This Florida water taxi has become a popular tourist attraction — but there’s a problem
On sunny days when the seas are calm, a new water taxi service between the Bradenton Riverwalk and Anna Maria Island operates with full loads of passengers.
On other days, not so much. In fact, the water taxis might not leave the dock.
“On a full day, we’re moving about 360 to 380 passengers,” Elliott Falcione, the county’s tourism director, told members of the Manatee County Tourist Development Council on Monday.
That works out to about 180 to 190 cars taken off the roads daily on Anna Maria Island and the causeways linking it to the mainland.
But there have been 22 days this year when the weather was bad and the water taxis had to stay tied up at their moorings.
“That’s 7,000 passengers who couldn’t get on the ferry, Falcione said.
Water taxi sees successful start
What’s needed is a larger boat with an enclosed passenger compartment to supplement the service provided by two 50-foot open-air catamarans, the Miss Anna Maria and Downtown Duchess.
The enclosed boat could operate in more kinds of weather and keep passengers dry.
On Monday, the tourist advisory board agreed that the water taxi has gotten off to a good start and that to ensure future success, it recommends the Manatee County Commission authorize placing an order for a larger boat with an enclosed passenger cabin.
“We see that water taxi every day, and it’s full coming and going,” said Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown.
“It’s going to connect our cities together and when we can add something that’s not costing our citizens money, I’m all for it,” Brown said. “Traffic is probably the biggest thing we talk about every day.”
Tourist bed tax money was used to buy the Miss Anna Maria and Downtown Duchess.
“We wouldn’t have a water taxi without the tourist tax,” Falcione said.
Manatee County wants another ferry
Restaurateur Ed Chiles congratulated Falcione for his leadership in making the water taxi possible.
“Like they say in ‘Jaws,’ we need a bigger boat,” Chiles said.
The bigger boat envisioned by the TDC and the water taxi operator, Gulf Coast Water Ferry, would have a capacity of between 100 and 150 passengers and cost about $2.8 million.
The two 48-passenger catamarans that Manatee County launched its water taxi service with each cost about $450,000.
Assuming the county commission signs off on the tourism advisory committee recommendation, it would be about a year before the boat could be delivered.
Water taxi expansion plans
The water taxi now has stops at the Bradenton Riverwalk, the Anna Maria City Pier and the Bridge Street Pier in Bradenton Beach.
Falcione said he anticipates adding stops at the south Coquina Beach boat ramp and Longboat Key, near the Mar Vista and Shore restaurants, this fall.
Another stop could be added near the Palmetto Estuary Nature Preserve early next year, he said.
About 40% of riders on the water taxi have been from outside Florida.
One of the benefits of adding a third boat to the water taxi fleet would be the ability to offer free passage to hospitality workers who now commute from the mainland to island businesses. That would also help remove more automobile traffic from local roads, TDC members said.
One-way tickets are $8 per person. For more information, visit www.GulfCoastWaterTaxi.com.
