It’s finally ferry time!
The Miss Anna Maria, one of two 49-passenger catamarans in Manatee County’s Gulf Islands Ferry fleet, arrives Jan. 14 at the Anna Maria City Pier after several startup delays. Six passengers rode the first trip from downtown Bradenton despite the weather, which was windy and damp with temperatures in the low 60s. Islander Photos: Ryan Paice
Mike Pollard, mate on the Miss Anna Maria, secures the vessel’s bow line to a dock cleat on arriving at the Anna Maria City Pier.
Mike Pollard helps Marlon Haoui, 8, of Bradenton, the first passenger off the Miss Anna Maria Jan. 14 at the Anna Maria City Pier following the ferry service’s maiden voyage from downtown Bradenton. Marlon, who took the trip with his parents, said they were going to visit the Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium’s Marine Science Education and Outreach Center on the pier, then dine at an island restaurant. Islander Photo: Ryan Paice
Complete waste of money. They’ll probably make more money if they open a betting pool on how long it takes to go belly up. Who’s gonna pay to park, pay to take a boat with no enclosure to the island then have to get the trolley to go where you want? It’ll be a “fun” thing to do once but if they go through with parking garage why wouldn’t people drive to the island. The handful of tourists that want to leave the island to come downtown are going to be enough to break even. Most people come to the island to stay on the island/beach, not pay to take a boat downtown. There are plenty of bars and restaurants on the island they can get to for free.
What happens when our daily summer storms come up, windy, cold, and/or rainy days? People get wet? They are bussed back to town? Will people have to give there email or numbers so they can be contacted if service changes for some reason? It’s a logistical nightmare.
Do any of the people who make these discussions actually think through what they are doing? Wonder how. Much are taxes will go up the next couple of years trying to keep this fiasco going?
This doesn’t look very safe, especially if it was half full or more.
Imagine if a handicap person, someone with balance issues or a older person tries getting on or off. Do they have a wheelchair/walker ramp?