Cross Bay Ferry Up and Running

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — Folks who dread taking the bridges have a new way to travel between St. Petersburg and Tampa. The Cross Bay Ferry began running regular trips between the two towns Friday, Nov. 4.

The $1.4 million pilot project is underwritten in part by the cities of St. Petersburg and Tampa and both Pinellas and Hillsborough county governments. Each government entity paid about $350,000 to get the project off the ground. HMS Ferries is running the service during a 6-month pilot period.

The 98-foot-long ferry can carry a total of 149 people. It offers both interior and exterior seating. Passengers can bring strollers on board for no charge. A total of 36 bicycles are also allowed per trip, but bikes do add $1 to the fare each way. Carry-on luggage is also allowed, but only law enforcement officials can bring firearms. WiFi service is not available, but passengers may use their own personal hot spots.

The ferry takes off from two points:

• St. Petersburg – the North Yacht basin near the Vinoy and St. Petersburg Museum of History
• Tampa – near the Tampa Convention Center

Service is now offered seven days a week, except for holidays. Visa, MasterCard and American Express cards are accepted for tickets. Two round trips are planned each day the ferry runs with the exception of Saturdays when three round trips are scheduled. Each crossing of Tampa Bay is expected to take about 50 minutes.

One-way fares have been set at $10 for adults and $8 for children. Children under age 3 are free. Children must be 15 or older to ride the ferry without an adult.

For more information and to find out about buying tickets, suggested parking and more, visit Cross Bay Ferry online.

Have you checked out the ferry? Tell us about it by commenting below!

Image via the City of St. Petersburg Facebook page