Officials from the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority and the City of Tampa met Monday to discuss next steps for restoring cross-bay ferry service between downtown Tampa and downtown St. Petersburg.
The meeting comes as the newly renamed Tampa Bay Ferry — formerly the Cross Bay Ferry — moves closer to a potential launch this spring or summer. The rebranding followed a change in ownership last year.
The previous service was discontinued in April 2025 after a dispute with operator HMS Ferries, which sought to substitute a slower vessel that would have roughly doubled crossing times, in violation of its agreement with Hillsborough County. County commissioners terminated the contract shortly after.
In November 2025, both Tampa and St. Petersburg approved an interlocal agreement to support a new service, with each city committing up to $350,000 annually in funding. Under the arrangement, PSTA will oversee ferry operations and is using a portion of a $4.8 million federal grant to purchase at least one vessel.
Proponents say the new funding structure is more financially stable than the previous model.
No launch date has been formally announced.
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