay.

The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority approved transferring a $4.8 million federal grant to its Pinellas counterpart to buy one or two boats that could replace the Cross Bay Ferry.

It approved a nearly $5 million grant to purchase two new ferries, and now awaits a vote by the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority.

For now, the Cross Bay Ferry — which has operated since 2016 — is no longer in service.

The Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners voted to end its contract with the company that operates the Cross Bay Ferry early.

Hillsborough County and HMS Ferries have operated the service between St. Petersburg and Tampa since 2021. An unexpected change of vessel could lead to the service ending permanently.

Plans call for it to operate multiple times on Thursday to Sunday starting Nov. 1.