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Pinellas County, FL—The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) Board of Directors today unanimously approved a critical step toward launching an enhanced cross-bay ferry service between St. Petersburg and Tampa. The board’s action indicates support of the transfer to PSTA of a nearly $5 million federal grant currently held by Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART). The grant would fund the purchase of one, or possibly two, high-speed passenger ferry boats by PSTA.
One key step remains: HART must approve the transfer. Once HART’s Board of Directors votes to approve the transfer at an upcoming board meeting, the funds would stay in the Tampa Bay region and be used by PSTA to acquire vessels for the planned service. If HART’s board does not approve the transfer, the money will revert to the federal government and be redirected to another community. HART’s next board meeting is June 2.
“This vote puts us one step closer to delivering a faster, more reliable ferry service for our residents and visitors,” said Brad Miller, CEO of PSTA. “But there’s still an important decision ahead. We’re hopeful our partners at HART will help keep this funding here in Tampa Bay.”
The $4.86 million federal grant is nearing its expiration date and remains unused. As part of the FTA’s Section 5307 Passenger Ferry Grant program, the funds can only be used for the purchase of passenger ferry vessels. If PSTA or HART does not spend the funds, they will be awarded to another passenger ferry program elsewhere in the country for that purpose.
Unlike previous ferry service models that relied on leased vessels, PSTA and its municipal partners plan to purchase the boats outright and then lease them to a contracted operator. Owning the vessels locally is expected to reduce operating costs by up to hundreds of dollars per hour and provide more flexibility to expand service in the future.
PSTA plans to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a ferry operator this summer, with a goal of launching the new service in 2026—depending on funding and procurement. For more information about PSTA, click here.
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