Mayport ferry still chugs along, but it's still losing money

[thelakelander]

MAYPORT - In the two years since the Jacksonville Port Authority took over the Mayport ferry, there have been fare increases, ridership decreases and continued operating deficits.

But port officials said this week that, even though they have given up hope of a profit for now, they have no plans of scuttling the service.

"We've learned a lot in two years," JPA spokeswoman Nancy Rubin said Wednesday. "Presently, the ferry service continues to lose money. But the good news is it's only losing about half as much as it was before [the JPA takeover]."

The fact that the JPA is still holding onto ferry operations with a deficit is a shift in the management plan. When the JPA took over the ferry from Jacksonville in October 2007, the operation was running with a $1 million annual deficit. JPA Executive Director Rick Ferrin vowed the ferry would be run like a business and the goal would be to make the service profitable.

In 2007-08, the JPA had an annual operating expense of $1.6 million with about $1.12 million in revenue from fares. In 2008-09, which concluded Oct. 1, the JPA spent about $1.5 million and raised about $972,000 from fares.

Much of the deficit decrease came from fare hikes two years ago that raised the cost of a two-axle vehicle from $3 to $5 per trip. Also, the old Blackbeard backup vessel was taken out of service, decreasing costs for maintenance.

Rubin said the JPA has accepted the civic duty of running the ferry.

full article: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2009-10-28/story/mayport_ferry_still_chugs_along_but_its_still_losing_money

[CS Foltz]

lake.....I'm getting concerned......Mr Ferrin's comment "Going to run the ferry like a business" worry's the hell out of me! Makes me wonder just what the actual cost of running the ferry is in reality? I have heard those very words from the Boy Prince himself and I see just where Jacksonville is today!

[tufsu1]

well then you should have been concerned 2 years ago when he made the statement!

[fsujax]

Actually, thats not a bad recovery rate. Far better than any other mode of transit in Jacksonville.

[urbanlibertarian]

Think of it as subsidizing inefficiency in the name of historic preservation.

[stjr]

In 2007-08, the JPA had an annual operating expense of $1.6 million with about $1.12 million in revenue from fares. In 2008-09, which concluded Oct. 1, the JPA spent about $1.5 million and raised about $972,000 from fares.

The ferry is doing a heck of lot better than the $ky-high-way which loses about 27 to 28 times as much as the ferry at last count.  Maybe JPA should take that over too. 

[Ocklawaha]

Can y'all imagine if the FDOT HSR designers ran the Ferry!??

The ferry is doing fantastic, toss those numbers at just about any urban passenger form of mass transportation and our boat would knock em dead! This much "farebox recovery" is almost unheard of.


Car Ferry with a cruise deck, food etc, for tourist travel, be beautiful in the St. Marys/Nassau River's

I've always wondered what would happen if we could get a tight association of sponsors from Daytona Beach - Flagler - Marineland - St. Augustine - The Jacksonville Beaches - Mayport - Fernandina - St. Marys, Georgia, Plus State and National Park Services on both sides of the line. Corporate, commercial, Eco, adventure, outdoors, all types of business sponsors, for a billboard campaign from somewhere like the Virginia Line to the Georgia/Florida Line.

THE SCENIC BUCCANEER TRAIL, Come to SEA with us on the way to the theme parks...

Set up a Ferry from St. Marys - Fernandina, a nice scenic cruise, and play up the history, sites, and unspoiled Beaches. Not only that but in that stretch, we have more State and National Parks and preserves then any other place in North America. How hard would it be to work with Georgia on a Ferry? How hard to get their own version of "A - 1 - A" north, from Colonial St. Marys, and looping back to I-95? It could mean millions or even billions of dollars that we don't even chase today.

[JaxBorn1962]

MOST MAJOR WORLD CITIES AGE LIKE A FINE WINE - JACKSONVILLE HAS AGED LIKE MILK

[mtraininjax]

Just build the new damn bridge there, put people to work and be done with the Ferry. While you are at it, place a tombstone at the split of A1A and Mayport Road, with a tombstone for Mayport.

[JeffreyS]

A new bridge between our port and the ocean? Put ice on that bump.

[mtraininjax]

A new bridge between our port and the ocean? Put ice on that bump.

Why? Port has to grow, as it is now the Marines want the entire Blount Island for themselves. Obama is dumb enough to give it to them. Then the port needs Mayport and other areas, and with  5700 containers on the road, we are going to need another bridge.

[Charles Hunter]

Hmmm ... since the 175' Dames Point is too low, how tall would a Mayport Bridge have to be to avoid restricting shipping to the port areas east of DP?  What is the "air draft" of the post Panamax ships we hope to get?  Of the new cruise ships?  Would the Mayport Bridge have to be 250 feet above the water?  300 feet?  It should probably be that high all across the river, without any piers in the water.  The ramp up would have to begin south of the base, and well up on Ft. George Island.  I'm pretty sure the Navy would take a dim view to such a big structure cutting across their base, and being in their flight pattern.  Getting environmental permits to go around the west side of the base would be a bit difficult, too.  You're in the Timucuan Preserve there.

[stjr]

Not only would such a bridge be questionable for engineering, location, FAA, military, environmental, aesthetics, etc., but most importantly, the traffic wouldn't justify the expense.  It's way too far from the port, rail, and interstates to alleviate any container traffic not to mention that twisty, windy Heckscher Drive is only two lanes. 

A good part of the ferry traffic is tourists traveling A1A.  The ferry fits in great with the charm of the ride and occasional travelers are happy to pay the tolls for the experience that locals probably wouldn't suffer daily.  The ferry is also historic and is the last ferry left in Florida.  Of course, for Mtrain, being historic is probably the kiss of death. 

[Charles Hunter]

Since the estimates for replacing the Mathews Bridge are in the $500 million range - and that's just the bridge, not the approach roads - and it is, what 150 above the river?  What would the cost of a Mayport Bridge be?  1 Billion?  The news story says the Ferry is costing (after fares) about a half million a year.  (Takes off socks to do higher math) You could run the Ferry for 2000 years!

[stjr]

Since the estimates for replacing the Mathews Bridge are in the $500 million range - and that's just the bridge, not the approach roads - and it is, what 150 above the river?  What would the cost of a Mayport Bridge be?  1 Billion?  The news story says the Ferry is costing (after fares) about a half million a year.  (Takes off socks to do higher math) You could run the Ferry for 2000 years!

Or, you could run the ferry with 1/100 th of the annual interest expense on $1 billion.   

Mtrain is thinking like the road builders at FDOT and JTA:  Looking for another road to build with urban sprawl, costs, usefulness, environment, historic impact, and better alternatives be damned.  Happiness to Mtrain is probably buying a house backing up to I-95.