After a six-month trial period, the St. Petersburg Cross-Bay Ferry project is coming to an end today.

The final run is set for later in the day.

  • Cross-Bay Ferry trial run ends today
  • Numbers on six-month trial project are in
  • Mayor Kriseman says project was incredibly successful
  • Last rides from St. Pete @ 10 a.m. and Tampa @ 11:30 a.m.

St. Pete Mayor Rick Kriseman released the numbers and said the project was incredibly successful. He said the most surprising thing was that the ferry generated enough ticket revenue to get some money back.

“We didn’t expect one, to get money back. I told each of the partner governments I can’t promise you will get money back. And we are all getting money back. And the economic impact for our communities, we know right now through the end of February was just under $1 million was spent in both of our communities as a result of people riding the ferry,” Mayor Kriseman said.

While city leaders initially believed the ferry would be a big hit for tourists, the numbers show that 90 percent of the riders over the last six months were residents.

The ferry held up to 149 people and traveled between the downtown St. Petersburg and Tampa. Riders boarded the ferry in both locations equally, according to the data.

The ferry typically made three round trips on Saturdays and two round trips on other days. The numbers show the ferry was most popular Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

As for what’s next, the four governments, including St. Pete, Tampa, Hillsborough, and Pinellas Counties, will sit down and look at all the numbers to see what it would take to bring the ferry back for a seasonal service next year.

They will also look at the cost of buying their own boats, along with looking for sponsors and applying for grants.

If you haven’t got a chance to ride the ferry yet, today is the last day. The last ride leaves St. Pete at 10 a.m. and Tampa at 11:30 a.m.

Hillsborough County is currently looking into a commuter service from Apollo Beach to MacDill. Mayor Kriseman said if that happens, the boats could potentially be available on evenings and weekends to go between St. Pete and Tampa.