Manatee County Considers Return of Gulf Islands Ferry to Anna Maria with New Landing Options
Manatee County is exploring the return of its Gulf Islands Ferry service to the city of Anna Maria, following the loss of the original city pier landing due to Hurricane Milton in October 2024.
On May 8, county officials presented five potential landing site options to city commissioners during a public meeting. The ferry currently operates between the Bradenton Riverwalk and the Historic Bridge Street Pier in Bradenton Beach from Thursday through Sunday, using two 49-passenger pontoon boats. A third, larger enclosed vessel is expected to join the fleet this summer, enabling the service to expand to South Coquina Beach, Holmes Beach, and Palmetto.
The Anna Maria City Pier had previously served as a ferry stop before hurricane damage rendered the walkway unusable for the new, larger vessel. Since the city must rebuild the pier within its original footprint, the county is considering alternative approaches to restore ferry access to Anna Maria.
Representatives from the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Manatee County Natural Resources Department, and Coastal Protection Engineering proposed five options—two involving additions to the existing pier and three for a new structure adjacent to the Lake La Vista channel.
One pier-based option includes a structurally independent landing on the north side of a rebuilt walkway, near the shoreline portion of the pier’s T-end. The second would extend the pier further into Tampa Bay with a landing on the offshore side. Both would feature dock structures with dual gangways and wave attenuators.
The other three options propose various lengths of a standalone walkway and dock system north of the pier, extending into deeper waters via a separate passenger walkway. These designs include jetty extensions and dredging of the Lake La Vista basin and channel.
Two options have been ruled out due to high wave exposure identified through numerical modeling: the offshore-side pier extension and the longest standalone option. Among the remaining choices, engineers recommend either the shoreside pier landing, estimated to cost $600,000, or the second-longest separate structure option at approximately $1.21 million.
Officials estimate that the ferry service currently transports nearly 400 passengers per day; however, 46 service days were lost in 2024 due to weather. The new enclosed vessel is expected to reduce weather-related cancellations by up to 70%, potentially increasing annual ridership to 50,000 passengers.
Concerns about capacity and impacts on local businesses were raised during the meeting. City Pier Grill and Bait Shop owner Brian Seymour expressed opposition to any landing not connected to the pier, citing potential loss of foot traffic.
The county expressed support for eventually restoring service to the city pier, pending the feasibility of the reconstruction. Anna Maria city commissioners are scheduled to continue the discussion at their next meeting on Thursday, May 22, at 10:00 a.m. at City Hall, located at 10005 Gulf Drive.
