[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6195280,"mediaKeyId","3862646-b036820c8583615f839b9140816e376b","parentId",3862646,"title","County plans third, heavier water ferry and multimodal links to reduce island traffic","audioSeconds",714,"startMs",2060000,"endMs",2774000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3862646-b036820c8583615f839b9140816e376b&start=2060&end=2774","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3862646-b036820c8583615f839b9140816e376b/thumbnail_2060000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6195280/Manatee-County/Florida/County-plans-third-heavier-water-ferry-and-multimodal-links-to-reduce-island-traffic","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6195280-214280ae1918c906d9c3ada74eef63d3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770846225&Signature=YwiZ6ZPivs5Xnda8QUVudmEZ6DD3yHDYN6Lu9ndbSNXW7qgL-xP2dvNsPBz~bvSOL6Vi2JE~F0Ql69PCF2Haq7xVaR89sJU7ngnOQDWdEERjZONbqIrCaeODSLft2QmNyjrq3oQ9agaXtVxt6uyhcrytDPsq2BI0c1TiK6X1KZ3-6OYqBWvbNNFsCYdX2xAi~8O6lYuB5miEOr3FbE5szU3Nyx-Zg2vmduxkdNaH01AGmYFygz2wwZM3gSqi69lF~58jwy6emIVMfjVD5q-h18ZvkywOmZavv~DW-Kx7swxAxazVsaosyX4MAWjCMgfNIzRBp1ruastzPcmYlZ5odQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Manatee County, FL ","date","2025-06-19T07:58:58Z","article","Manatee County and Bradenton Beach officials gave a progress update on the county’s water‑ferry service, a multimodal trail concept and plans for an expanded Cortez marina stop.

Elliot, the county’s tourism director, said a third ferry with enclosed climate control and a heavier 100,000‑pound hull (compared with 30,000‑pound pontoons now in service) is expected to enter sea trials late this summer and, after Coast Guard certification, begin fall service. “It should be in the water late summer, go through some sea trials, make sure the Coast Guard certifies it, and get rolling in the fall,” Elliot said.

Nut graf: County leadership said the ferry helps reduce vehicle trips and supports local tourism; staff are coordinating landing sites, overnighting locations and last‑mile solutions to make the service usable for residents as well as visitors.

Elliot said the system has carried about 28,000 riders since Jan. 14, which he estimated removed roughly 13,000 cars from the road. He described plans for a Cortez Marina stop (the former Seafood Shack property), potential overnighting at downtown Bradenton, and a proposed new landing at Coquina Beach to attract more resident riders.

City staff and county project managers discussed multimodal tie‑ins: pedestrian and bike connections under the new Cortez bridge, a proposed walkway and trolley/shuttle to solve the “last mile” from ferry landings to beaches, and the potential for golf‑cart rental or shuttle services on the mainland to move people to ferry stops. Commissioner Sadiq said the Cortez Marina idea is early and will move toward a community master plan and public input.

Elliot said day‑to‑day oversight of the ferry will transition to Manatee County Area Transit (MCAT) under Kevin Hoyt on Oct. 1; the tourism bureau will continue marketing and support. He also said the convention center renovation funded by tourism tax will generate additional visitors who could use the ferry.

Ending: Officials said they will continue engineering and permitting work on docks and piers, coordinate with municipal partners on landing sites and pursue grants and private partnerships to fund infrastructure and last‑mile options.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","BCC Joint Meeting with City of Bradenton Beach","oneSentenceSummary","Officials outlined plans for a new heavier ferry, additional ferry stops and multimodal connections, and said they expect the service to shift operational oversight to MCAT this fall.","taxTitle","Manatee County, Florida","taxId",12476,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6195285,"Bradenton Beach leaders say rapid cleanup, pre‑bid contracts sped recovery after Helene",498,1338000,1836000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3862646-b036820c8583615f839b9140816e376b&start=1338&end=1836","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3862646-b036820c8583615f839b9140816e376b/thumbnail_1338000.jpg","/articles/6195285/Manatee-County/Florida/Bradenton-Beach-leaders-say-rapid-cleanup-prebid-contracts-sped-recovery-after-Helene","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6195285-49d3810e73be25571dfe42fce75c79bd/orig.mp4?Expires=1770846226&Signature=WH1A1d6DixuYvDx3nRkwDDIW3LMtTbOukV74Ml8FjeN1fa-csSBlfC3x9Owh9NgHT-LWb~qQnbDMoGHmYdq7kcJyr4sk5IzwVTvFwg9cq8Ttv7RP7ilvwBd214Kp1IbHmv~1P2-Lush9LiNMVaEfDKCH033GHZlrXwRUNWIWgsTwG9ZgRR0RKHVw-urfoqBTU8MyFZkHD4uK3q5Dm1dFymullx45PVkd1dHxsHDyE2~72S83LKdlVREHyyGvmFe6THjRq6mTBtpApoCz-Shn5ngTJpDzJJvHODcfxx~KsYKrBufRMb11gqF4wggWS6ez2OQWn9CxsSMZKM5-CTG-FQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Bradenton Beach officials described how coordinated county, city and state efforts and pre‑existing contracts accelerated recovery after Hurricane Helene.

