JPA to take over Mayport Ferry's helm from city

[cline]

The Port is not out to run an operation that loses money on its face. JTA runs the public transit and doesn't expect a return back (at least at the fare box), why not add the ferry to that mix? That's all I am saying. Not being negative. I for one do not want the ferry to go away, it is something unique to Jacksonville.

Sounds good to me.  Since JTA is all about becoming a regional entity now maybe this would be a good idea for them since it provides a link to Nassau County.

[exnewsman]

A few years back (before the JPA took it over) the JTA provided a subsidy to keep the ferry operating. I think it was in the several hundred thousand dollar range.

[Gators312]

Nobody wants to burn money.

If they call it the Northeast Florida Floating Beltway, someone will get their gas and a match...

[fieldafm]

Nobody wants to burn money, which is something operating the ferry alone will surely do.  For the preservation of its operation, some focus needs to be put into tying it in with a profit making venture.  The cruise terminal was an example of tying a profit making land use that would have generated more riders for the ferry to cut down operational costs.  Mayport will need a replacement for the terminal idea.

I was unable to listen to Melissa Ross this morning(and obviously was not invited to the JaxPort board meeting this morning)... so for anyone that listened, did the Mayport neighborhood groups come up with any ideas to stimulate more ridership for the ferry to make it more financially viable?  It seems likely that JPA will be giving their Mayport land back to the City.

Mike Clark made a good point

Coverage of the Mayport ferry has focused on the %750,000 operating subsidy.

But there is more to this story. Port authority officials say $4 million in repairs are needed, though there is just $800,000 budgeted for it.

That means having to borrow the remainder. The estimated cost in the next 10 years amounts to $12 million. JaxPort says that money could be going into port improvements.

So this issue just gets more difficult.

http://jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/406107/mike-clark/2012-01-23/whats-missing-ferry-debate

Just a point of referance... as the port struggles to find funding for very large capital improvement projects... it should be noted in the context of this debate that Savannah has more than three times the amount of cash on hand to fund day-to-day operations, and larger bonding capacity than JaxPort currently has. 

If for the last 20 years you didn't fully fund your retirement savings, found yourself staring at age 55 with a huge hole in your plans and forced now to play catch up... would you necessarily be burdening yourself with unneeded monthly recurring expenses, or perhaps socking that money away for the future so you can live in a time not so far away?

I think the comparison is pretty apt here.  Jaxport didn't do enough investing in itself over the last three decades despite being at the forefront of the container revolution, and now has to play catch up in order to compete in a different global marketplace.  The choice now is: fund your IRA or pay for premium cable service when you don't even own a TV?