USVI-On-Line

http://stthomassource.com/content/news/ ... passengers

The article doesn't mention when the new nonresidential rate increase will go into effect - if it depends on the new 3rd party ticketing company being adopted it may be awhile.

Thank you for passing that along to us Exit0

While I am never happy to see a cost increase, I can certainly stand this small extra. It is even more easily accepted when we consider that it is helping to provide economic stability and sustainability to our favorite place. If a tourist has a problem with an additional $2 to get to STJ, they should probably be reconsidering if they should be going at all.

JIM

I will have to re-read it. I really scanned through it quickly but It appeared to me that there are a few options being considered. $2 per non resident is one and also $2.25 more per bag? Is that right?
It starts to add up quickly although I will agree that it won't be a deciding factor in my vacation budget but it certainly doesn't help. When will the car barge follow suit? It will also come into the decision of whether to ferry over to STT for a shopping trip. Believe me when I tell you that if the extra $8 keeps myself and my wife from visiting Artistic jewelers and the mall, that the islands stand to loose a chunk of tax revenue.
I like how the student and teachers higher fares are justified by concluding that the education budget can cover that.

Thank you, Exit Zero...love getting this kind of info.
It's making me think that with larger groups, like ours (family of six), the private taxi/water taxi thing really is a bargain.

What just aggravates me to no end is that we have to show a Government issued ID just to ride the ferry. What if i didn't have a drivers license? I would have to show my passport to go to St. Thomas.

Captain John, you don't have to show an ID to ride the ferry. Only if you want a discounted price.

I think the purpose of the ID is for locals to prove they live there and not here. It will be the tool you need to pay the lower fare. It sounds like they are accepting a variety of documents.

I think the operators wanted higher fares and bag fees, but the independent evaluator recommended a $1 fare increase and another evaluation 6 months later.

JIM

Agreed, an extra $2 round-trip is not a big deal. But, when you step back and think about it, the concept is rather odd. Imagine getting into a cab in NYC. The driver turns around and asks me, "where you from, pal?" I say, "Wisconsin." He shakes his head and says, "sorry pal, this ride is gonna cost you extra 'cause you're not from around here." What?

The theory is that tourists should subsidize services for locals. I get that. But, isn't that already happening? Without tourist dollars virtually all of the businesses on STJ would dry up. These are the businesses that employ the locals and who, in theory, pay them enough to be able to afford the ferry. And, just to continue with a thought...the theory is based on the assumption that all locals cannot afford an increase to the ferry rate. I know several people who call STJ home and they certainly have the means to pay an extra couple of bucks for the ferry.

I know, I know...it's just $2. Trust me, I really don't care that much. I just thought that the concept was odd. That is all.

My question and/ or concern is. If an 8% return on investment or in other words - profit is not enough, then what is? What percent will satisfy the owners? I don't know of any banks paying anywhere close to a return like that!

Didn't they just hike the rates last year? And then they were surprised that ridership declined?

The real slap in the face is the $2.25 INCREASE for checked bags? So checked bags would be $4.75 each? Round trip ferry/taxi costs are already about $100 per trip for one couple, which is not a negligible amount of money. If that price keeps skyrocketing, I'm sure more tourists will do the math and start considering alternatives like the car ferry or water ferry. I would expect that if this goes through, ridership will continue to fall. Supply and demand, people. It's not just a good idea, it's the law.

Maybe the reason you have to show a government issued ID to prove you're a resident is to protect against "boater fraud".
Anyway I'm with kklay on this one.

Dreamshark, please reread the article. The rate change will only be the $1.00 each way for non residents. No other aspect of the rate structure will change.

To Pete, you are not comparing apples to apples. In NYC people who can't afford a cab (and I guess a large percentage of the population can't) have alternative transportation methods that are cheaper than a cab. They take a bus or the subway. People who live on St. John have no alternative. They must take the ferry to get to school, get to the doctor, go shopping, etc. You may know several people who live on St. John but that doesn't reflect the majority of the population.

iheartsj wrote:To Pete, you are not comparing apples to apples. In NYC people who can't afford a cab (and I guess a large percentage of the population can't) have alternative transportation methods that are cheaper than a cab. They take a bus or the subway. People who live on St. John have no alternative. They must take the ferry to get to school, get to the doctor, go shopping, etc. You may know several people who live on St. John but that doesn't reflect the majority of the population.

Okay, change my hypo to the NYC subway, if you like. It would feel odd if people from out of town were to be charged more than locals to ride the subway. I think you get the point. It's not a big deal, but I think charging "tourists" more in order to subsidize locals is sort of a dangerous road to go down. Just one man's opinion.