BRADENTON, Fla. — Tampa resident Beverly Brown drove from Tampa with her family on Friday, hoping to catch the new ferry service to Anna Maria Island.
Along with her two adult sons, she thought it would be a nice way for the four of them to celebrate her husband’s birthday. But Brown, like others, arrived to find the unmanned ferries docked and going nowhere.
“I am a bit disappointed because I thought it was going to run today,” Brown said.
Manatee County officials had announced a December 8 launch date for the new Gulf Islands Ferry Service. But Thursday, Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau spokeswoman Kolby Gayson confirmed the launch was postponed.
“The service is still in its final approval stages from outside agencies,” Gayson told ABC Action News in an email.
County officials would not confirm which state or federal agencies were responsible for the hold-up.
Disappointed but hopeful
“We are a little bit disappointed that today we won’t be one of the first to ride the ferry but we continue to be excited that the ferry exists. There it is,” Shelley Olson said. “Two beautiful ferries.”
Olson lives just steps from the Bradenton Riverwalk day dock and is looking forward to an alternate way to get to the beach.
“Traffic is increasingly a problem," Olson said. "And this seems like a reasonably eco-friendly for us both to enjoy the ride and enjoy the beautiful island."
Brown was also looking forward to the ride as much as the destination, hoping she might see some manatees on the way out to the island.
“Oh, I wanted to be the first to go on. The first to experience this in my family and I wanted to be the first on this ferry since it’s new,” Brown added.
Looking forward
In the meantime, the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau will be working on updating their ticket prices. ABC Action News had questioned the $8 one-way price last month during a preview event, where media, local officials, and special guests were invited to take a ride on the new ferries.
“During this additional time of preparation, we are further enhancing our ticket prices to include a round trip ticket option as well as lowered pricing based on consumer research and interest,” Gayson said Thursday.
Once open, the ferry will operate from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. A new launch date has not yet been announced.
