by David Ball
Staff Writer
No one expected the Mayport Ferry to turn a profit the first year under the Jacksonville Port Authority’s watch. But the goal of making the ferry a break-even business in three years, if ever, may now be long gone.
The Jacksonville Port Authority reached the six-month mark in its ownership of the ferry at the end of March, and ridership was reportedly down 16.1 percent from the previous year — 28 percent alone in March, which historically is the ferry’s busiest month.
Also grown is the amount of money the Port Authority will need to subsidize the business this year. Tony Orsini, the Port’s director of cruise and ferry operations, first estimated that subsidy at $300,000.
“To date that estimate appears to have been optimistic,” wrote Orsini to City Council President Daniel Davis last week. “A straight line projection of 6 months experience projected over 12 months will produce a conservative estimate to be more in the order of $500,000.”
Orsini is quick to point out that deficit is still half of what the ferry had accumulated in its $1.8 million budget before the Port Authority assumed control from the City on Oct. 1 2007.
According to Orsini’s report, the ferry collected $517,087 in revenues — about $233,975 (31 percent) less than budgeted — from October to March. In that same time, expenses were shaved to $791,185 (about 12 percent less than budgeted) for an overall deficit of $274,098.
That figure is more than 80 percent higher than the projected shortfall of $151,680.
“Everybody in that area was crying real hard to keep the ferry in operation,” said Orsini. “Our executive director (Rick Ferrin) said we’ll run it, and then the ridership dropped off. Well, somebody’s got to pay for the thing.”
Ferry usage has gradually decreased for several years. Ridership reportedly dropped from more than 450,000 fares in 2003 to less than 380,000 in 2006 — a revenue decrease of $227,000.
To increase revenue, the Port Authority in November raised fares for all users of the ferry an average of about $2. Fares for passenger cars, for example, increased from $3.25 to $5. Nighttime operation was also cut by a few hours.
However, those decisions may have turned off more riders than expected.
“The biggest surprise to me was the drop in ridership,” said Orsini. “We did raise fees, and nobody likes to pay higher fees. But I was surprised we lost as many riders as we did.”
Zach Williams is one rider who said he was not surprised by the fare increases, especially in light of rising gas prices. At around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Williams was among a half-dozen others leaving Mayport Village and heading across the St. Johns River to the A1A connection at Heckscher Drive.
The current ferry boat, the Jean Ribault, carries a maximum of 40 mid-size cars and 199 passengers, although it is rarely maxed out. The backup vessel Blackbeard held 44 mid-size cars and 201 passengers before it was recently decommissioned due to its failing condition.
Williams has been riding the Jean Ribault for a year. He lives in Arlington, drops his kids off at school at the beaches and then goes to work right near the ferry’s north dock. He said the nearest alternate north-south route along 9A/I-295 over the Dames Point Bridge would add almost an hour of driving and more expense to fill his truck with gas.
“I really need to take the ferry. Plus, it’s a relaxing way to get to work,” he said.
While the ferry’s uniqueness will continue to be a draw for some travelers and tourists, Orsini and other Port officials hope skyrocketing fuel prices help make the ferry a more attractive option for commuters. However, it’s a double-edged sword.
“The Port Authority’s ability to buy diesel fuel more cheaply in bulk helped a bit, but the last number I saw was we paid $3.55 a gallon for diesel,” said Orsini. “That’s wholesale cost, and I’m sure it’s gone up since last month.”
That means it costs $28,400 to fill up the ferry’s 8,000-gallon fuel tank, which is nearly double what it cost last year, according to Fred Berley, general manager of 10-year ferry operator Hornblower Marine Services.
“We’ve been doing this for a long time, and we’ve worked to cut costs where we can, but the key is just getting more people to ride,” said Berley. “The Port’s frequent rider program is a good idea. Hopefully we’ll see a lot of those cards.”
That new program allows users to have a card that keeps track of their one-way trips, with every seventh trip free. The program runs through the end of May.
For more information on the ferry or the frequent rider program, visit www.jaxport.com.