J Magazine Fall 2017

AS DOWNTOWN CONTINUES TO GROW
WITH A STRING OF NEW RESIDENCES,
BUSINESSES AND ACTIVITIES, FINDING
MORE WAYS TO GET PEOPLE ONTO AND
ACROSS THE ST. JOHNS RIVER IS ESSENTIAL
As the sun set
on Downtown
Jacksonville, the
St. Johns River
Taxi carried a
load of passengers
under the Main
Street Bridge
from Friendship
Fountain to
Metropolitan Park.
s Downtown edges toward its future
as a more vibrant city center,
the network of waterways that define
it will become an ever more
A
important part of what will be a
lively urban scene.
Just imagine: sails skimming
across the St. Johns, the whir of motors as boats slip
under Downtown bridges, myriad docks extending into
the river at the Shipyards marina, and a flurry of activity
around the two creeks that form the extensions on
Downtown’s Emerald Necklace.
These waterways will give Jacksonville’s heart a vitality
matched by few other cities. Water is the fuel that will
animate its future.
A focal point in that reimagining of Downtown is a
lively crew of water taxis that will transport visitors and
residents alike to various points along the river as a way
of ensuring they experience the magic of the mighty St.
Johns.
Much of that is already in place with the service operated
by St. Johns River Taxi LLC. Since the company
took over management of the taxi flotilla in 2014, the
service has undergone an amazing transformation.
Today’s aquatic cabs not only transport people
across and up and down the river, they serve as river-based
entertainment venues for special tours allowing
riders to explore facets of the river not readily seen
from its banks.
Riders pay varying amounts for the taxi service. An
adult daily pass, for example, is $10 and allows riders to
travel all day; children and seniors pay $8. In comparison,
the sunset cruises, history and science cruises are
$15 for adults and $12 for children.
That’s historically not been enough to sustain the
service, but operators are faced with a Catch 22 when
they consider price increases. Hiking the ticket price
will cost the taxi’s customers, and decreasing the prices
will increase ridership to such an extent that it costs
more to run the service than it brings in.
To balance the books and keep the taxis afloat, the
city kicks in $120,000 each year, and various private
sponsors who see the River Taxis as vital to Downtown
contribute more.
Even with that, the service continually struggles to
make sure it remains viable. St. Johns River Taxi partner
Heather Surface admits that the support it receives “allows
us to break even. It’s very lean and mean.”
So the question now — as Downtown moves toward
its future — is how do the city and its business partners
ensure the survival of the River Taxi? And just as
important, what do we want the service to eventually
become as Downtown blossoms?
The first question can’t be answered until the city
collectively recognizes the service as an absolutely crucial
part of Downtown’s future. We can’t brand Downtown
as a unique waterway-defined segment of the city
without giving people a way to get onto and across the
water.
And increasingly, as Downtown is built out with hotels,
residences and other businesses, the taxis will contribute
enormously to a healthy economy.
Indeed, Savannah has recognized the importance
of its river taxi system. There, the Savannah Belles are a
vital part of Chatham Area Transit.
“At the end of the day, everyone realizes (the water
taxis) are in our best interests,” explains Nick Helmhold,
who formerly helped to direct the Savannah Belles and
now serves as an urban planner in Savannah. “In my
opinion, they’re very important to our economy.”
That’s the kind of attitude that must be adopted
here. It seems the city has signaled its belief in the importance
of the taxis, but local businesses haven’t been
as supportive.
In fact, after the city, the next biggest contributor to
the service isn’t a business at all — it’s the Riverkeeper,
which has given the St. Johns River Taxis $55,000 each
of the last two years to offer a fantastic program that introduces
underprivileged children to the river.
The next largest sponsor, at $30,000, is the Jacksonville
Jaguars, who rightly recognize the taxis provide an
essential service for football fans on game days. There
are other smaller sponsors as well, including The Florida
Times-Union’s in-kind sponsorship.
But few of those sponsors are assured for next year.
“Our approach was to hopefully prime the pump
with the hopes that other stakeholders Downtown will
join our commitment to protect this community asset,”
FALL 2017 | J MAGAZINE 75