John Cosby, chief of police for the City of Bradenton Beach, told the joint meeting that the city used strike teams, state fire resources and contracted debris crews to clear sand and wreckage. “We had no fatalities,” Cosby said, and he credited modern building codes for limiting structural damage to newer construction.

City officials said contracted debris removal crews cleared sand quickly; the city reported debris operations removed enough sand to support extensive cleanup and that debris was cleared from the island in about 60 days because pre‑bid contracts and ready vendors were in place. Cosby and other city officials named vendors and partners involved in the response, including pre‑contracted crews and federal/state search teams.

Nut graf: City and county officials said a long‑standing intergovernmental relationships and an ability to mobilize state and federal teams enabled faster-than-expected reopenings for many businesses and public amenities.

Bradenton Beach leaders said the governor ordered FDOT to clear roads within five days, which helped reopen restaurants and parks ahead of a longer recovery timeline. City staff also described improvised communications among emergency services and public works to keep operations coordinated, and they said early reopening of restaurants and parks helped restore commerce and visitor confidence.

Officials acknowledged ongoing losses: some long‑standing mobile home communities were likely lost and coastal landscapes were permanently altered. City attorneys and staff described permitting and sovereign‑land lease work needed to restore docks and piers, and they thanked county public works staff for technical and permitting assistance during cleanup.

Ending: City officials said the recovery work remains active but that the partnerships built during the response are a lasting asset for future storms.","Bradenton Beach officials described search-and-rescue, rapid debris removal and early reopening of businesses after Hurricane Helene, crediting county and state partnerships and pre‑existing contracts.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6195290,"Manatee County rolls out Peregrine data hub to coordinate 2025 storm response",852,384000,1236000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3862646-b036820c8583615f839b9140816e376b&start=384&end=1236","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3862646-b036820c8583615f839b9140816e376b/thumbnail_384000.jpg","/articles/6195290/Manatee-County/Florida/Manatee-County-rolls-out-Peregrine-data-hub-to-coordinate-2025-storm-response","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6195290-ad82d5973e238a591a8473a0b4af1b78/orig.mp4?Expires=1770846226&Signature=jAceXKeLmIdpFrFAOhzFmLXG3UW85Z1bh5O9v54EatNm5NBD4NCDoBXcskP5wWphGgnP0~YA81qYHw7ritYUV1d33b8IVA49tT77q4Yj8tCJaD4bGNJVKzgyeGppL~LfH6gT3u144mSKYsYGJ7wdXVDwXeB93rUferuPP-JiXOQVIXPhlHPCZSZdhIa4YUgyXAnc~FywDNEPOTq-hwcf2nqIjnuc9GmX~MMkyWi9o0NuhlruEEG9x6VteOJ0uCJi~Op5zMjfLj0U7HJj24GArKjizkF5Bsc1yLVBstFup~bpAtZPTXrpSXiadDZ8x8Tew7NGKFbDgZPH-ny8K18ASA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Manatee County officials described a new county data-integration platform and other preparedness steps intended to speed evacuation, rescue and recovery for the 2025 storm season.

Deputy Director of Public Safety James Crutchfield said the county is moving from siloed data streams to a single “data lake” called Peregrine that will feed dashboards to incident managers and elected officials so they can make real‑time, coordinated decisions. “It’s like a dashboard maker on steroids,” Crutchfield said.

Crutchfield framed the need by revisiting 2024 storms that tested county systems. He told the joint meeting that Hurricane Debbie produced rainfall “greater than a 500‑year flood” and that county damage estimates from the 2024 season included roughly $56,000,000 in residential and business losses. He said the county recorded about 300 rescues from islands to unincorporated areas and that high winds (as high as 120 mph in some places) heavily affected mobile home communities.

Nut graf: County emergency managers say Peregrine will give a common operating picture by combining NOAA gauges, lift‑station status, 911 call data, weather forecasts and other layers so officials can prioritize limited resources during both response and long‑term recovery.

Officials said the county has already used lessons from the 2024 season to change posture: more incident management team (IMT) deployments, regular coordination with municipal partners, increased outreach to homeowners and HOAs, and ongoing training exercises. Crutchfield said county recovery work included 90 straight days of sand and debris operations on barrier islands and that storm surge moved enough sand to “fill 61 Olympic swimming pools.”

County staff emphasized the programmatic shift from focusing on reimbursement to focusing on community impacts: pre‑drafted mission requests (for items such as Tiger Dams), pre‑identified neighborhood priorities and daily EM coordination with municipal partners. Crutchfield said the county will use Peregrine to “forecast and see real time that the rivers are rising” and to overlay multiple data sources so evacuation, sheltering and road‑closure decisions align with the full picture.

Ending: Officials said Peregrine is part of a broader push to institutionalize lessons from 2024. They plan continued training with municipal partners and community outreach ahead of the 2025 season.","County emergency management officials described a new data-integration platform called Peregrine and outlined lessons from 2024 storms to shape response and recovery for 2025.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

County plans third, heavier water ferry and multimodal links to reduce island traffic

Bradenton Beach leaders say rapid cleanup, pre‑bid contracts sped recovery after Helene

Manatee County rolls out Peregrine data hub to coordinate 2025 storm response