The Cross Bay Ferry’s future in Tampa Bay is in doubt as its current operator, Boston-based HMS Ferries, Inc., is poised to lose its role after failing to meet city requirements.

St. Petersburg’s Transportation and Parking Management Director, Evan Mory, informed the City Council on Tuesday that HMS Ferries did not respond in time to a directive against replacing the current high-speed vessel with a slower one. The proposed ferry would cruise at just 15 knots—nearly doubling the travel time between St. Petersburg and Tampa to around two hours each way. The current seasonal ferry operates at 27 knots.

The service, jointly supported by Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, the cities of Tampa and St. Petersburg, and the Florida Department of Transportation, has been administered by Hillsborough County. But the ferry’s operator missed an April 3 deadline to respond, effectively triggering the end of key agreements.

In a March memo, Mory noted that Cross Bay Ferry interlocal agreements with Hillsborough, Tampa, and Pinellas—as well as the docking license with Port St. Pete—are expected to be phased out. While officials had hoped service would continue through September, ending it in April could save the City of St. Petersburg roughly $102,000, as Hillsborough has pledged to reimburse costs proportionally.

The Hillsborough County Commission is scheduled to discuss ferry contracts on April 16.

In a follow-up memo this week, Mory confirmed that April 30 is expected to be the final day of ferry operations this spring. He emphasized that work is underway with the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) and other partners to establish a new ferry program that could potentially launch by fall, depending on vendor readiness and the proposal process.

A city statement issued Thursday said, “The City of St. Petersburg is working with PSTA and other government partners to issue an RFP and explore options to provide a new ferry service for Tampa Bay residents and visitors.”

Back in 2024, Hillsborough officials expressed a desire to exit the ferry-management role, partly due to complications around a $4.86 million federal Passenger Ferry Grant awarded in 2021. One proposal suggests using the remaining funds to build a permanent dock in St. Petersburg.

“While it’s disappointing that this year’s service may end sooner than expected,” Mory told council members, “we’re optimistic about the future and look forward to exploring better ferry options for our residents and visitors.”

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(Image credit: Cross Bay Ferry)

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