PSTA secures key funding for permanent Tampa-St. Pete ferry dock at St. Pete Pier
/the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority secured $850,000 in federal funding today | St. Pete rising
A permanent ferry dock at the St. Pete Pier moved closer to reality Friday, as the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority celebrated $850,000 in newly secured federal funding for the future Tampa Bay Ferry terminal.
PSTA leaders joined U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch, and representatives from Hubbard’s Marina at the Pier to announce the funding, which will help support a new dock near the St. Petersburg Museum of History.
The permanent facility is planned to include a security gate, ticket booth, and ADA-compliant access. It is expected to accommodate two ferry vessels at once, according to Captain Dylan Hubbard of Hubbard’s Marina.
“This is a key piece in the puzzle,” PSTA CEO Brad Miller said during the event.
The federal funding, secured by Castor through the Fiscal Year 2026 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill, comes as PSTA prepares to relaunch passenger ferry service between downtown St. Pete and Tampa later this year.
the first of two vessels for the Tampa Bay Ferry arrived in Pinellas County last month | PSTA
Miller said the agency’s effort to restart the route began about two years ago, when Castor asked whether PSTA could use a soon-to-expire federal grant she had previously secured for Hillsborough Area Regional Transit.
“Fast forward to this morning, where we now have two ferry boats being spiffed up in Tarpon Springs, with potentially a third ferry boat on the way,” Miller said. “And now we are here celebrating the construction of a permanent ferry dock here at the St. Pete Pier that will support seven-day-a-week, year-round ferry service in a sustainable way.”
The City of St. Petersburg has previously committed roughly $450,000 from its general fund for a location analysis and preliminary design work. Early engineering estimates have placed the total dock project cost between $2.64 million and just over $3 million.
PSTA representatives said they are working with the U.S. Coast Guard on the exact dock location and remain in the design phase.
Until the permanent terminal is designed and constructed, the Tampa Bay Ferry will use a temporary dock near The Vinoy Resort & Golf Club. PSTA expects to establish that location in the coming weeks.
There are two proposed designs for the permanent ferry dock; both accommodate two ferry vessels at once | PTSA
The Tampa terminal will remain in front of the Tampa Convention Center.
The service will replace the former Cross Bay Ferry, which first launched in 2016 with a leased vessel and generally operated seasonally before expanding to year-round service during its final season.
The route ended in 2025 after Hillsborough County commissioners voted to terminate their agreement with former operator HMS Ferries.
PSTA selected Hubbard’s Ferry last year to operate the new service.
Unlike the previous ferry, the Tampa Bay Ferry will begin with vessels owned by PSTA, a change officials believe will provide more dependable service.
The agency used a $4.8 million Federal Transit Administration grant, originally awarded in 2021, to purchase two vessels with guidance from the Hubbard family.
The 250-passenger Bay Breeze has arrived at Tarpon Marine Services in Tarpon Springs for inspections and refurbishment. A second vessel, the 149-passenger Bay Clipper, formerly known as the San Juan Clipper, is also being refurbished there.
The trip from downtown St. Pete to downtown Tampa is expected to take approximately 45 to 50 minutes | PSTA
PSTA is also pursuing a third, 249-passenger vessel through a recently announced $16.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Once service resumes, the trip between downtown St. Pete and downtown Tampa is expected to take about 45 to 50 minutes.
One-way fares are expected to be $10, down from $12 during the Cross Bay Ferry’s final season, with discounted fares planned for seniors and riders with disabilities.
For Hubbard’s Marina, the St. Pete-to-Tampa route could be the first step toward a larger network of waterborne transit connections across Tampa Bay, potentially linking destinations such as Apollo Beach, MacDill Air Force Base, Gulfport, Bradenton and Clearwater.
