Sarasota Bradenton Ferry Launches Website, Facebook Page

BRADENTON, FL – While the Sarasota Bradenton Ferry hasn’t launched yet, the company that plans to start the transportation service launched a website and Facebook page to start gathering community feedback.

The Sarasota Bradenton Ferry Co. plans to launch its first 149-passenger vessel to provide transportation from the 10th Street Pier in downtown Sarasota, Anna Maria Island and the Bradenton Riverwalk. According to Capt. Sherman Baldwin, the company’s director of marine operations, the ferry will work for commuters, locals and tourists.

The company’s website, www.SarasotaBradentonFerry.com, currently displays a survey for residents and visitors of the Sarasota-Bradenton area. According to the website the goal of the survey is to “learn more about the community and start building local relationships.”

The website also announced that one survey participant will win a ticket aboard the ferry’s maiden voyage and celebration.

“The Ferry has always been about community needs: expanding options, alleviating gridlock and providing convenience or leisure,” said Chris Johnson, the director of marketing for the Sarasota Bradenton Ferry Co. “We will be releasing a lot of updates on Facebook between now and our anticipated launch, including more ways for the community and community leaders to get involved.”

The company has not announced a specific date for the ferry’s launch, but expects it to happen in early 2018. According to Capt. Sherman Baldwin, the director of marine operations for the Sarasota Bradenton Ferry Co., a marine operation of this scale requires a careful approach.

“In the coming months, we will be working with local conservation organizations and the U.S. Coast Guard to ensure we launch the safest and most environmentally friendly use of our waterways for transportation,” he said. “Future riders will be comfortable onboard and able to depend on our schedule.”

For more information, visit www.SarasotaBradentonFerry.com or www.facebook.com/sarasotabradentonferry.

Image via City of Sarasota, Government Facebook page