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Tag: Manatee County water taxi

County leaders push for Holmes Beach water taxi stop

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – City leaders are willing to consider a water taxi stop in Anna Maria Island’s largest municipality. But they say it will be up to Manatee County leaders to put forth a site plan change for their consideration.

The discussion began during commissioner comments at a June 25 city commission meeting following comments from Commissioner Greg Kerchner concerning a recent Manatee County Tourist Development Council meeting held at The Center of Anna Maria Island. During the TDC meeting, a proposal was reviewed from the city of Holmes Beach requesting funding for a multi-use path to enhance safety for pedestrians and cyclists along the Marina/Gulf Drive corridor. TDC members deviated in their conversation from the requested path to the Gulf Island Ferry service which currently operates from a dock in downtown Bradenton to the Anna Maria City Pier and the Bradenton Beach Pier. They voted to recommend the multi-use path funding to Manatee County commissioners, who make the final decision, on the condition that city leaders provide a space for the ferry to dock. During their discussion, city commissioners said it’s up to the county to approach them if they want a ferry dock in Holmes Beach.

Kerchner said he’d spoken with Bradenton Area Convention Center and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Elliott Falcione about the ferry and suggested, in his personal opinion, that the county-owned Kingfish Boat Ramp at the entrance to the city on Manatee Avenue would be the best place in Holmes Beach for a ferry stop due to the large amount of parking and easy access to Island trolley stops and the beach.

Kerchner also said he’d spoken with Falcione about his concerns regarding the safety of the pontoon boats currently used for the service. When he lived in Baltimore, he said a similar style of ferry had been capsized, leading to the deaths of five people, including a child. With how fast storms blow up in the area, he said he feels the pontoon boats are not a reliable form of transportation to and from the Island on the Manatee River. Another point of concern is that the ferry service currently can only operate in fair weather, leading him and other commissioners to question how it can reliably be used by patrons and workers if they could get stuck out on the Island due to a storm without transportation back to downtown. Commissioners stated that in the event of ferry service cancellation, riders’ only means of transportation would be hiring a car ride service or waiting for a Manatee County Area Transit bus to take them back downtown.

At Kingfish, Kerchner said the county would be able to build the infrastructure to handle a larger boat than the pontoon boats instead of the limited access provided by the Waterline Marina in the center of the city.

While commissioners said they certainly are not opposed to considering site plan approval for a ferry stop in the city, they agreed that it would be up to county officials to bring those plans to them for consideration, not for them to present a plan to the county.

“If they’re going forward, and the city has made it very clear through numerous opportunities, we’re more than willing to accept and review a proposal. But it’s incumbent upon them, not us, to both locate and then to pursue a site plan for that location,” Commissioner Terry Schaefer said. He said he believes the best location would be Kingfish, if county leaders want to move forward, but it’s up to the county to bring the issue forward to the city commission “like anyone else who wants to build something in our city.”

City Attorney Erica Augello stated that she was aware the county had approached the owners of the marina at Waterline Marina Resort & Villas about hosting a ferry stop in that location. She noted that trials had already been conducted to see if the current pontoon boats were able to access and move around the marina. If that plan moves forward, she said it would likely come before the city commission for site plan approval in a quasi-judicial format. She encouraged commissioners to keep records of all of their communications regarding the water taxi service and to stay out of the discussion when possible.

“At this point, the city doesn’t have a dog in that fight,” Augello said.

County approves ferry agreements with cities

County approves ferry agreements with cities

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Community News, Featured, Manatee County.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – The Manatee County Commission approved an interlocal agreement that allows the Anna Maria City Pier to serve as a Gulf Island Ferry stop.

Approved on Oct. 10, the agreement requires the county to pay for any ferry-related pier improvements needed to accommodate the county-funded ferries.

In September, the Anna Maria Commission approved the county’s request to attach two, non-submerged composite pilings to the pier’s existing boat landing area to accommodate the ferries, at an estimated cost of $10,000.

County commissioners also approved an amendment to an interlocal agreement reached with the city of Bradenton Beach in 2021. That agreement pertains to the recently completed dock expansion project that included attaching 13 perpendicular finger docks to the floating day dock by the Bradenton Beach Pier and also replacing the nearby dinghy dock.

