Gulf Islands Ferry sets sail on maiden voyage in Manatee County

BRADENTON BEACH, Fla. - Sitting in traffic and hunting for beach parking will soon be a thing of the past for many Bradenton Beach visitors. 

"I think it's wonderful. Beautiful ride over, it’s going to be really nice," said Lisa Heidemamm. 

A new water taxi service promises to ferry passengers from downtown Bradenton to the barrier island beaches in about 35 minutes. Service for the Gulf Islands Ferry will open to the public on December 8 pending final approval from the Coast Guard. 

The ferry picks up from Twin Dolphin Marina in Downtown Bradenton and will make stops at two very popular destinations: The Anna Maria Pier, and the Bridge Street Pier at Bradenton Beach. A stop at Coquina Beach will be added later. Expanded service to Longboat Key and downtown Sarasota are also under consideration.

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"It’s season all year long, so need some sort of a safety valve, some sort of a relief and this is the ticket," said Anna Maria Island Mayor Dan Murphy. 

The water taxis will be able to take as many as 49 passengers at a time from the city to the sand and back.

Gulf Islands Ferry will launch for the public on Dec. 8. 

The hope is that this will appeal not only to tourists, but to locals as well. Officials are also considering service discounts or potentially a devoted route for AMI hospitality workers in the future.

"What is really worth tourist dollars something like this not only to help the multimodal transportation to get off the roads and show where it’s sustainable, so this is a 7-week process," said Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown. 

Initially, the ferry service will operate on weekends with hourly pickups from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday to Sunday.

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Officials say the schedule could be expanded, depending on ridership. 

"We want nothing more than for this to be a regional partnership. There’s nothing better than to be able to say ‘I’m going from the tip of Anna Maria Island to downtown Sarasota,’" said Elliott Falcione, the Tourism Director for Manatee County. 

The cost is $8 for passengers 12 years and up. Seniors and younger kids receive discounted rates. Tickets can be purchased in advance and walk-ups are also accepted.

Click here for tickets and schedules.