MANATEE COUNTY – County commissioners have approved a $3 million budget amendment to fund the purchase of a third Gulf Island Ferry boat.
On June 11, Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Elliott Falcione presented the funding request to commissioners for the purchase of a 60-foot, partially enclosed, 93-passenger boat to expand the Gulf Island Ferry fleet to three boats.
The budget amendment also provides additional funds for the current ferry service operations between the Riverwalk Day Dock in downtown Bradenton, the Anna Maria City Pier and the Bradenton Beach Pier.
Falcione hopes to present a purchase order for commission approval in late June before the commission takes its annual summer recess.
Falcione noted the Gulf Island Ferry service began on Jan. 12 with two 49-passenger, open-air pontoon boats and is now operating Wednesday through Sunday, at least through June. The county and the contracted ferry operators will take a month-by-month approach to scheduling during the slower summer months.
Falcione said the pontoon ferries are currently carrying more than 200 passengers a day and carried 14,000 passengers between the initial launch and the end of May.
Regarding the initial purchase of the two pontoon boats, Falcione said, “We had to figure out if the mainland to the Island (route) would work. We always knew the hopper service up and down the Island would work. If the mainland to the Island didn’t work, we would still use those pontoon catamarans out on the Island.”
When addressing the need for a larger boat to handle the river run between downtown Bradenton and the City Pier, Falcione said, “We have suspended 41 days due to wind chop on the Manatee River going out to the mouth of the river. That 41 days is a loss of about 11,000 passengers.”
He noted ferry service at the City Pier has been suspended 10 times due to water currents and other factors.
When presenting a diagram of the proposed vessel, Falcione said 67 seats will be enclosed with air conditioning and heat, two wheelchair spaces, an ADA-compliant restroom and 24 additional open-air seats.
“It’ll be heavier. It’ll be a little bit faster. It should mitigate 60-70% of the weather that we’re dealing with today. The frustrating thing is, if you approve this today, it’s going to take a year to build,” he said.
The larger enclosed ferry will operate between downtown Bradenton and the Anna Maria City Pier – or the Bradenton Beach Pier if conditions require doing so. The two pontoon boats will then operate between the two Island piers and eventually to one of the county boat ramps near Coquina Beach.
The county plans to apply for a federal transportation grant that would cover 80-85% of the funds needed to purchase a second enclosed ferry boat a year or so after the first enclosed ferry boat arrives. County staff has also been directed to eventually implement a ferry stop near the convention center and new Marriott hotel in Palmetto.
Regarding the ferry service becoming a plausible transportation option for Island employees who live on the mainland, Falcione said the long-term goal is to have an express ferry service that leaves for the Island at 7 a.m. and returns around 5 or 6 p.m. with regular ferry service and MCAT buses augmenting the express service.
“We’ve got to figure out a way to not charge the employees to incentivize them to ride the service. We’ll get there and we might be able to find a sponsor,” he said.
For tickets, schedules and other information, please visit the Gulf Island Ferry website.
