Reprieve for the Mayport Ferry

The Jacksonville Port Authority has agreed to bail out the Mayport Ferry.

The last public ferry in Florida, the St. Johns River Ferry, also known as the Mayport Ferry, has been chugging across the river between Jacksonville’s Mayport and Fort George Island since 1948. For $3.25 — $1 for pedestrians or bicyclists — commuters and tourists enjoy a short, scenic ride that saves 26 miles of driving.

But the ferry, operating at an annual deficit of $738,000, nearly did not make it to its 60th anniversary next year. In May, Gov. Charlie Crist vetoed $396,000 in state money to help Jacksonville fund the deficit. Then Mayor John Peyton, faced with a deficit of his own as well as declining tax revenue, said Jacksonville simply could not afford to keep the ferry afloat.

After much public outcry, the Jacksonville Port Authority stepped in to give the ferry a reprieve. Executive Director Rick Ferrin says Jaxport will not subsidize the ferry indefinitely but will launch a yeoman’s effort to make the operation self-sustaining. “Yes, it’s a departure from our main business, but we are on the water, and we’re part of the community, and we want to try to make it work,” says Jaxport spokeswoman Nancy Rubin. “There’s a lot we do already, such as fuel purchasing and storage, that can help the operation achieve better economies of scale.”

Rubin says Jaxport already has decided to raise the fare for automobiles to $5 by the end of the year and to cut out some evening runs. Jaxport also has asked coastal governments that benefit from the ferry operation to help fund it. Jacksonville still must sign off on Jaxport’s plan, scheduled to go into effect this month.

Tags: Northeast