Latest news with #PinellasSuncoastTransitAuthority
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The Cross Bay Ferry ends soon. Will it come back?
Hillsborough County terminated its contract with the Cross Bay Ferry last week, pulling the plug on a service that has linked both sides of the bay for nearly a decade. The operator, HMS Ferries, wanted to replace its current boat with a slower vessel that would take two hours to cross from the Tampa Convention Center to the Port of St. Pete. Instead, local governments moved to end the service months early, on April 30. Something new is expected to take its place. The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority has been tasked with finding a new operator for the ferry service. Recruitment will start in the summer, spokesperson Amanda Baird said. The ferry has operated seasonally since 2016. Both major cities in Tampa Bay, plus their two counties, have funneled more than $6 million into the ferry. The operator of the ferry has faced headwinds in recent years. Its then-parent company, The Hornblower Group, filed for bankruptcy last year and sold its ferry division to a new company called Tidal Maritime LLC. Around 72,000 riders used the service last year. But numbers dipped after hurricanes Helene and Milton. Just 27,000 people boarded the boat between October and February, typically peak season, according to figures from Hillsborough County. Now that this iteration of the ferry is dead, what can riders expect in the future? The goal is fall of this year, Baird said. The Pinellas transit agency will start considering proposals this summer. That process will likely take a few months. The operator may then take a bit longer to deliver a boat and crew, Baird said. Local governments may have to decide how much to subsidize the service, as well. John Muller, who oversees the ferry service for Hillsborough County, said higher fares should be on the table, particularly during peak hours. The current service caps fares at $12 each way. More than 80% of riders use the ferry on Fridays and the weekend, Muller said. To him, that's evidence that the service is more 'transportainment' than it is a commuter service that should maintain low fares. Muller is also encouraging Pinellas' transit agency to find a regional operator. The current New England-based vendor requires more overhead costs to shuttle a boat down the Atlantic coast and house its crew in Tampa Bay. Local officials plan for the service to finally become year-round, Baird said. 'Whatever this new ferry service is, we really want it to be something that's designed for the region and our specific needs,' she said. How easy it is for Pinellas to find a regional, cost-efficient operator comes down to a federal grant on the other side of the bay. The Pinellas transit agency wants Hillsborough to transfer a nearly $5 million grant to purchase a ferry boat. Hillsborough doesn't plan on using it. A local boat will cut operating costs. Pinellas transit officials say they'll also have more leeway to increase the ferry's frequency and make other improvements. Some Hillsborough officials are reluctant to transfer the ferry boat grant and uplift a service with relatively low ridership. Josh Wostal, a Hillsborough County Commissioner and member of its transit agency board, told Pinellas transit officials in February that he wants to see approval of the transfer from their board. Now he also wants to see formal support from the Pinellas County Commission. 'I don't want to accidentally put a burden on Pinellas,' he said. 'Until the Pinellas County board has said (yes), I'm a 'no' vote.' The Pinellas transit authority, an independent agency, would purchase and assume some liability for the boat, not the county government, Baird said. Hillsborough's transit board is scheduled to reconsider transferring the grant in early May. Without the grant, Pinellas will have to find a vendor that can supply its own boat, likely raising annual costs for the service.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
People with disabilities rely on Uber. Could a federal rule limit access?
