PSTA awarded $16.5 Million to purchase new ferry
CLEARWATER — The Federal Transit Administration has awarded the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) $16.5 million to purchase a brand-new vessel for the Tampa Bay Ferry service.
The federal grant will allow PSTA to add a new vessel to the Tampa Bay Ferry service fleet, which already includes a used 1994 Bay Breeze and 1990 Bay Clipper.
This new ferry will provide additional capacity, strengthen the long-term reliability and sustainability of the service, and connect downtown St. Petersburg to Tampa, PSTA said in a press release.
The grant will be a “transformational investment in the future of passenger ferry transportation in Tampa Bay,” said Brad Miller, CEO of PSTA. “We’re building a ferry service that is designed to be reliable, sustainable, and here for the long term. Adding a brand-new vessel to our fleet gives us the opportunity to deliver the kind of service our community deserves.”
“This $16.5 million federal investment is a tremendous vote of confidence in Tampa Bay and in the future of regional transportation,” said Deborah Figgs-Sanders, chair of the PSTA Board of Directors. “This grant helps us take that vision to the next level.”
PSTA will begin designing the vessel and securing a U.S. shipbuilder to bring the vessel to Tampa Bay by 2029 or 2030.
The Bay Breeze vessel just recently arrived in Tarpon Springs and has begun refurbishment at Tarpon Marine, Inc. The Bay Clipper is expected to arrive in the coming weeks and will also begin refurbishment.
Once refurbishment of the Bay Breeze and Bay Clipper is near completion, PSTA will announce a start date for the service later this year.