Cross Bay Ferry to close after Hillsborough ends contract

Catch up quick: HMS Ferries Inc. told commissioners last month that the ship used for the Cross Bay Ferry would no longer be available after April 30, and offered one that county staff described as smaller and "much slower."

• The board called the company's offer "unacceptable," noting that the contract specified that, if the ship became unavailable, the company would provide a "functional equivalent."
• Commissioners allowed HMS 10 days to propose an alternative, but it did not; instead, it moved to end the service. The board then added the termination to Wednesday's agenda.

The big picture: The service has carried hundreds of thousands of riders since 2018 and became so popular with commuters and tourists that it transitioned from a seasonal offering to a year-round operation in 2024.

The intrigue: Pinellas County Transit wants to purchase its own vessel for the Cross Bay Ferry, but to do so, it needs Hillsborough to transfer $5 million from a soon-to-expire federal grant.

• Commissioner Joshua Wostal (R) isn't keen to hand it over unless the Pinellas Board of County Commissioners votes on the matter.

What we're hearing: "I have always supported functional forms of transportation that are being supported by ridership in the community," Wostal tells Axios.

• "In this case, support has wavered drastically," he adds. "If the Pinellas Board of Commissioners votes to assume the risks of owning a boat, then we can have further dialogue."

The bottom line: You still have until the end of the month to use the service before it's gone for good.