ANNA MARIA – After launching on Jan. 14, Manatee County’s Gulf Islands Ferry service is now operating three days per week.
The county contracts with Clearwater-based Gulf Coast Water Taxi LLC to operate the ferry service between downtown Bradenton and Anna Maria Island.
According to Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Elliott Falcione, the ferry service is funded by three sources: passenger fares, the county’s tourist development tax and beach concession revenues.
“Ad valorem taxes (property taxes) are not being used for this project and the residents aren’t paying for it. We’re using the tourist tax dollars that come from visitors,” Falcione recently told The Sun. “And we’re using a little money from the beach concession fund for the docking enhancements.”
Manatee County levies a 5% tourist development tax on owners of accommodations rented for six months or less including hotels, motels, vacation rentals and other lodging. The tax generates more than $25 million a year for the county.
According to state law, tourist development tax revenues can only be spent on projects and activities that enhance and promote tourism and cannot be used for general infrastructure improvements, daily governmental operations or law enforcement.
The county’s beach concession fund is generated by the percentage of revenue the county receives from the concessionaires who lease concession space at the county-owned beaches in Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach.
Ferry costs
In 2022, Manatee County commissioners approved the purchase of two 50-foot, 49-passenger catamaran pontoon ferries at a cost not to exceed $950,000.
In 2023, the county and Gulf Coast Water Taxi LLC entered into a five-year operating agreement in which the ferry operator keeps the passenger fares and also receives an additional monthly subsidy from the county to help offset expenses and operational costs.
The operating agreement lists a likely one-year scenario in which a 55% annual ridership rate generates $364,483 in passenger fares and requires a $298,213 annual county subsidy.
The operator must provide monthly reports that detail revenues, expenses and ridership. Twice a year, Falcione and his staff will reconcile the reports and potentially increase or decrease the monthly subsidy for the subsequent six-month period. The subsidy adjustments do not require county commission approval.
On Jan. 25, Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Senior Fiscal Services Manager Jayne Roberts told The Sun the county has already reimbursed the ferry operator $20,703 for initial operating expenditures and will now pay the operator a $27,529 monthly subsidy to be reviewed and reconciled for the first time on Sept 30. At the current rate, the county’s total first-year subsidy would be $330,348.
“We told the board the projected operational shortfall would probably be in the range of $300,000 to $400,000,” Falcione said. “We’ll have a better handle on our revenues and expenses in six months, and more so after the first year. We’re going to work to make this a sustainable operation, but we understand there’s a chance an operation like this may always need to be subsidized. The county is also searching for federal transportation grants to help enhance or subsidize the service.”
Falcione said one grant-funded enhancement might include the future addition of a larger, faster ferry that would make the Manatee River run between Bradenton and Anna Maria Island with the two pontoon ferries traveling between the Anna Maria and Bradenton Beach stops.
Work in progress
Weather permitting, the ferries currently operate Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Falcione said additional service days have already been discussed for the peak tourist season in March and April.
“We’re up and running and we’re going to work through the bugs, communicate with consumers and keep building the framework of the system,” Falcione said. “If you buy tickets and we have to delay or cancel because of weather you’ll get a text. Customer service will also try to call.”
Tickets can be purchased in advance at www.gulfcoastwatertaxi.com. The website also provides the most current information regarding schedules, delays and cancellations.
A round-trip fare for adults is $10 and a one-way trip is $6. A round-trip fare for seniors, active military members and youths ages 4 to 18 is $6, and a one-way trip is $4. Children ages 3 and younger ride for free.
When launched on Jan. 14, the ferry service initially traveled only between the Anna Maria City Pier and the Riverwalk day dock in downtown Bradenton. Based on initial observations and feedback, Falcione talked to Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy about possibly installing a SlideMoor docking system at the City Pier.
“We’ve installed SlideMoors at the day dock in Bradenton and it really helps hold that ferry in position. We’re going to continue to enhance the terminals for the safety and stability of the ferries,” Falcione said.
The first few weeks of service didn’t include stops at the Bradenton Beach Pier but an ADA-compliant wheelchair lift has now been installed on the floating dock and ferry service is expected to begin there the first weekend of February.
“The great thing about the two stops on the Island is you have amenities within walking distance. You can get off at the City Pier in Anna Maria and enjoy the Mote Marine Science Education and Outreach Center and then walk a couple blocks along Pine Avenue to all the boutiques, restaurants and other attractions. And then a few blocks beyond that are our sugar-white sand beaches.
“It’s the same in Bradenton Beach. You can enjoy the Anna Maria Oyster Bar, the shops and restaurants on Bridge Street and a few blocks beyond that are the beautiful beaches,” Falcione said, noting the free Island trolleys and private shuttle services provide Island-wide ground transportation elsewhere on the Island.
Falcione said efforts are underway to accommodate Coquina Beach beachgoers with a ferry stop at the north or south Coquina boat ramp. He also envisions a future ferry stop near the Bradenton Area Convention Center near the new Marriott Bonvoy hotel in Palmetto and another in Longboat Key.
