Traffic & Transit
Ferry Service From Bradenton To Anna Maria Island Gets Start Date
The Gulf Island Ferry service between Riverwalk and two stops on Anna Maria Island to start by Thanksgiving, Bradenton officials said.
MANATEE COUNTY, FL — After delays, a new water taxi service between mainland Manatee County and Anna Maria Island has a new start date.
“Looks like by Thanksgiving, we can ride from our Riverwalk to Anna Maria Island, on weekends anyway,” the city of Bradenton wrote in a newsletter.
The Gulf Island Ferry’s two 49-passenger catamarans, Miss Anna Maria and the Downtown Duchess, will initially run Friday through Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
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There will be three taxi stops: the Anna Maria City Pier, the Bridge Street Pier in Bradenton Beach and the Bradenton Riverwalk.
A Coquina Beach stop is planned and possible Holmes Beach and Palmetto stops are in the works, the city said.
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Proposed fares would be $8 for one-way trips or $10 for an all-day pass.
The ferry service was initially expected to launch this past spring, and later, over the summer.
The initiative faced a number of challenges, though — from finding a vendor, negotiating agreements with local governments and additional time needed to build the boats, according to the Bradenton Herald.
The water taxis arrived in Manatee County in July and underwent Coast Guard trials.
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