None of Andrew Boisen's initial options for commuting from his home in Tarpon Springs to Pinellas Technical College looked pretty. Boisen has a disability that prevents him from driving a car. He could hop on the county's fixed-route bus system — but the ride would require 30 minutes of walking and a bus transfer, lasting two hours if everything went seamlessly. He could wake his mom up at 6 a.m. for the 30-minute drive. Or he could pay at least $30 each way for an Uber or Lyft. For most car-free Pinellas County residents, other options are scarce. But Boisen's disability, epilepsy, gave him another opportunity: registering for the county's paratransit system, which allows him to hail rides from his home to school or work for just $4.50 each way. The transit agency covers the rest. Before 2016, paratransit — a door-to-door service required by the Americans with Disabilities Act for people who can't use a regular bus route independently — had one limitation. Riders had to hail rides a day in advance, limiting their ability to access spontaneous events or change plans. But Pinellas County was one of the first transit agencies to coordinate with Uber and Lyft on a new program: mobility on-demand. The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority contracts with rideshare companies to service immediate trips that paratransit otherwise wouldn't accommodate. 'Traditionally, paratransit programs have been next-day services,' said Jen Shepherd, global head of Uber transit, which coordinates partnerships with local agencies. 'Now it's a same-day service.' But a proposed rule from the Federal Transit Administration, drafted weeks before President Donald Trump took office, could threaten those partnerships, which have since expanded to more than 80 cities, from Chicago to Phoenix. The rule would require rideshare companies to drug test their drivers if they are to partner with transit agencies. For Uber, which relies on more than 7 million gig workers in the United States, requiring drug tests would diminish driver supply and raise prices, Shepherd said. Uber wouldn't ask that of its drivers when the company already screens workers for impaired driving and violent offenses yearly, she said. 'Conceptually, it's a good idea,' said Gloria Lepik-Corrigan, a wheelchair user and disability advocate who occasionally uses mobility on-demand services in Pinellas. 'Don't we all wish that every Uber and Lyft driver was not on drugs?' But the policy isn't worth it if it's used to pare back paratransit options, Lepik-Corrigan said. Instead, she advises riders who feel unsafe to say 'no thank you' and request a different driver. Rideshare companies have safety records that mimic or are better than those of traditional paratransit services, Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority CEO Brad Miller said. In 2023, more than three million Uber trips were booked via transit agency partnerships, averaging more than 8,000 riders per day, according to the company. In August, more than 16,000 disabled riders in Pinellas scheduled paratransit services through rideshare companies. Without Uber as a paratransit option, 'I would basically have to schedule my life 24 to 72 hours in advance,' Boisen said. 'If something pops up or I have to cancel it, there's nothing I could do.' Pinellas' transit agency wants the partnership to stay in place, as well. Contracting with rideshare companies is less expensive than manning a traditional paratransit van, Miller said. If the partnership is canceled, the transit agency estimates it would have to spend at least $1 million more on paratransit services. When the rideshare partnership was implemented, 'customers, especially people with disabilities loved the increased mobility that Uber and Lyft offered them,' Miller wrote in a letter to the federal government opposing the rule. 'Now customers were choosing to ride to lunch with a friend, or the movies or to a baseball game.' Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority does not currently contract with rideshare companies. But a conservative board member, Commissioner Josh Wostal, suggested last year that the bus service should offer more subsidized rideshare services. The Pinellas transit authority also contracts with rideshare companies to provide late-night rides for workers whose job begins or ends between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. for $3 each way. The Tampa Bay Times reported in 2017 that Tampa Bay's bus services already connect workers to fewer jobs than most metro areas of a similar size in the U.S. — making point-to-point services a critical lifeline. The federal government ended public comment on its proposed rule in mid-February. It's not clear when the rule may advance. Some members of Pinellas' transit agency board have suggested the new administration may dismiss the proposed rule. But until the rule's fate is clear, Uber and transit agencies around the country are rallying to preserve these partnerships that plug gaps in service, Shepherd said.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
People with disabilities rely on Uber. Could a federal rule limit access?
