Area leaders want permanent Cross-Bay ferry route

ST. PETERSBURG (FOX 13) - It was way more successful than expected, but the Cross-Bay Ferry service between Tampa and St. Petersburg is going away – at least, temporarily.

Numbers from the city of St. Petersburg indicate more than 22,000 people took the ferry through February.

Though the pilot program shutdowns down at the end of April, St. Pete Mayor Rick Kriseman says there’s already a push bring it back next year.

Both Tampa and St. Pete saw just under a million dollars in economic impact.

The contract for the Cross-Bay ferry expires in April because the boat is used in Boston during the summer months.