New water taxi from Anna Maria Island to Bradenton is on track to start this summer (Clearwater: subsidized)

[wondermint2]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/new...511ae654&ei=19

A water taxi service between Bradenton and Anna Maria Island could be operational before the next Manatee County Tourist Development Council meeting in August.

"It's still looking good to start this summer between July and early August," Elliott Falcione, executive director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, said on Monday.

Falcione said he is hopeful that the app used by MCAT riders to gauge when their bus arrives can also be used for the water ferry service.

"That's really important to the success of the water taxi," he said.

Still to be wrapped up are final touches on agreements between the local governments served by the planned service and Manatee County's contract with Clearwater-based Gulf Coast Water Taxi, LLC.

Initially, the ferry service would start at the day dock along the Bradenton Riverwalk with stops at the Anna Maria Island Pier, the Bradenton Beach Pier and one of the boat ramps near Coquina Beach.

Fares would be $8 for one-way trips or $10 for an all-day pass.

A water taxi service between Manatee County's mainland and island cities has long been discussed as an alternative to frequently overcrowded causeways and roads, and limited parking availability.

[beach43ofus]

Parking in Bradenton near the Riverwalk, & car security will need to be handled first. Is there ample parking in this area? What about during major events? Will your car be safe there at all times of day & night when the ferry's running?

How will potential Ferry riders know when the Ferries are maxed out? That MCAT app must be operational before this begins imho.

The idea is good, but the execution is key to make it work.

[tinytrump]

Parking during the summer might be ok. Once the season comes tourists n snowbirds will be just cruising the waters. Natives will be pushed out as usual.

[beach43ofus]

anyone seen a pic of what they will look like? This is all I could find that wasnt paywalled...I hate the local newspapers for paywalling everything

https://www.islander.org/2023/05/tdc...-taxi-subsidy/

[wondermint2]

Ferries arrive, Anna Maria balks on agreement

For full article:

https://www.islander.org/2023/07/fer...-on-agreement/

Manatee County’s proposed Gulf Islands Ferry service might lose a key player before the boats launch.

Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy hinted July 13 at potentially walking away from an interlocal agreement that would allow the county-subsidized service to use the city pier as a water taxi stop.

The county has been working on a water taxi service for years in an attempt to increase multimodal access to the island, which struggles with roadway traffic.

The service will include two 50-foot catamarans operated by Clearwater-based Gulf Coast Water Taxi, which will staff each of the 49-passenger vessels with two crew members.

Tavares-based Trident Pontoons built and delivered the catamarans, named Miss Anna Maria and Downtown Duchess, to Cortez.

Next a U.S. Coast Guard trial for the service was set to take up to six weeks to complete, after which final run times and ports will be determined.

In the meantime, the county has secured interlocal agreements with the cities of Bradenton and Bradenton Beach but not Anna Maria.

[wondermint2]

Bradenton's water taxi service can't start until Anna Maria, Manatee agree on pier

For full article:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/new...a0a319b6&ei=32

Before water taxi service can start in Bradenton, the City of Anna Maria is negotiating with Manatee County Government on how passengers would board and disembark at the Anna Maria City Pier.

Instead of modifying the pier with a floating dock that would exclusively serve the water taxi, city officials say they have a better idea.

"Why not make a modification to the boat, rather than the pier?" said Mayor Dan Murphy. "That would take a lot less time and money."

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would need to sign off on any modification to the pier.

Equipping the water taxi with a gangway would allow passengers to enter or leave the 50-foot catamarans by way of an existing pier landing and not require any modification to the pier, Murphy said.

The two water taxis, Miss Anna Maria and the Downtown Duchess, arrived in Bradenton in July, after several years of planning and $950,000 of tourist bed-tax money, approved by the Manatee County Commission in November.

Murphy and Elliott Falcione, executive director of The Bradenton Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, downplayed the latest stumbling block to launching the water taxi service.

"We agree on all the details," Murphy said. "We are really excited about the water taxi."

[wondermint2]

Originally Posted by wondermint2

Bradenton's water taxi service can't start until Anna Maria, Manatee agree on pier

For full article:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/new...a0a319b6&ei=32

Before water taxi service can start in Bradenton, the City of Anna Maria is negotiating with Manatee County Government on how passengers would board and disembark at the Anna Maria City Pier.

Instead of modifying the pier with a floating dock that would exclusively serve the water taxi, city officials say they have a better idea.

"Why not make a modification to the boat, rather than the pier?" said Mayor Dan Murphy. "That would take a lot less time and money."

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would need to sign off on any modification to the pier.

Equipping the water taxi with a gangway would allow passengers to enter or leave the 50-foot catamarans by way of an existing pier landing and not require any modification to the pier, Murphy said.

The two water taxis, Miss Anna Maria and the Downtown Duchess, arrived in Bradenton in July, after several years of planning and $950,000 of tourist bed-tax money, approved by the Manatee County Commission in November.

Murphy and Elliott Falcione, executive director of The Bradenton Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, downplayed the latest stumbling block to launching the water taxi service.

"We agree on all the details," Murphy said. "We are really excited about the water taxi."

Anna Maria, county (finally) reach ferry agreement

For full article:

https://www.islander.org/2023/09/ann...rry-agreement/

The Anna Maria City Pier is set to be the first island stop for Manatee County’s Gulf Islands Ferry program.

City commissioners unanimously voted Sept. 21 to approve an interlocal agreement and improvement plan to allow the county’s ferry to use the city pier as a ferry station.

The county had already inked interlocal agreements with the cities of Bradenton and Bradenton Beach, so Anna Maria’s signoff wraps up about a year of negotiations.

Over that time, the two sides have whittled down terms and revisions for an agreement that Mayor Dan Murphy endorsed in August.

The endorsed agreement has six terms.

The improvements are projected to cost about $10,000.

Murphy said the decreased cost was important since the city must pay for the improvements if it decides to terminate its agreement with the county. He called the previous plan’s $300,000 improvements a “ransom payment.”

He added that the installation of bumper pilings along the pier landing was a “pretty good idea for docking” and the use of composite pilings, which are stronger and more durable than wood, would keep maintenance costs low.

“It isn’t exactly what we want. Our discussions have been around a taxi that would bring workers across and relieve congestion and traffic. Is it that? No, it’s really not that. But is it a step in the right direction of us getting to that? Yes. And if they decide not to ever get to that, can we get out of this contract? Yes,” Murphy said.

“They need the city of Anna Maria far more than we need them.”

Commissioner Charlie Salem lauded Murphy for his work with the county to secure improvements at a lower cost but said the city should keep an eye on the ferry’s impact.

“Is this going to really deliver for the people who live here and work here?” Salem asked. “Three days a week service doesn’t get that done now but hopefully it will in the future. If it doesn’t — I’ll speak for myself — this isn’t the kind of thing I think we should be spending any money on.”

Commissioner Jonathan Crane said he’d like the city to have ongoing conversations with the county about increasing the days of service.

“We all believe that the water ferry would be a better vehicle for helping to ease congestion and getting workers out here if it ran seven days a week,” Crane said.