HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Hillsborough County leaders voted to terminate their contract with the Cross Bay Ferry Company.
The Cross Bay Ferry offers boat rides between Tampa and St. Petersburg for an inexpensive price, but the service ended due to a contract issue between the county and the ferry company.
The ferry company recently requested a vessel change. The new boat would only move at 15 knots, which means it would take two hours rather than one to get between cities.
WATCH PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Cross Bay Ferry could be gone for good depending on county's vote
Hillsborough County Commissioner Harry Cohen said that it's a violation of the contract.
“As a result, Hillsborough County is going to exercise its right and terminate the pilot program at the end of April. It is essentially because the ferry company is unable to provide for its end of the deal, which is a vessel that is sized to get people across the Bay in an hour,” Cohen said.
The county told the ferry company to find a suitable replacement or the contract would be terminated. The thought of losing the service caused commotion online.
Christian Bonnier is a Tampa TikToker who hopped on social media after discovering the ferry in February. On TikTok, Bonnier is seen singing the boat's praises. The video has more than 50,000 likes and hundreds of comments.
Bonnier was back online this week in an attempt to save the ferry before the vote.
“The Cross Bay Ferry is getting canceled at the end of this month. This is a complete disaster,” Bonnier said.
In the comment section on that video, people are visibly upset.
“A lot of people are really upset, like I can’t believe this is getting canceled. There are 58 comments on my Instagram Reel saying, 'Save the ferry, keep it around, this is terrible news,'" Bonnier said.
He said losing the ferry means a major loss for people in Tampa.
“Yeah, it is frustrating because it’s not like it’s a small thing that isn’t widely appreciated. It’s like this is a Tampa staple, if you will,” Bonnier said.
Now that the county has voted to terminate the contract, the last ride will be on April 30.
The City of St. Petersburg and the Pinellas SunCoast Transit Authority are looking into options to bring another ferry service to Tampa Bay.
The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) is working with our municipal partners to launch a new ferry service with a new operator this fall. PSTA intends to initiate a Request for Proposal for a ferry operator this summer.
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