In 2021, the county agreed to reimburse the Bradenton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) for 50% of the dock expansion project costs, not to exceed $850,000 in matching county funds. The amended agreement allows the CRA to construct a $403,900 ferry waiting area near the dinghy dock, where a stormwater cistern was removed. That expenditure will count toward the matching funds limit but the county will reimburse the CRA for 100% of the waiting area costs.

Duncan Seawall will construct the waiting area that includes decking, a canvas-covered pergola and some covered tables. On Oct. 19, the city commission approved the new CRA project.

According to City Treasurer Shayne Thompson, $534,398 remains of the $850,000 matching funds limit, from which $403,900 will be deducted. The extended agreement gives the CRA until Sept. 30, 2024 to finish the waiting area and any additional pier and dock improvement projects eligible for reimbursement.

Dock discovery

During a recent visit to the floating dock, the county’s contracted engineer and contracted ferry operator concluded the dock is too low to accommodate a ramp that provides ADA-compliant access for passengers.

Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Elliott Falcione serves as point man for the long-desired ferry service. He told The Sun that the county now plans to use the dinghy dock as an alternative ferry landing. The dinghy dock is stationary and higher than the floating dock. Falcione said the ferries will not carry the previously discussed boat-mounted access ramps but portable or dock-mounted ramps could be used where needed.

“There will be safe access and ADA compliance,” Falcione said of the ferry stops that also include the Riverwalk Day Dock in downtown Bradenton and the county-owned Coquina South boat ramp.

Falcione expects service to begin around Thanksgiving and initially operate from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays. Saturdays and Sundays. He said the schedule can then be adjusted based on consumer demand.

“I’m excited that we’re as close as we’ve been,” he said. “Once we get this running, we work on how we transport the service workers.”

Falcione said one of the two ferries was recently damaged when its roof came in contact with a dock piling while docked in Cortez.

“That’s in repair but it doesn’t delay this operation,” he said.

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN

The floating dock in Bradenton Beach, above, is too low to be used as a ferry landing. The Bradenton Beach dinghy dock, right, will serve as an alternative ferry landing

Anna Maria rejects proposed water taxi modifications

Anna Maria rejects proposed water taxi modifications

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Anna Maria, Community News.

ANNA MARIA –City officials rejected Manatee County’s proposed water taxi-related modifications to the City Pier, but negotiations remain ongoing.

On Aug. 3, Mayor Dan Murphy presented the county’s proposed pier modifications to the city commission. The modifications rejected by the mayor and commission included a floating finger dock with submerged pilings attached perpendicular to the existing boat landing at the T-end of the pier. The county also proposed railings and a locked gate that would have provided exclusive access to the county water taxis.

 

Anna Maria rejects proposed water taxi modifications
The county’s rejected plan proposed a floating finger dock (in red), and an exclusive water taxi landing area (in yellow) at the T-end of the pier (in blue). – Manatee County | Submitted

The county-funded water taxis will initially be operated from 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays between downtown Bradenton, Anna Maria and Bradenton Beach by the county-contracted Gulf Island Ferry company.

“When I saw this, I was not happy with it at all,” Murphy told the commission.

Murphy said the proposed pier modifications would cost the county $300,000, but the city would have to reimburse the county for that amount if the city later decided to opt out of the water taxi program.

Murphy said Anna Maria, like Bradenton and Bradenton Beach, will now agree to pay for the ongoing maintenance of any county-funded pier modifications approved by the city commission.

The mayor and commission are also concerned that the county has not yet provided specific details pertaining to any additional water taxi-related safety modifications needed to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Murphy said the proposed finger dock would require several pilings that would require permitting by the Army Corps of Engineers, which could be a lengthy process.

Murphy said he met with Manatee County Commission Chair Kevin Van Ostenbridge and Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Elliott Falcione on Aug. 1, before the Council of Governments (COG) meeting later that afternoon.

“I told them this is not an acceptable proposal for the city of Anna Maria,” Murphy said. “You need to keep this simple, short, sweet and very cost-effective with minimal or no cost to the city if we decide to cancel,” Murphy said.

