Cross Bay Ferry Service Between Tampa and St. Petersburg to Conclude Early

The Cross Bay Ferry’s inaugural season of year-round service is anticipated to conclude ahead of schedule due to contractual disputes between Hillsborough County and HMS Ferries Inc., the operator of the ferry service. The company, based in Boston, has been reported to be in default of its agreement with the county, as revealed in correspondence from John Muller, the director of facilities management and real estate services for Hillsborough County.

In an email dated March 25, Muller detailed that HMS Ferries had proposed to replace the current high-speed ferry with a slower alternative, which would extend the one-way crossing time across Tampa Bay to nearly two hours—double the duration of the existing service. Under the terms of the agreement established in 2021, HMS Ferries is contractually obligated to deliver a high-speed ferry service. In light of this breach, Muller officially notified HMS of their default and set a deadline of April 3 for the company to identify a suitable replacement vessel.

Evan Mory, the transportation and parking management director for St. Petersburg, communicated to City Council members that HMS Ferries failed to meet the stipulated deadline. Consequently, Hillsborough County officials have indicated plans to recommend the cancellation of the ferry service at the upcoming County Commission meeting on April 16. Mory projected that April 30 will likely mark the last operational day of the ferry service this spring.

The Cross Bay Ferry is currently in its fourth and final operational year under the existing contract, which was originally scheduled to conclude on September 30. In his correspondence dated March 25 to City Council members, Mory highlighted that an early termination of the service would result in a cost-saving of 2,000 for the city, although he noted a preference for the service to continue until September.

Meanwhile, Pinellas County’s transit authority is exploring options to better integrate the Cross Bay Ferry service, including the potential acquisition of a ferry to enhance operations. However, Hillsborough County has been reluctant to allocate a nearly million federal grant that could facilitate this integration.

Mory indicated that the city is collaborating with the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority and other governmental partners to develop a new ferry program that could potentially be reintroduced as soon as this fall, contingent on the solicitation process and the availability of compliant vendors.

As this situation evolves, further updates will be provided.