How To Get A Streetcar System In Jacksonville

[Ocklawaha]

Ock, I agree, but if we want to be unlike any other city, we need a streetcar that boards a water ferry to help it criss-cross the zig-zagging river. 

I've looked but couldn't find any examples.

Think of a regular ferry with steel tracks in the deck to shuttle the streetcar across the river from riverside to san marco or DT to san marco or riverside to DT when traffic is backed up and clogging the shared streets.

Been there, done that... LOL. Here you go, the car ferry Ramon, from the Sacramento Northern Railway, an electric interurban system that once ran from Chico, in Northern California south through Sacramento to the San Francisco Bay area. While not exactly a streetcar operation, most of the interurban lines also operated smaller city cars on their networks at various urban points.


Here are some of the last remaining sections of the footings the track once was mounted upon. This is very near the end of where the tracks met the ferry slip at the Sacramento River. Taken from the levee on Montezuma slough just north of Pittsburg CA looking north east.


Near the end of the tracks at Molena CA, part of the Northern section. Needless to say it has been a long while since any train passed this way! The tracks ended about 25 yards down the line from here. The poles are what used to hold the overhead line for the electric trolleys

OCKLAWAHA

[thelakelander]

Milwaukee Streetcar Update: Basically, the county (Milwaukee County) doesn't like the idea of the city (Milwaukee) building a streetcar.  They want the streetcar's money to go to buses.  Sounds a lot like Jacksonville except they aren't consolidated.

Milwaukee: Panel Rejects Moving Streetcar Money

A Milwaukee County Board committee Wednesday rejected a resolution that would have urged Milwaukee city officials to help shift federal funding from the planned streetcar line to cash-strapped county buses.

The city's $54.9 million was part of a $91.5 million pot of federal aid, the last remnant of $289 million appropriated some 20 years ago for a Milwaukee-area transit project. At the urging of Mayor Tom Barrett, the streetcar's chief advocate, Congress handed the city 60% of the cash for the streetcar and gave the rest to the county for buses.

Barrett has noted that Borkowski didn't mention the county's unused $36.6 million share. Borkowski claimed the county had already spent that money on new buses.

But Abele's aides confirmed none of the county's share had been spent. Abele and his predecessor, Gov. Scott Walker, tried unsuccessfully to use those funds for bus operating expenses and were rebuffed by federal transit officials. Walker then sought to use the money for a bus rapid transit plan rejected by supervisors. At this point, county officials have said the money can only be used to buy buses.

Mayo and Borkowski disputed claims that the money couldn't be used for anything else. Mayo noted Congress had previously changed the legislation on how the money could be used.

Borkowski also claimed Barrett wanted the county to pay the operating costs of the streetcar. Barrett has said he wants to contract with the transit system - which is managed by a nonprofit company - to run the streetcar, but operating costs would be paid by fares, parking revenue and advertising.

Nick DeMarsh, a representative of the Milwaukee Transit Riders Union, said Borkowski's resolution "makes a mockery of existing bus service and the streetcar," because it was clear the federal money couldn't be used for bus operating expenses and that Barrett had not asked the county to pay for operating the streetcar.

full article: http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/county-panel-rejects-effort-to-shift-city-streetcar-funds-to-buses-132154768.html

[duvaldude08]

I just dont understand this city. We are the biggest city land wise in the United States. We are sprawled out of control, and the only public transportation we have is the city bus? DUMB DUMB DUMB

[Tacachale]

Milwaukee Streetcar Update: Basically, the county (Milwaukee County) doesn't like the idea of the city (Milwaukee) building a streetcar.  They want the streetcar's money to go to buses.  Sounds a lot like Jacksonville except they aren't consolidated.

Milwaukee: Panel Rejects Moving Streetcar Money

A Milwaukee County Board committee Wednesday rejected a resolution that would have urged Milwaukee city officials to help shift federal funding from the planned streetcar line to cash-strapped county buses.

The city's $54.9 million was part of a $91.5 million pot of federal aid, the last remnant of $289 million appropriated some 20 years ago for a Milwaukee-area transit project. At the urging of Mayor Tom Barrett, the streetcar's chief advocate, Congress handed the city 60% of the cash for the streetcar and gave the rest to the county for buses.

Barrett has noted that Borkowski didn't mention the county's unused $36.6 million share. Borkowski claimed the county had already spent that money on new buses.

But Abele's aides confirmed none of the county's share had been spent. Abele and his predecessor, Gov. Scott Walker, tried unsuccessfully to use those funds for bus operating expenses and were rebuffed by federal transit officials. Walker then sought to use the money for a bus rapid transit plan rejected by supervisors. At this point, county officials have said the money can only be used to buy buses.

Mayo and Borkowski disputed claims that the money couldn't be used for anything else. Mayo noted Congress had previously changed the legislation on how the money could be used.

Borkowski also claimed Barrett wanted the county to pay the operating costs of the streetcar. Barrett has said he wants to contract with the transit system - which is managed by a nonprofit company - to run the streetcar, but operating costs would be paid by fares, parking revenue and advertising.

Nick DeMarsh, a representative of the Milwaukee Transit Riders Union, said Borkowski's resolution "makes a mockery of existing bus service and the streetcar," because it was clear the federal money couldn't be used for bus operating expenses and that Barrett had not asked the county to pay for operating the streetcar.

full article: http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/county-panel-rejects-effort-to-shift-city-streetcar-funds-to-buses-132154768.html

I'd expect that this kind of thing happens in a lot of cities. The smart ones will find a compromise to make good ideas work. Less smart ones will compromise the ideas entirely and end up with nothing.

[Ocklawaha]

I'd expect that this kind of thing happens in a lot of cities. The smart ones will find a compromise to make good ideas work. Less smart ones will compromise the ideas entirely and end up with nothing.

Then there is the just plain stupid ones that shoot down the funding mechanism before it sees the light of day, and won't even hear the ideas that were proposed.

As Stephendare has said, at least we have half of a bus system that doesn't work. Hey Stephendare, pretty soon you'll be constricted to two lanes on our boulevards while the hourly buses have their own private BRT lane. And our BRT lanes will be under the Skyway or next to our railroads... Simply brilliant.

¿Qué pasa?  I'm really starting to miss Medellin, at least they've entered the 21St century.

OCKLAWAHA