“My proposal back to them was just to dock parallel to the existing landing. If there’s any modification that needs to be made, make them to your boat. It’s a lot cheaper to modify a boat than it is to do all this and it requires no permit,” he said.

Murphy said the proposed pier modifications were designed by the county’s contracted engineering firm without any consultation with the city.

He said Van Ostenbridge and Falcione agreed with his simplified approach for the water taxi landing area and will proceed in that direction.

“With what I proposed, they literally could be in business in a couple of days. There’s no rocket science here. Somehow, I think this will come to fruition,” he said.

Regarding the service itself, Murphy said, “I told them this is not the focus of what our city wants for a water taxi, based upon the hours of operation and the days of operation. It’s not what we view as an endgame, but it’s a start in the right direction. I endorse that start and recommend that start because I truly believe there’s a future here in the water taxi to serving this city, particularly as it relates to bringing employees out here. Make it fast, make it economical, make it attractive to employees to bring them out and drop them off here or down in Bradenton Beach. It would have to be efficient and timely. Three days a week with the hours they propose is not going to attract many employees,” Murphy said.

Murphy said Falcione and Van Ostenbridge agreed and they recognize this is just a starting point for a service that will hopefully later be expanded.

“If it works, it works. If it doesn’t work, I don’t want to have to pay a ransom to walk away,” Murphy said.

Commissioner Deanie Sebring said the county’s proposed plan didn’t consider that fishing is a primary use of the City Pier. She said the proposed railing and gated area made no sense.

As an alternative, Murphy said the commission could adopt a city resolution that prohibits unattended boats from being tied up to the pier landing area. Commissioner Charlie Salem said if the water taxis run on a regular schedule, docking at the landing could be prohibited during those 15 intervals.

When commenting on the proposed modifications, Commission Chair Mark Short said, “I hate this. I hate tying up one corner of the pier by putting a fence up. I hate the logistics of putting a dock in. They’re proposing wooden pilings that won’t last in Tampa Bay. Bringing it in sideways makes way too much sense to me. There’s rarely a boat that docks there anyway.”

Short reiterated Commissioner Jon Crane’s concerns that the county still hasn’t presented any proposed ADA compliance modifications and he questioned whether that could include a proposal to install safety railings along the entire length of the pier walkway, where none currently exist.

Echoing Murphy’s comments, Short said the service schedule and rates are not going to encourage Island employees to use the water taxis to commute from the mainland.

“I don’t see any incentive for someone who would want to take this to come out here and work. Maybe that’s the next step,” Short said.

Future expansion

During Tuesday’s COG meeting, Falcione discussed the anticipated future expansion of the water taxi/ferry service. He said the county plans to apply for a grant to purchase a larger, high-speed ferry to transport passengers between downtown Bradenton and Anna Maria, with the two pontoon boats then traveling between the City Pier, the Bradenton Beach Pier and the Coquina South boat ramp.

Anna Maria rejects proposed water taxi modifications
The Gulf Island Ferry water taxis were recently placed in the water in Cortez. – Manatee County | Submitted

Falcione envisions water taxi/ferry service someday taking place seven days a week with an expanded route and additional stops, including stops near the Bradenton Area Convention Center in Palmetto and the new Marriot hotel currently being built next to it, and at the Powel Crosley Estate near the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.

Falcione said the initial water taxi service is now expected to begin this fall, to be followed in early 2024 with a program that incentivizes employee ridership. Falcione said the county has already committed $1.4 million to the water taxi/ferry service.

Water taxi expected to launch soon

Water taxi expected to launch soon

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Community News.

BRADENTON – An open house held on June 27 at the Manatee Performing Arts Center by the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) offered answers to many of the questions regarding the long-awaited ferry service between Anna Maria Island and Bradenton.

On April 23, CVB Executive Director Elliott Falcione said the hope was to have the boats operational by July, potentially by the Fourth of July weekend, a goal that was missed. The new, more conservative estimate is to have the boats running with passengers onboard by the end of the summer.

Although construction of the two 49-passenger pontoon boats is almost complete, they still require plenty of testing to get all Coast Guard certifications and permits issued. In addition, the city of Anna Maria has not yet reached an interlocal agreement with the county regarding the use of the Anna Maria City Pier as the northernmost stop on the Island.

