FDOT says No $ for the Ferry

[tufsu1]

Given that the ferry serves as part of State Road A1A, this is beyond shameful....instead, let's have motorists detour 20+ miles out of their way and cross at the Dames Point...and put more auto traffic on I-295 where we're trying to hold capacity for trucks to/from the port.

What's even more amazing though is that the state is paying millions for a new bike trail on Amelia Island that will extend down into the Heckscher Drive area, but never mind getting to the beach...for that a bicyclist will have to go all the way downtown to the Main St Bridge and then wind their way out tio the beach (btw, another cyclist was killed yesterday crossing St. Johns Bluff Rd). 

Bottom line, FDOT can't afford $300,000 for the ferry....but $300 million for a new expressway serving Clay County is no problem!

btw, think about it another way...how much would it cost for FDOT to move all the A1A signs and redesignate their route system?

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2012-07-31/story/florida-will-not-help-pay-st-johns-river-ferry

[mbwright]

It would appear that the folks running the ferry are not part of the 'good ol' boys' , nor contribute financially to some politicians.  If the FDOT could show me a road that they have not had to spend money on to maintain, or build, I could believe their approach, but this has never happened.

[thelakelander]

Perhaps FDOT should change their name to FDOR?  Florida Department of Roads, fits more with the agency's overall position and would at least let taxpayers understand in the open where their priorities stand.

There may be a way to get the ferry funded.  Let's paint it in asphalt, stripe it and call it a floating bridge.  We could even install some of those expensive green overhead signs on it and include lexus lanes (I mean managed lanes) in the center.

[Tacachale]

This is infuriating. On Melissa Ross this morning FDOT was quoted as saying this was a "local issue" and that this is not considered a high priority link for the state.

Never mind that *all* state roads are "local" to that area, and that the ferry connects A-1-freaking-A.

Too typical.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

What if we were to elevate the deck of the ferry and have FDOR construct a nice cloverleaf at each end to help the vehicles manage their way on and off without having to worry about signaling.