St. Johns River Ferry to shut down for 8 weeks for upgrades
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ The Jacksonville Transportation Authority will temporarily suspend service of the St. Johns River Ferry for approximately eight weeks starting Jan. 6. The U.S. Department of Transportationโs Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced July 24 the award of a $5.2 million grant through the FTAโs Passenger Ferry Grant Program to the JTA to continue improvements and upgrades to the Ferry. Thatโs in addition to the $3.9 million FTA Passenger Ferry Grant awarded to the JTA in August 2019. This is the latest round of upgrades spearheaded by the JTA since it assumed operations in 2016. The Jean Ribault is a car and passenger ferry built in 1995 that connects the north and south ends of Florida State Road A1A, linking historic Mayport Village and Fort George Island via a 0.9-mile voyage across the St. Johns River, 2.5 miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean.
JTA boosts bus, other transportation fares
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - After seven years without a rate increase, the Jacksonville Transportation Authority's board of directors voted Tuesday to raise nearly all fares. Motorcycle fares increase from $5 to $6. The JTA held 11 public meetings in June to explain the details of the proposal and to receive customer feedback. The boards decision comes after 11 public meetings were held in June to explain the new fares and receive customer feedback. Under that policy, JTA fares will be adjusted in accordance to a formula based on changes in the Consumer Price Index, the JTA operating budget and labor cost changes.
St. Johns River Ferry resumes service after repairs
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The St. Johns River Ferry is back up and running Friday after being out of service for roughly two weeks. The ferry, which runs between Mayport Village and Fort George Island, underwent emergency repairs because a submerged rope got entangled and damaged the propeller system. As a way of saying thank you for riders' patience during the two weeks the ferry was out of commission, all rides on the ferry Friday are free. The ferry was removed from service July 25 for emergency repairs. According to JTA, as the ferry began to dock at the Fort George slip early that morning, the ferry operations team reported hearing an unusual noise and halted service.
St. Johns River Ferry expected to resume service Friday morning
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The St. Johns River Ferry is expected to return to full service at 6 a.m. Friday, the Jacksonville Transportation Authority announced Wednesday. The ferry was removed from service July 25 for emergency repairs after the propeller system got tangled with a submerged rope and was damaged. According to JTA, as the ferry began to dock at the Fort George slip early that morning, the ferry operations team reported hearing an unusual noise and halted service. JTA said an initial inspection confirmed damage to the inside of the propeller, but no visual damage to the shaft. Pending a final inspection by the U.S. Coast Guard, the ferry is scheduled to resume operation Friday morning during normal business hours.
JTA gets $3.9M toward St. Johns River Ferry improvements
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The St. Johns River Ferry will be getting some upgrades thanks to a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The grant will account for roughly 70% of the estimated $5.6 million project cost and represents Phase IV of the ongoing upgrade plan for the ferry system. The JTA completed Phase III in January, which includes upgrades to the vessel, as well as operational and other safety improvements like rehabilitated bulkheads, new terminal bridges and stopping mechanisms. The Jean Ribault is a car and passenger ferry that connects the north and south ends of Florida State Road A1A, linking Mayport Village and Fort George Island via a 0.9-mile voyage across the St. Johns River, 2.5 miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean. The ferry is currently dry-docked for repairs after the propeller got tangled with a rope.
St. Johns River Ferry dry docked for 2 weeks
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Jacksonville Transportation Authority said Tuesday that St. Johns River Ferry has been dry docked for repairs after the propeller got tangled with a rope and was damaged. It will be out of service for about another two weeks, a JTA spokesman said. As the ferry began to dock at the Fort George slip early Thursday morning, the ferry operations team reported hearing an unusual noise, a spokesperson said. The St. Johns River Ferry links Mayport Village to Fort George Island -- just short of a mile distance -- and goes back-and-forth between the two every half hour. According to JTA, the ferry saw record ridership in 2018 with more than 400,000 passengers carried.