The current plan is to have the water taxis depart downtown Bradenton and dock at the Anna Maria City Pier in Anna Maria and the Bradenton Beach Pier and South Coquina Boat Ramp in Bradenton Beach. Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy says there are things in the county’s proposed agreement that are of concern, and they are waiting for a revised proposal that makes better business sense for the city. Regardless, the project continues to move forward.

“I just got the call that boats will be splashing in the water in about two weeks,” Gulf Coast Water Taxi owner Trisha Rodriguez said. “Now that is without any Coast Guard validation and without any sea trials being done. It’s going to take a couple of weeks, if not a couple of months to get all of those sea trials completed. Most importantly regarding the timeline is that the docks have to be ready, and they are not ready now. The issue right now is we don’t have anywhere to go to, even if we were ready now, the docks have to be ready for the boats and they aren’t at this time.”

Rodriguez says that before the service begins there will be some trips for media and partners of the project to ride and see how the boats will operate. Dates for those trips have not yet been set. As for where the boats will be kept between splashdown in Bradenton and the start of the service, Rodriguez said that is being negotiated currently and they should have an answer in the next few days.

The open house also answered many of the basic questions many have had regarding the service once it is operational, including:

Days and hours of operation

Initially the Gulf Islands Ferry will operate every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. year-round. The captain of the boat will have complete authority over stopping service due to weather issues. During the stormy summer months, there will be times service will be suspended for safety reasons.

Cost

Tickets will be $8 for a one-way ride, $5 for children 4-12 and $6 for seniors. Tickets can be purchased in advance online or they can be purchased when boarding the boat if space is available.

Trip length

Assuming the city of Anna Maria reaches an agreement for use of the pier, the service will depart the downtown Bradenton Riverwalk near the Green Bridge with a 35-minute ride to Anna Maria City Pier. Exact times to the Bradenton Beach Pier and South Coquina Boat Ramp will be determined after sea trials begin in the next few weeks. This information will be updated frequently at www.gulfislandferry.com.

Where to park

In Bradenton, free parking is available at the City Centre Parking Facility at Third Avenue West between 10th and 12th Streets. On the Island, there is public parking at Coquina Beach, Cortez Beach and the Bridge Street area in Bradenton Beach. In Anna Maria, there is also free public parking near the city pier along the bay and on Pine Avenue. Parking on AMI can be very limited and part of the reason county officials have shown so much support for this project is because they hope people coming from Bradenton will use the service instead of bringing a car to the Island. The Island has a free trolley service as well as privately-owned transportation services that make getting around fairly easy without a personal vehicle.

Pet policy

Leashed, well-behaved pets are allowed onboard as long as they don’t bother other guests and all service pets are welcome. It should be noted that pets are prohibited on all Anna Maria Island beaches.

Restrooms

There is one restroom on each vessel.

Beach gear

Most commonly used beach gear and coolers are permitted on the boats, but due to U.S. Coast Guard regulations, bicycles will not be permitted on the water taxi.

Private charters

If arrangements are made at least two weeks in advance, most large groups can be accommodated. To schedule, email kristi@gulfcoastwatertaxi.com.

Wi-Fi

Complimentary Wi-Fi will be available on both water taxis; however, it should be noted that there will be dead spots along the route and full boats could experience bandwidth issues.

For updates and more information on the water taxi service, visit www.gulfcoastwatertaxi.com.

 

TDC recommends funding for water taxi

TDC recommends funding for water taxi

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Community News, Transportation.

BRADENTON – Among the many agenda items up for discussion at the April 24 Manatee County Tourist Development Council (TDC) meeting, the soon-to-be operational water taxi service was an issue all TDC members were enthusiastic about.

The water taxi service, planned to begin operation in July, will link Anna Maria Island and Bradenton in an effort to alleviate some traffic congestion and parking issues.

Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) Executive Director Elliott Falcione told TDC members last week that everything was going well with the construction of the boats, the three cities that will be on the ferry route and all other aspects of the project.

“The boats are coming along very well and should be complete by mid-to-late June and there will be some branding on them as well,” Falcione said. “We are about 90% there on an operation agreement between Manatee County and the water ferry operator. We hope to bring that to the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) in mid-to-late May.”

