Despite the water taxi contract ending Saturday, there is no anticipation of a lapse in the Downtown service.
Instead, it’s expected a short-term extension with operators Lakeshore Marina will be reached, according to city spokeswoman Pam Roman. The company has run the service for the past six months and has faced challenges stemming mostly from lack of riders.
Heather Surface, a Lakeshore Marina partner, said this week that typical weekdays average about 31 riders. On weekends without Jacksonville Jaguars games or special events, the amount is higher, but not substantially. For example, Sept. 5-7 saw 32 riders on Friday, 170 on Saturday and 24 Sunday. Almost two months later on Nov. 7-9, it increased to 58 on Friday, 185 on Saturday and 78 on Sunday.
The largest weekend came over New Year’s and was related to the TaxSlayer Bowl, with a high of 1,928 riders during the Jan. 2 game day.
Surface said the business model isn’t sustainable and she and her husband, Frank, have a “skeleton” of a long-term plan aimed at increasing ridership and the number of stops.
Lakeshore Marina and the city also have met with the Jacksonville Transportation Authority, which has offered its “expertise,” said Roman. The authority took over the Mayport Ferry last year.
Roman said the city is continuing to pursue a long-term contract for the service, but part of that includes the operator having its own boats.
For the past six months, the city has leased two vessels from Harry Frisch, the Beaver Street Fisheries chairman who bought two boats the city initially purchased for about $339,000. The city backed out because it was deemed an unauthorized purchase.
Surface said there had been discussions about purchasing Frisch’s boats, but her company couldn’t unless it was at a lower price. Additionally, the water taxi’s business model would need altering before Lakeshore Marina bought boats.
Roman said any long-term contract couldn’t be signed without operators showing proof of the company having boats, but a business model could still be discussed.
Jeff Edwards, Beaver Street chief financial officer, said Wednesday that Frisch would be inclined to support a short-term extension. But as for the long-term future of the boats, he’s waiting to hear from the city.
Without word on their long-term deal, Edwards said there is a risk the boats could be sold on the open market.
“If the city or Surfaces don’t buy the boats, we would have to sell them to others,” he said.
Edwards said research has been done and he’s assured there is a viable market for the vessels.
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