None of Andrew Boisen's initial options for commuting from his home in Tarpon Springs to Pinellas Technical College looked pretty. Boisen has a disability that prevents him from driving a car. He could hop on the county's fixed-route bus system — but the ride would require 30 minutes of walking and a bus transfer, lasting two hours if everything went seamlessly. He could wake his mom up at 6 a.m. for the 30-minute drive. Or he could pay at least $30 each way for an Uber or Lyft. For most car-free Pinellas County residents, other options are scarce. But Boisen's disability, epilepsy, gave him another opportunity: registering for the county's paratransit system, which allows him to hail rides from his home to school or work for just $4.50 each way. The transit agency covers the rest. Before 2016, paratransit — a door-to-door service required by the Americans with Disabilities Act for people who can't use a regular bus route independently — had one limitation. Riders had to hail rides a day in advance, limiting their ability to access spontaneous events or change plans. But Pinellas County was one of the first transit agencies to coordinate with Uber and Lyft on a new program: mobility on-demand. The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority contracts with rideshare companies to service immediate trips that paratransit otherwise wouldn't accommodate. 'Traditionally, paratransit programs have been next-day services,' said Jen Shepherd, global head of Uber transit, which coordinates partnerships with local agencies. 'Now it's a same-day service.' But a proposed rule from the Federal Transit Administration, drafted weeks before President Donald Trump took office, could threaten those partnerships, which have since expanded to more than 80 cities, from New York City to Phoenix. The rule would require rideshare companies to drug test their drivers if they are to partner with transit agencies. For Uber, which relies on more than 7 million gig workers in the United States, requiring drug tests would diminish driver supply and raise prices, Shepherd said. Uber wouldn't ask that of its drivers when the company already screens workers for impaired driving and violent offenses yearly, she said. 'Conceptually, it's a good idea,' said Gloria Lepik-Corrigan, a wheelchair user and disability advocate who occasionally uses mobility on-demand services in Pinellas. 'Don't we all wish that every Uber and Lyft driver was not on drugs?' But the policy isn't worth it if it's used to pare back paratransit options, Lepik-Corrigan said. Instead, she advises riders who feel unsafe to say 'no thank you' and request a different driver. Rideshare companies have safety records that mimic or are better than those of traditional paratransit services, Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority CEO Brad Miller said. In 2023, more than three million Uber trips were conducted via transit agency partnerships, averaging more than 8,000 riders per day, according to the company. In August, more than 16,000 disabled riders in Pinellas scheduled paratransit services through rideshare companies. Without Uber as a paratransit option, 'I would basically have to schedule my life 24 to 72 hours in advance,' Boisen said. 'If something pops up or I have to cancel it, there's nothing I could do.' Pinellas' transit agency wants the partnership to stay in place, as well. Contracting with rideshare companies is less expensive than manning a traditional paratransit van, Miller said. If the partnership is canceled, the transit agency estimates it would have to spend at least $1 million more on paratransit services. When the rideshare partnership was implemented, 'customers, especially people with disabilities loved the increased mobility that Uber and Lyft offered them,' Miller wrote in a letter to the federal government opposing the rule. 'Now customers were choosing to ride to lunch with a friend, or the movies or to a baseball game.' Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority does not currently contract with rideshare companies. But a conservative board member, Commissioner Josh Wostal, suggested last year that the bus service should offer more subsidized rideshare services. The Pinellas transit authority also contracts with rideshare companies to provide late-night rides for workers whose job begins or ends between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. for $3 each way. The Tampa Bay Times reported in 2017 that Tampa Bay's bus services already connect workers to fewer jobs than most metro areas of a similar size in the U.S. — making point-to-point services a critical lifeline. The federal government ended public comment on its proposed rule in mid-February. It's not clear when the rule may advance. Some members of Pinellas' transit agency board have suggested the new administration may dismiss the proposed rule. But until the rule's fate is clear, Uber and transit agencies around the country are rallying to preserve these partnerships that plug gaps in service, Shepherd said.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Pinellas wants to expand the Cross Bay Ferry. The barrier? Hillsborough County