Falcione said the three cities that will be on the route will be Bradenton, Anna Maria and Bradenton Beach. He said that all three cities have drafted interlocal agreements and the TDC will bring those to the BCC at the same time as the operations agreement.

“If the stars align, and I hope they will, it’s been a long time coming, we’re hoping to start a Friday, Saturday and Sunday service in the month of July,” Falcione said. “Would July Fourth be the perfect scenario, absolutely, and we’re going to try to get there.”

The main focus of the TDC’s discussion was a subsidy to fund the water taxi service for the first year of operation. Falcione said earlier ideas to subsidize the service included the Coquina Beach Market and beach concessions, but those options were no longer on the table. He said the only option for year one would be to use tourism tax proceeds.

Falcione asked the TDC for a recommendation of $400,000 to carry the service for the first year, as well as $25,000 for marketing efforts. After the first year, he said they would look into grant opportunities and other funding sources so the program could ween off of the tourism tax funding. The $400,000 is to fill the gap between projected first-year total operating costs and first-year income from paid water taxi rider fares, which will be in the $8 to $10 range per rider, depending on whether it is a one-way trip or a hopper pass that would be good for the day. Plans are still in place for Island workers to use the service for free to get to and from work, which could help with parking issues.

Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown moved to recommend the $425,000 subsidy as discussed, and Palmetto Mayor Shirley Groover-Bryant seconded. The motion was passed unanimously and will be presented to the BCC later this month.

Water taxi agreement revisions continue

Water taxi agreement revisions continue

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Anna Maria, Anna Maria Island, Community News.

ANNA MARIA – City and county officials continue to work on an interlocal agreement that would allow the Anna Maria City Pier to be used as a landing area for Manatee County’s pending water taxi service.

On March 9, Mayor Dan Murphy and the Anna Maria City Commission discussed but took no formal action on the revised interlocal agreement recently received from the county. That document includes the revisions county staff made to the original agreement the city proposed several months ago.

The discussion resulted in additional revisions being requested by the city commission. Those revisions will be included in an updated agreement to be presented during the commission’s Thursday, March 23 meeting or soon thereafter. If the commission deems those revisions acceptable, the city-revised agreement will be returned to county officials for their consideration.

Waiting for the taxi

The water taxi service was originally expected to begin in March or April. In October, Manatee County commissioners authorized then-County Administrator Scott Hopes to spend up to $700,000 to design and build two pontoon boats to be used as water taxis. Manatee County will initially own the boats to be managed and operated by the Clearwater-based Clearwater Ferry company.

According to Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Elliott Falcione, the water taxis will travel to and from downtown Bradenton with anticipated stops at the Anna Maria City Pier, the Bradenton Beach Pier and the Coquina South boat ramp in Bradenton Beach, operating from 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only. Extended hours and/or additional service days are possible depending on demand.

When asked about a starting date for the water taxi service, Murphy told the commission that Falcione would not commit to a specific date but said it would be “right around the corner.”

City revisions

The county-revised agreement says the purposes of the water taxi program are “to relieve

automobile congestion coming to and from the Island, and to provide an alternative and affordable means of public transportation to and from the Island for Manatee County visitors, residents and service workers.”

City Commissioner Charlie Salem suggested removing the word “service” and making the reference inclusive to all who work on the Island.

Commission Chair Mark Short referenced the proposed agreement language that says the cost of any Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-related improvements, permits or studies required for water taxi dockage at the pier would be the financial responsibility of Manatee County or its water taxi contractor.

Short said those ADA improvements could potentially include safety rails being added to the existing boat landing area near the T-end of the pier. He noted the proposed language doesn’t address who would cover the costs of any water taxi-related ADA improvements needed elsewhere on the pier in order to serve as a water taxi stop. According to Murphy, the commission would have to approve any changes or improvements made to the pier.

Short also referenced the agreement language that says, “Subsequent maintenance and the cost thereof for the pier shall remain the responsibility of the city.” He suggested the ongoing maintenance remain the responsibility of the county.

Short noted the county-revised version of the agreement references Exhibits A and B, but those exhibits were not included with the document. City Attorney Becky Vose said the city can’t formally enter into the interlocal agreement without being provided with the documents.