Traffic system activated in Tampa area

Traffic system activated in Tampa area A maritime traffic system for vessels operating in Florida's Tampa Bay area has been activated.
   Tampa Port Authority and the Coast Guard’s captain of the port for sector St. Petersburg announced Tuesday the activation of the trial phase of the Cooperative Vessel Traffic Service (CVTS) Tampa Bay.
   The CVTS is a combined effort between the Coast Guard, the Tampa Bay Harbor Safety and Security Committee, and the ports of Tampa, Manatee, and St. Petersburg.
   The traffic system is focused on the safe movement of all vessels sailing the navigable waters within a 35-mile radius of a centralized sea buoy and all waters east of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. This area includes Old Tampa Bay, south of the Gandy Bridge, and all waters of the Tampa Bay and Hillsborough Bay.