Hillsborough County Votes To Shut Down Cross Bay Ferry, Locals Fight To Save It

County officials cut ties with the Cross Bay Ferry linking Tampa and St. Petersburg when the service failed to meet speed targets. The boats will stop running on April 30.

"As a result, Hillsborough County is going to exercise its right and terminate the pilot program at the end of April. It is essentially because the ferry company is unable to provide for its end of the deal, which is a vessel that is sized to get people across the Bay in an hour," said Commissioner Harry Cohen to ABC Action News.

The company wanted to switch to a slower vessel, which would double trip times. Their proposed boat would move at just 15 knots, stretching the usual one-hour crossing into a two-hour trip.

Officials pressed for a faster option. When no solution turned up, they canceled the deal. The news struck a nerve with locals who had grown to count on the water route.

TikTok user Christian Bonnier found the ferry in February. He took to social media to voice his dismay at the news.

"The Cross Bay Ferry is getting canceled at the end of this month. This is a complete disaster," Bonnier said in his video post, which drew over 50,000 likes.

The water route offered an affordable way to cross the bay. "It's not just some small thing nobody cares about, this is a Tampa staple," Bonnier stressed in his post.

Public reaction poured in through social media channels. "People are really upset. My Instagram Reel has 58 comments with messages like 'Save the ferry' and 'Keep it around.' Everyone thinks this is awful news," Bonnier said.

When the ferry makes its final trip on April 30, it will mark the end of a vital link between the sister cities across Tampa Bay.