JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Commuters who use the St John’s River Ferry have a little extra time before the service will shut down for routine maintenance.
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The St. Johns River Ferry will continue setting sail until Jan. 25.
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JTA announced Thursday scheduled maintenance set to temporarily suspend the ferry service starting this Saturday had been delayed.
It came as a pleasant surprise to commuter Ben Getman who rides the ferry twice a day to and from work.
“It goes from 40 miles round trip to 95 miles round trip. So, it makes a little bit of a difference gas milage-wise and overall distance,” said Getman.
Read: St. Johns River Ferry to suspend service for routine maintenance beginning in January
The good news is, commuters don’t have to worry about the ferry closing for an extra 11 days.
The bad news, is the new schedule has the ferry closed 20 days longer than originally planned.
Instead of closing Jan. 14 through April first, the new closure will begin Jan. 25 and run all the way through May 2.
“We only take the ferry as a convenience when going up to Fernandina Beach,” said Ferry passenger Pete Russell.
For Russell, the timing of the closure is nonetheless disappointing.
“Losing that in the best time of the year, the cool months, is going to be kind of a challenge,” said Russell.
Ferry or no ferry, the passengers we spoke with said it’s for the best, to keep their beloved ship sailing for years to come.
“It happened last year too so, it’s my second year doing it. So, I figure it’s just what happens,” said Getman.
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“Anytime you maintain and improve this ferry, it’s a good thing for Mayport, it’s a good thing for Jacksonville, it’s a great thing for our sailors who live on the other side,” said Russell.