Ahoy Jacksonville: Mayport ferry gets longer Friday hours, easier loading lanes and other changes

Dan Scanlan, Florida Times-Union
·3 min read
Some of the changes made to the St. Johns River Ferry's shore services include a covered picnic pavilion and new restroom at the Mayport site, plus redesigned traffic loading lanes.
Some of the changes made to the St. Johns River Ferry's shore services include a covered picnic pavilion and new restroom at the Mayport site, plus redesigned traffic loading lanes.

Just in time for Memorial Day weekend, travelers will find more at the St. Johns River Ferry — more hours of operation and more people-friendly amenities onshore.

The Jacksonville Transportation Authority also has added 90 more minutes of operation on Friday nights to match Saturday and Sunday hours.

The most visible part of the $7.2 million upgrade, paid with a Passenger Ferry Grant from the Federal Transit Administration, is the new restroom and picnic pavilion at the ferry's Mayport dock on Ocean Street. A redesign of the lanes at both ends will also allow more room for vehicles waiting to board the 26-year-old ferry, the Jean Ribault, JTA spokesman David Cawton II said.

"It's a much safer entry and exit from the ferry," he said. "We will give it the test this weekend with Memorial Day probably being the busiest weekend of the year so far. But our ferry crew is very confident that this new configuration will be safer and a lot quicker for folks to board and exit."

Ahoy commuter: St. Johns River Ferry is back 

More money: Fed funds coming to Mayport ferry

The St. Johns River Ferry connects the north and south ends of Florida A1A with daily service every half hour, starting at 6 a.m. on the Mayport Village side, and 6:15 a.m. at Fort George Island. Each trip across the St. Johns River takes about five minutes. The JTA took over ferry operations in 2016.

The Phase IV Improvement Project also included some major ferry dock upgrades.

Workers installed "ultra-high molecular weight" vertical panels to the dock walls and bulkheads at both ends to cut down on repairs to them, Cawton said. Heavy weather mooring bollards and better crew catwalk access at Fort George were also installed, he said.

Site safety and Americans with Disabilities Act improvements were made at the ferry terminals, including the bathroom, handicapped-accessible sidewalk ramps and redesigned loading lanes. A new warehouse facility also was added on the Fort George side, as well as new landscaping and asphalt resurfacing.

The Jean Ribault, the St. Johns River Ferry.
The Jean Ribault, the St. Johns River Ferry.

With the Memorial Day weekend traffic sure to be heavy and to offer more options over an expected busy summer, Friday ferry departures on both sides have been extended by 90 minutes ending at 9 p.m.

"On the Mayport side, it will go at 8:30 p.m., and on the Fort George side, the last trip will be at 8:45 p.m.," Cawton said. "This is based on customer feedback and demand going into the summer months."

Ferry problems in the past: Service at Mayport suspended due to mechanical problem

Back in service: Mayport ferry returns after prop repairs

The ferry costs $7 one way for vehicles or $1 for walkers and bicyclists. Full schedule and cost information is at ferry.jtafla.com.

The JTA also has some future upgrades planned, including extension of bulkhead walls at both the Mayport and Fort George landings, improved signage, bridge gantry preservation and rehabilitation, and Fort George employee breakroom renovations. A $3.4 million budget is estimated for that work, which could be done in 2023.

dscanlan@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4549

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville's Mayport Ferry gets upgrades in time for summer travels