Pinellas County officials have big plans for the Cross Bay Ferry. The service, which in October began motoring passengers year-round between Tampa Convention Center and the Port of St. Petersburg, is currently operated by a private, Boston-based company. It's subsidized by Tampa, St. Petersburg and their respective counties. Pinellas County's transit authority wants to buy its own boat, operate the service locally and expand its hours and frequency. In time, officials hope the ferry can expand from seasonal recreation to a bona fide transit option for commuters. But there's a major potential obstacle in the way of these grand ambitions: Hillsborough County. Since 2022, Hillsborough has been sitting on a nearly $5 million federal grant to buy a new boat. The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority doesn't plan to use that money. The grant will expire and return to the federal government within two years, said Scott Drainville, CEO of Hillsborough's transit authority. Pinellas wants to see the grant transferred across the bay. The transaction would cost Hillsborough nothing and would keep dollars in the region. But some Hillsborough County leaders are against the transfer. At a meeting earlier this month, Republican Commissioner Joshua Wostal offered a successful motion to delay a decision. He accused Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority CEO Brad Miller of trying to bypass the will of his own board, which has not held a formal vote on whether it wants to purchase a boat and operate the Cross Bay Ferry. 'That's very disrespectful to the taxpayers of Pinellas County,' Wostal said in an interview. 'That you have a behind-the-scenes bureaucrat trying to transition them into another financial liability.' Commissioner John King, a citizen appointee to Hillsborough's transit authority board, said he thought Pinellas was trying to 'circumvent the federal appropriations process.' He argued the dollars should return to the federal government, and then Pinellas can compete for the funds like other localities. If Hillsborough doesn't send Pinellas the money, it would be yet another blow to regional cooperation — and it would limit a transit option in an area struggling with clogged roads and traffic fatalities. 'If we send this money back to the federal government, we'll probably never get it back,' said Tampa City Council Member Luis Viera, chairperson of the Hillsborough transit authority's board and who supports the transfer. Miller, the Pinellas transit CEO, said a local transfer was possible. U.S. Department of Transportation staff instructed him to get local approval for the transfer first, before requesting final approval from the federal government, he said. The Department of Transportation did not respond to questions about the grant. Hillsborough County officials will discuss the $5 million grant at a March 5 meeting. It's unclear when Hillsborough's transit authority board, composed of county and city of Tampa leaders, will make a final decision on the transfer. It's also not guaranteed that Pinellas officials would agree to expand the ferry service even if the grant were transferred. Kathleen Peters, another Pinellas County commissioner who sits on its transit board, wrote in a text that she'd only support 'true transit.' But Hillsborough officials may take the decision out of their neighbors' hands if they vote down the transfer. 'Regional collaboration and regional unity is something that is talked about in meetings with each other but is rarely ever practiced,' said Pinellas County Commissioner Chris Latvala, who supports the transfer. The history of regionwide transit in Tampa Bay is fraught. The Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority shut down in 2023. Gov. Ron DeSantis for years vetoed state funds to the organization, and local counties eventually began holding back contributions. Now local transportation leaders are, at the urging of the state Legislature, studying the possibility of merging Hillsborough's, Pinellas' and Pasco's transportation planning organizations. But some elected officials, especially those on the Tampa City Council, have been reluctant to cede more power in transportation planning to the sprawling counties that surround them. Regional transportation planning requires a delicate dance, said Darden Rice, chief planning and community affairs officer at Pinellas' transit authority. All sides have to see a benefit to cooperation. 'It takes some brokering. It's relationship building. It takes time to keep people engaged on the same goals,' she said. At a time when cost-cutting has become central to the Republican governing ethos, the ferry project is seen by some as wasteful. Shelling out $5 million for a service that had 72,000 riders last season is not cost effective, Wostal said, compared to spending on city bus routes that shuttle more than a million riders each year. He's also skeptical about the parent company of the ferry: Hornblower Group, which filed for bankruptcy last year. Local governments asked Pinellas' transit authority to take the lead in negotiating a new, cheaper contract for the ferry later this year, said Rice, project manager for the Cross Bay Ferry. Many of Wostal's complaints could be resolved if Pinellas has a local boat, she said. 'If PSTA has a passenger ferry boat, I think it helps increase competition for some of our local operators to get a leg up,' Rice said. Local operators won't have to supply a boat — just the labor and cash to oversee maintenance and operations, she said. The private contractor would assume liability if the boat is damaged and needs repairs. Finding a local operator will likely reduce how much local governments have to chip in to operate the ferry, Rice said. If Pinellas' transit authority owns the boat, staff estimates that the authority will get about $1 million in annual federal disbursements to make more improvements to the service, including moving the St. Petersburg stop to a temporary dock downtown, increasing frequency and reducing the round-trip fare from $24. Currently, the ferry takes off from each port every three hours on Fridays and Saturdays. It operates less frequently other days and doesn't operate at all most Mondays and Tuesdays. Whether Tampa Bay sees a more dependable, locally operated ferry depends on whether Pinellas' transit officials can convince Hillsborough of their argument: that 'this is a win-win for everybody,' Rice said.
