HMS Ferries

Hillsborough Commission expresses caution about fully investing in Cross-Bay Ferry for second year

Published on April 19, 2017 in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by Mitch Perry

Hillsborough County Commissioners sounded impressed by the relative success of the Cross-Bay Ferry pilot project between Tampa and St. Petersburg that concludes at the end of this month, but whether they are prepared to spend another $350,000 to fund a repeat performance later this year remains uncertain. After hearing a presentation from St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman, whose leadership led to the project happening, the board passed a motion to have County Administrator Mike Merrill review whether the board can find the funds…

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Ferry adds routes to shuttle Rays fans to St. Pete in April

Published on March 22, 2017 in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by Mitch Perry

With the Major League Baseball season poised to begin in St. Petersburg in 11 days, the Tampa Bay Rays, PSTA and the Cross-Bay Ferry are working together to make it easier for Tampa residents to attend Tampa Bay Rays baseball games. The ferry will adjust its schedule and add special, later routes to connect from Tampa to St. Petersburg and back in April, the last scheduled month for the ferry pilot project. The announcement was made aboard the vessel at the ferry…

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Cross-Bay Ferry revenues health enough that money is flowing back to taxpayers

Published on March 9, 2017 in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by Mitch Perry

Although some transit supporters have downplayed its relevance, the Cross-Bay Ferry has some positive news to share. Officials with the ferry announced Thursday that for more than a month, revenues from ticket sales and concessions have surpassed the initial $150,000 fee guaranteed to Seattle-based HMS Ferries, with all that profit flowing back into the four local governments that put up a total of $1.4 million in seed money to fund the public-private partnership. The Cross-Bay Ferry began operations in November and is…

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Cross-Bay Ferry sells more than 5,400 tickets in December

Published on January 11, 2017 in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by Mitch Perry

More than 5,400 tickets were sold for the Cross-Bay Ferry between Tampa and St. Petersburg in December, organizers said on Wednesday. That’s up from the 4,700 tickets sold in its inaugural month of November. The six-month pilot project is a collaboration between four local governments: the cities of Tampa and St. Petersburg, along with Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties. All four contributed $350,000 to pay for the cost of the pilot, which was spearheaded by former Hillsborough County Commissioner Ed Turanchik, and…

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Tampa to St. Petersburg ferry service to begin on November 4

Published on September 21, 2016 in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by Mitch Perry

Organizers behind a ferry service that will take commuters from downtown Tampa to downtown St. Petersburg provided more details on Wednesday about the service, beginning with giving it a formal title — “The Cross-Bay Ferry.” At a news conference held at the offices of Schifino Lee Advertising and Branding in Tampa’s Hyde Park on Wednesday, officials involved with the service gave a timeline of when the ferry will begin operations this fall. Weekend service (Friday/Saturday/Sunday) will begin for the public starting…

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Hillsborough Commissioners approve business plan for high-speed ferry service between St. Pete and Tampa

Published on June 15, 2016 in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by Mitch Perry

Hillsborough County have approved the next step in a proposed pilot program with the city of St. Petersburg that will introduce high-speed ferry service running from Tampa to St. Pete beginning this fall. The 6-0 vote (Commissioner Stacy White was absent) came after a brief appearance by St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman, who has been the public official spearheading the public/private partnership with HMS Ferries. The County Commission originally earmarked $350,000 for the seven-day-a-week ferry service between the Vinoy Basin St. Pete and…

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Rick Kriseman and Bob Buckhorn share the love at the Suncoast Tiger Bay Club

Published on January 8, 2016 in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by Mitch Perry

The appearance of two of the most important public officials in the Tampa Bay Area – Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn and St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman – brought out a large audience to the St. Petersburg Yacht Club on Friday afternoon in an event sponsored by the Suncoast Tiger Bay Club event. To no one’s surprise, it was a bit of a lovefest, as the two men have been friends since the 1990’s, and have often been on the same ideological…

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