BRADENTON – An open house held on June 27 at the Manatee Performing Arts Center by the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) offered answers to many of the questions regarding the long-awaited ferry service between Anna Maria Island and Bradenton.
On April 23, CVB Executive Director Elliott Falcione said the hope was to have the boats operational by July, potentially by the Fourth of July weekend, a goal that was missed. The new, more conservative estimate is to have the boats running with passengers onboard by the end of the summer.
Although construction of the two 49-passenger pontoon boats is almost complete, they still require plenty of testing to get all Coast Guard certifications and permits issued. In addition, the city of Anna Maria has not yet reached an interlocal agreement with the county regarding the use of the Anna Maria City Pier as the northernmost stop on the Island.
The current plan is to have the water taxis depart downtown Bradenton and dock at the Anna Maria City Pier in Anna Maria and the Bradenton Beach Pier and South Coquina Boat Ramp in Bradenton Beach. Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy says there are things in the county’s proposed agreement that are of concern, and they are waiting for a revised proposal that makes better business sense for the city. Regardless, the project continues to move forward.
“I just got the call that boats will be splashing in the water in about two weeks,” Gulf Coast Water Taxi owner Trisha Rodriguez said. “Now that is without any Coast Guard validation and without any sea trials being done. It’s going to take a couple of weeks, if not a couple of months to get all of those sea trials completed. Most importantly regarding the timeline is that the docks have to be ready, and they are not ready now. The issue right now is we don’t have anywhere to go to, even if we were ready now, the docks have to be ready for the boats and they aren’t at this time.”
Rodriguez says that before the service begins there will be some trips for media and partners of the project to ride and see how the boats will operate. Dates for those trips have not yet been set. As for where the boats will be kept between splashdown in Bradenton and the start of the service, Rodriguez said that is being negotiated currently and they should have an answer in the next few days.
The open house also answered many of the basic questions many have had regarding the service once it is operational, including:
Days and hours of operation
Initially the Gulf Islands Ferry will operate every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. year-round. The captain of the boat will have complete authority over stopping service due to weather issues. During the stormy summer months, there will be times service will be suspended for safety reasons.
Cost
Tickets will be $8 for a one-way ride, $5 for children 4-12 and $6 for seniors. Tickets can be purchased in advance online or they can be purchased when boarding the boat if space is available.
Trip length
Assuming the city of Anna Maria reaches an agreement for use of the pier, the service will depart the downtown Bradenton Riverwalk near the Green Bridge with a 35-minute ride to Anna Maria City Pier. Exact times to the Bradenton Beach Pier and South Coquina Boat Ramp will be determined after sea trials begin in the next few weeks. This information will be updated frequently at www.gulfislandferry.com.
Where to park
In Bradenton, free parking is available at the City Centre Parking Facility at Third Avenue West between 10th and 12th Streets. On the Island, there is public parking at Coquina Beach, Cortez Beach and the Bridge Street area in Bradenton Beach. In Anna Maria, there is also free public parking near the city pier along the bay and on Pine Avenue. Parking on AMI can be very limited and part of the reason county officials have shown so much support for this project is because they hope people coming from Bradenton will use the service instead of bringing a car to the Island. The Island has a free trolley service as well as privately-owned transportation services that make getting around fairly easy without a personal vehicle.
Pet policy
Leashed, well-behaved pets are allowed onboard as long as they don’t bother other guests and all service pets are welcome. It should be noted that pets are prohibited on all Anna Maria Island beaches.
Restrooms
There is one restroom on each vessel.
Beach gear
Most commonly used beach gear and coolers are permitted on the boats, but due to U.S. Coast Guard regulations, bicycles will not be permitted on the water taxi.
Private charters
If arrangements are made at least two weeks in advance, most large groups can be accommodated. To schedule, email kristi@gulfcoastwatertaxi.com.
Wi-Fi
Complimentary Wi-Fi will be available on both water taxis; however, it should be noted that there will be dead spots along the route and full boats could experience bandwidth issues.
For updates and more information on the water taxi service, visit www.gulfcoastwatertaxi.com.
