Times Union: Public transit not a profitable enterprise as exemplified by First Coast systems

[Patricia M. McBride]

Another nice common sense piece by Larry Hannan.  Based on statements about the government's responsibility to provide public transit (and they have always provided it at a loss), the Mayport Ferry is a shining star compared to the sky way and bus service.  The Mayport ferry actually recovered 58% of the cost of the service, but provided great service to the Mayport community by delivering tourists and others to support local business, so the loss will be felt by that community.  Better to eliminate the skyway and keep the ferry I would think?  But that is my personal opinion, what's yours?

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Mayport Ferry fights for survival; JTA buses, Skyway aren't profitable.

By           Larry Hannanjacksonville.com             Copyright 2012 The Florida Times-Union. All rights res...

May 18,  2012 - 03:25am

Public transit not a profitable  enterprise as exemplified by First Coast systems

The St. Johns River Ferry will never be profitable.

Neither will the Jacksonville Transportation Authority bus system nor the  downtown Skyway.

This can safely be said because no major public transit system in America  makes money. Transportation experts can't name a single major transit system  that is a moneymaker in this country.

"It's not a profit-making industry," said Mantill Williams, spokesman for the  American Public Transportation Association. "Usually public transit fares covers  about 33 percent of their cost."

Anything that makes money is privately owned. Anything owned by a government  tends to operate at a deficit but remains open because it is a public service,  Williams said.

Read more at Jacksonville.com:  http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2012-05-18/story/public-transit-...

[Patricia M. McBride]

I am not sure John, but one thing was made perfectly clear by the folks who want the ferry operating.  If the city shuts it down, it will be nearly impossible to get someone on board to take it over.  So the city needs to keep it going and look for someone who knows what they are doing to take it over :).  That million they are spending on beds in a homeless shelter would be better spent on this (even if it is a drop in the bucket or on the furniture for the court house).

[Patricia M. McBride]

I think people don't realize any longer that the government is really responsible for services (period), and public transportation is a service. The taxpayers are not responsible for charity except as a fall back in the event no one steps up to the plate in the private sector. Free breakfasts, handouts or similar "feel good" projects that are supposed to be handled by family, churches or organizations that wish to become involved in doing good works. The city is 100% responsible for anything that qualifies as a city service like garbage pickup, transportation services, police, fire, maintenance of public buildings, city roads, street lights and the like. I understand the city has now become Mom and Dad to children, job finders, the buyer of beds in homeless centers and a multitude of other projects that would be best handled in the not-for-profit community, churches, private citizens, and private organizations that wish to get involved, but the community of Mayport and the businesses there will suffer if the city chooses to eliminate the ferry and buys beds instead for a homeless shelter and all the other feel good projects it has seen fit to involve itself in that are not their responsibility except as a very last fall back position should the private sector fail to provide them.

And I am pleased to see the mayor actually take us back to this by calling on the community to do those things financially that the city really never had any business getting involved in to start with................hopefully, a trend back to saner times will evolve with the city backing out of areas it has no business spending tax payer money on and does not belong in.