Hillsborough leaders vote to end Cross Bay Ferry service early
The Brief
Cross Bay Ferry service is set to end on April 30 after a vote on Wednesday by Hillsborough County commissioners.
The company that operates the ferry recently announced plans to switch to a lower vessel, leading to a contract dispute.
Officials on both sides of Tampa Bay are weighing potential replacement options.
TAMPA, Fla. - Hillsborough County commissioners voted on Wednesday to end Cross Bay Ferry service several months early over a contract dispute.
The backstory
This was supposed to be the first year the Cross Bay Ferry would offer year-round service, but that plan recently hit a snag.
Hillsborough County officials recently learned that HMS Ferries planned to switch to a much slower ferry – one that would take two hours to make each individual trip between Tampa and St. Petersburg.
PREVIOUS: Cross Bay Ferry to end early over contract issues
Officials in Tampa, Hillsborough County and St. Pete have said they're not onboard with that plan. Hillsborough County gave HMS, which has operated the Cross Bay Ferry since it launched in 2017, until April 3 to find a vessel that meets the contractual requirements, or the contract would be terminated effective April 30.
HMS responded to the county's later, saying it's not able to provide a faster ferry and is willing to terminate the agreement early.
By the numbers
The ferry often sells out on weekends and for special events, and set a record last year with more than 72,000 riders.
What's next
As for a potential replacement, the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority has already been working to determine whether it can purchase and operate a ferry on its own beginning in October. That plan is still in the works.
PSTA also hopes Hillsborough County will contribute several million dollars by way of an unused federal grant, but it's not clear whether that will be approved.
Follow FOX 13 on YouTube
The Source
Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Kellie Cowan, with additional information from previous FOX 13 News reports.
STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:
Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV
Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android
Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines
Download the SkyTower Radar app
Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Apple's loses bid to halt court ruling that blocks some fees from its iPhone app store
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A three-judge appeals panel rejected Apple's (AAPL) request to pause an April 30 order banning the company from charging a fee on in-app iPhone transactions processed outside its once-exclusive payment system in a two-page decision issued late Thursday. The setback threatens to divert billions of dollars in revenue away from Apple while it tried to overturn the order reining in its commissions from e-commerce within iPhone apps. Apple sought to put the order on hold after it was issued by U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez-Rogers in a stinging rebuke that also held the Cupertino, California, company in civil contempt of court and recommended opening a criminal investigation into whether one of its executives had committed perjury while testifying in her Oakland, California, courtroom. It marked another twist of the screw in a legal battle initiated nearly five years ago by video game maker Epic Games, which alleged Apple had turned the iPhone's app store had been turned into a price-gouging monopoly. The antitrust case focused largely on the 15% to 30% commissions that Apple rakes in from a portion of the commerce conducted within iPhone apps under a system that prohibited app makers from offering alternative payment methods. Apple is still seeking to overturn Gonzalez-Rogers' ruling in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, but her order blocking Apple's commissions on some in-app commerce will remain in effect while potentially leaving a dent in its profits. 'The long national nightmare of the Apple tax is ended,' Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney wrote in a post after the appeals court denied Apple's request. Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Although Gonzalez-Rogers mostly sided with Apple in her initial 2021 ruling in the case, she ordered the company to begin allowing apps to include links to alternative payment systems — a decision that withstood appeals that went all the way to the Supreme Court in 2024. Apple then complied by requiring commissions of 12% to 27%, provoking Epic to ask Gonzalez-Rogers to hold Apple in contempt of her order. After holding a new round of hearings that unfolded over a nine-month period straddling last year and this year, Gonzalez-Rogers brought down another legal hammer on Apple.
