Sure, that $4.8 millionfederal grant helps gin up enthusiasm and momentum, but the devil, of course, will be in the details when it comes to prospective, high-speed ferry service around here. There are the start-up costs to be assumed by local government and the operating costs to be picked up by the operator. Exact terminal location is yet to be determined, and environmental issues could prove a concern. And will most of those 7,800 MacDill AFB employees living in southern Hillsborough County opt to commute from Gibsonton via ferry?
This much, however, is a certainty. It makes no sense for a major metro market–with serious economic and lifestyle ambitions and nestled between two bays–to defer the ferry option any longer.