Politics & Government

Hillsborough Ponies Up $350,000 For Ferry Service

The proposal to launch a ferry between Tampa and Pinellas County has also received a thumps up from the St. Petersburg City Council.

TAMPA, FL — Tampa Bay area residents looking to beat traffic in getting from Tampa’s Channel District to St. Petersburg’s Vinoy Basin may soon be able to take a ferry.

The Hillsborough County Commission voted 5-1 Wednesday to set aside $350,000 to back a high-speed ferry proposal. The St. Petersburg City Council has also committed that much.

Hillsborough Commissioner Stacy White cast the lone vote against the proposal.

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How soon a ferry service between the two cities will materialize remains unclear. Once launched, however, the service will begin as a six-month pilot, the Tampa Tribune reported.

Tampa and Pinellas County have yet to make financial commitments toward the project.

Find out what's happening in Tampafor free with the latest updates from Patch.

For more details about the project, check out a presentation on the Pinellas County Metropolitan Planning Organization website.

What do you think? Share your opinions by commenting below.

Photo from a MPO presentation.

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