Associated Press
38 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Apple's loses bid to halt court ruling that blocks some fees from its iPhone app store
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A three-judge appeals panel rejected Apple's request to pause an April 30 order banning the company from charging a fee on in-app iPhone transactions processed outside its once-exclusive payment system in a two-page decision issued late Thursday. The setback threatens to divert billions of dollars in revenue away from Apple while it tried to overturn the order reining in its commissions from e-commerce within iPhone apps. Apple sought to put the order on hold after it was issued by U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez-Rogers in a stinging rebuke that also held the Cupertino, California, company in civil contempt of court and recommended opening a criminal investigation into whether one of its executives had committed perjury while testifying in her Oakland, California, courtroom. It marked another twist of the screw in a legal battle initiated nearly five years ago by video game maker Epic Games, which alleged Apple had turned the iPhone's app store had been turned into a price-gouging monopoly. The antitrust case focused largely on the 15% to 30% commissions that Apple rakes in from a portion of the commerce conducted within iPhone apps under a system that prohibited app makers from offering alternative payment methods. Apple is still seeking to overturn Gonzalez-Rogers' ruling in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, but her order blocking Apple's commissions on some in-app commerce will remain in effect while potentially leaving a dent in its profits. 'The long national nightmare of the Apple tax is ended,' Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney wrote in a post after the appeals court denied Apple's request. Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Although Gonzalez-Rogers mostly sided with Apple in her initial 2021 ruling in the case, she ordered the company to begin allowing apps to include links to alternative payment systems — a decision that withstood appeals that went all the way to the Supreme Court in 2024. Apple then complied by requiring commissions of 12% to 27%, provoking Epic to ask Gonzalez-Rogers to hold Apple in contempt of her order. After holding a new round of hearings that unfolded over a nine-month period straddling last year and this year, Gonzalez-Rogers brought down another legal hammer on Apple.
Yahoo
41 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Insider buying of Canadian oil and gas stocks at 'some of highest levels we've seen' in 5 years: BMO
Insider stock buying among executives at Canadian oil and gas companies is near five-year highs, according to a BMO Capital Markets analyst who tallied up $54 million in open-market purchases in the 90 days since March 1. Canadian oil and gas stocks have been a rollercoaster ride for investors over the past three months. U.S. President Donald Trump's trade tariffs created unprecedented uncertainty for the industry, which relies on America as its top buyer of crude. At the same time, fears of a weaker economy due to global trade are weighing on forecasts for demand. BMO analyst Jeremy McCrea says $54 million in purchases over 90 days represents 'some of the highest levels we've seen over the past five years,' while demonstrating confidence for stocks at current prices. BMO says Canadian oil and gas company insiders purchased $12 million and $20 million worth of stock, respectively, in the same periods in 2024 and 2023. 'Although there are many reasons why insiders sell (tax implications, restricted stock units, etc.), there is one reason they buy,' McCrea wrote in a note to clients on Wednesday. 'That in turn should help build investor confidence, especially as it relates to investing alongside management, and ultimately, reassurance that there are no 'skeletons in the closet.'' He found the largest purchases by CEOs were from the top executives at PrairieSky Royalty ( Whitecap Resources ( and Tourmaline Oil ( 'The CEO of PrairieSky made one of his largest purchases within the sector, buying 72,000 shares or $1.68 million worth of stock at an average price of about $23.40 per share,' McCrea wrote. 'With the stock trading slightly below that price today, it grants investors the rare opportunity to come in alongside the CEO." According to BMO, Tourmaline CEO Mike Rose recently purchased about $2.21 million worth of his company's stock at an average price of about $63, and has been a regular buyer over the last several years. Whitecap CEO Grant B. Fagerheim reportedly added $1.34 million worth of his company's stock in the last week, following the close of the company's merger with Veren. 'This would also be one of the larger quarterly purchases made by Grant Fagerheim in his role as CEO of Whitecap,' McCrea wrote. Fagerheim has been CEO since 2009. In terms of total buying from insiders, BMO says Obsidian Energy ( ($16.8 million), Peyto Exploration & Development ( ($10.1 million), and Strathcona Resources ( ($7.2 million) were the top companies included in its analysis. Jeff Lagerquist is a senior reporter at Yahoo Finance Canada. Follow him on Twitter @jefflagerquist. Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
