Would you use passenger ferry service if it was created?

[HARTride 2012]

Ferry service in the Bay area?
Thursday, December 27, 2007

(Bay News 9) -- Hillsborough County officials are talking about bringing a ferry service to the Bay area.

The county's transportation and land development review division will ask county commissioners to apply for a $1.2-million grant to study the idea. If approved, the study could begin in March.

The ferries would be designed for day-to-day commuters as well as recreational and tourism uses. They could run from Tampa to St. Petersburg, in addition to Apollo Beach and Manatee County.

A ferry could help people avoid over-crowded roads while at the same time helping businesses attract new customers.

There is currently no potential route or docking information available for the service. The study will determine possible routes as well as the overall cost.

The study will also determine if the idea has the potential for success.
More Information

* I-poll on a ferry service
* E-mail TV reporter Summer Smith

Tampa Bay Business Journal editor Alexis Muellner said the high price of the boats, combined with high fuel costs, make the business expensive.

"In the Bay area there have been several attempts to bring water taxis to Bradenton, Tampa, and St. Pete," Muellner said. "It's a good idea in theory, but when you get down to cost structure and the feasibility and operations of them they're challenging."

The money for a ferry would come from available funding set up just for water transportation, and would not compete or take away from road improvement projects.

As currently envisioned, the ferries would not carry cars across the bay, but only passengers.

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2007/12/27/312961.html?title=Ferry+service+in+the+Bay+area?

[HARTride 2012]

Please keep in mind, according to the article, this is ONLY passenger ferry service. NO TRANSPORT OF VEHICLES.

[jonknee]

I would use it to go to DT St Pete if the hours were late enough. I hate making that drive home.

[TampaIAm]

I would use it if they had a stop from Gandy/Westshore area to DT St. Pete.

[Robert.Maddrey]

Personally, I probably would use it once or twice for the novelty and thats about it. No real need to go to St Pete.

[FloridaFuture]

If I was to eventually move near one of the stops or if it was the most convienent way of travel for me in the future then yes.

[thehappysmith]

I'd use it on principle because it would be cool, but... there'd have to be plenty of (free or cheap) parking available at each stop. It would have to run to St. Pete on Saturday mornings in time for the market. And if the Rays get their waterfront stadium, cha-ching.

[John F]

I wrote to a bunch of officials once about passenger ferry service. Hoyt Hamilton (former Clearwater City Commissioner) humored me with a chain of discussion on Clearwater -- and then helped hammer home a pedestrian bridge plan (that may or may not have died) from Downtown Clearwater to Clearwater Beach.

[I-275westcoastfl]

It wouldn't matter to me since its not in my area, but I think DT Tampa to St.Pete might work.

[Pres_of_2036]

I wouldn't be interested in it. Tampa and St. Pete. are about the same distance in time from where I live. What I would rather see is LIGHT RAIL! They say this will help out tourists and be a benefit for them, but light rail will benefit both the residents of Tampa Bay and tourists. I don't want any money wasted on this, I would rather have this money helping out more in light rail.

[Jasonhouse]

In all honesty, I would much rather see these funds applied to the trolley, or BRT plans, or LRT plans... We need to get people OUT of their cars, not find a new way to clog up the downtowns in the area with yet more cars.

[HARTride 2012]

It won't matter to me, since I would not need to go outside of Hilsborough Co. most of the time.

[Pres_of_2036]

I just think that we just need to keep our heads stuck with the LRT plans before coming up with anything else.

I

[AKBTampa]

It won't really matter to me. I would only use it for novelty. Yeah, it would be a great idea for Rays and Lightning games, or other events. But I agree, lets leave the money for the Streetcar and LRT. If this was such a great idea, some private company would have already started it.

[tampasteve]

It would be fun to use sometimes, but overall I would only use it a few times a year to go to DT St. Pete just for fun. I believe that eventually a ferry service could be usefull, but not without DT transportation, or transportation out of the DT area. This could be a viable alternative from a express train between the two DT areas, but we need transportation in the counties first.

Steve

[tampajoe]

I do not think it will ever be established. The threat of one of those pop up summer thunderstorms with waterspouts is to much of a liability. The bay can go from calm to 6 foot swells on a regular summer day. Add on Hurricane days when it will be closed, or just plain windy day like today.