Manatee County might have a long way to go before its proposed water taxi service hits the waves.
Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau director Elliott Falcione, who was tasked with launching the service, said May 3 he’s working with potential operators to hammer out a more defined concept.
Local officials have discussed creating a water taxi service for several years to alleviate traffic and provide an alternative travel route between the island and mainland.
The county began its own efforts to move the idea forward earlier this year and issued an invitation to bid for an operator, but there was no response to call by the March 30 deadline.
Falcione attended the Manatee County Council of Governments May 3 meeting to update local leaders about the county’s efforts to move forward.
He said he’d contacted several water taxi and ferry operators from across the state to gather feedback, such as recommended vessel specifications, to better define the proposed service.
Early feedback favored using 25- to 50-passenger vessels with enclosed spaces to provide protection from the elements, according to Falcione.
Falcione said some of the operators he’d communicated with were set to explore and survey the waterways for potential routes and landing spots with an eye to expanding their businesses to Manatee County.
He added that he hoped to have more to share with local officials soon.
“Stay tuned. We’re on it,” Falcione said. “It’s important that we don’t miss a step.”
There were no comments about the issue from council members or the public.
The council will meet next at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 2, at the Bradenton Area Convention Center, One Haben Blvd., Palmetto. The meeting will be open to the public and streamed live on youtube.com.