Hillsborough County commissioners Wednesday sunk a plan to start commuter ferry service between the burgeoning southern part of the county and MacDill Air Force Base. It was a plan 10 years in the making.
The ferry would have eased what can be a one-hour commute on crowded highways. It was first proposed in 2013, with ferry terminals built at the mouth of the Alafia River and MacDill Air Force Base.
But the bill had swelled to $76 million -- even with the ferry provider covering operating fees.
"With minimal ridership, so many unknowns, and an ever-increasing $75 million cost to the taxpayers, the MacDill ferry just does not make good financial sense," said Commissioner Ken Hagan, who has consistently opposed the plan. "The money could be better invested in other transit options that would drastically improve ridership and congestion."
But Commissioner Pat Kemp said the ferry would be less expensive than building new roads in the southern part of the county, where rampant growth has created traffic snarls for commuters.
She said Tampa Congresswoman Kathy Castor has gotten several federal grants for a feasibility study and there are other grants available.
"This $70 million price tag could certainly be something that could be widely covered by grants, and add to what we have here, which is very few transit options for people to take," Kemp said. "It would be so important for those families at MacDill, when they come here, for them to be spending time with their families, for them not having to do this terrible commute, when south county is pummeled by growth and by cars and by congestion."
Commissioner Michael Owen, who proposed killing the plan, said there isn't enough money to pay for a ferry service.
"I like it. The problem is that, to me, at this point, it is a luxury that we cannot afford," he said. "I disagree with Commissioner Kemp. I do not think that this is a low-cost option. I think $70 million, when you have over $1 billion of unfunded road improvements - we can't afford to do that now."
His move to terminate the plan was approved by a 5-2 vote, with Commissioners Kemp and Harry Cohen dissenting.
