Pinellas and Hillsborough County residents could see the Cross Bay Ferry sailing again soon.
The ferry between St. Petersburg and Tampa shut down in April after the previous operator, HMS Ferries, wanted to replace its boat with a slower, more expensive one.
The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) then sought a new, less expensive operator, and Tampa Bay Sea Taxi, Inc., won the bid.
The company's proposed operating cost of $276.50 per ferry hour is approximately half what HMS Ferries offered.
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PSTA is currently negotiating a five-year interlocal agreement with Tampa and St. Petersburg, hoping to have the funding agreement approved by PSTA's next board meeting on Oct. 29. The city council members from both cities have about two weeks to review the final contract.
Fares and a potential relaunch date have not been announced yet.
Costs
The PSTA received a $4.8 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration in mid-July. Pinellas County then used the funds to buy vessels and provide them to contractors.
The enticement brought four bids, including three from the area, eventually leading to Tampa Bay Sea Taxi's selection.
Now, the company has lower overhead costs and the boat is more fuel efficient, leading to a reduced price for Tampa and St. Petersburg, according to Mark Hubbard, the company's president.
"You gotta run it right at the margins," Hubbard said. "It's not a for-profit business. So, we covered our expenses and a little bit of margin."
The ferry's operator will also be in charge of maintaining the vessel. The family, however, already has a separate company, Hub's Marine Fabrication in Gulfport, meaning they can do the repairs in-house.
The Hubbards' four generations of marine life
The Hubbard family began its marine operations in 1928 with four generations of ownership since then, according to Hubbard's marina website.
In the last two decades, they have started a passenger ferry experience, and Hubbard said he's been planning for this opportunity for 20 years.
"I was telling my daughter, I said, 'If we don't get this thing, we are wrapping this...up. I mean, I'm closing the account. I don't ever want to hear about it again,'" Hubbard said.
Ideally, he said, it will help residents avoid traffic for trips between both downtowns, Pinellas beaches, Ybor City and the Tampa Convention Center.
"We'll be able to bring boatloads of people," Hubbard said. "And they jump right on the trolley and go into downtown (Tampa), and vice versa. People can park and get on the trolley and come to the boat, or park in the Convention Center parking and come across the bay for events at St. Petersburg, or even come out to the beaches."
