MANATEE COUNTY – The Gulf Islands Ferry service will expand service to five days a week beginning Wednesday, March 20.
Featuring stops at the City Pier in Anna Maria, the Bradenton Beach Pier and the Riverwalk Day Dock in downtown Bradenton, the ferry service will now run Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., weather permitting.
In a press release issued by Manatee County, Executive Director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Elliott Falcione said, “Adding Wednesdays helps further our goal of taking cars off the road and getting people into the restaurants and shops in downtown Bradenton and Anna Maria Island by utilizing our incredible water asset, the Manatee River.”
According to the press release, the ferry service that launched in mid-January has averaged 360 riders per day, which in turn reduces the number of cars traveling to and from the Island.
“The ferry is a great alternative to sitting in traffic,” Manatee County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge said in the press release. “This form of multi-modal transportation not only can get you to the Island, but also alleviates the need to find a parking space.”
Passengers can now track the location of the two catamarans using the Manatee My Stop App that allows ferry riders to see where the ferry is, while also tracking Manatee County Area Transit services that include the county buses and the free Anna Maria Island trolley.
For up-to-date information on service times, tickets and scheduling, call 941-357-2587, text 727-200-6487 or visit gulfislandsferry.com.
