How do you like riding the JTA Riverside Trolley?

[local]

I'm just looking for comments on experiences.  I am considering moving to Riverside, and possibly using the trolley as a morning and afternoon commuter ride instead of a car.  If you ride it, does the trolley arrive on time to the JTA schedule?

[thelakelander]

I believe that JTA is making plans to reduce the trolley route operations.

http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2011-sep-jta-cutting-riverside-trolley-service

[Dashing Dan]

I'm just looking for comments on experiences.  I am considering moving to Riverside, and possibly using the trolley as a morning and afternoon commuter ride instead of a car.  If you ride it, does the trolley arrive on time to the JTA schedule?

When it runs the Riverside Trolley runs pretty much on time.  But one day soon it will stop running out to Avondale. 

There's a chance that the remaining service to Riverside will get better after that.

At the downtown end it terminates at The Landing.  If you work downtown that's probably not a good thing.

[grimss]

I know several folks who use the trolley to commute to work in the morning and they love it. The expansion of the service to Avondale last year really messed with the lead times; JTA is now pruning service back to the original route, which runs from downtown to Margaret street and back. If your proposed house and place of work are both within walking distance of one of the stops, I think you'd be very happy with the trolley.

[Ocklawaha]

JTA needs to be dismantled, and the sooner the better.

JTA is, and has been an out of control, rogue agency, long on waste and short on creative solutions. Squandering money on ill advised concepts, JTA can uniquely snub the citizenry, marching as they do to Tallahassee's drummer. Inept, inefficient and wholly incompetent to respond to the needs of a rapidly growing metropolitan area. JTA should be split into the Jacksonville Highway Authority, and the Jacksonville TRANSIT Authority, a transit authority that answers first and foremost to the citizens of Jacksonville.

Combining mass transit with an organization primarily dedicated to road building is the transportation equivalent of a zoo that keeps it's rodents and snakes in the same cage.

WE NEED TO GET JTA OUT OF THE MASS TRANSIT BUSINESS AND ESTABLISH A TRUE METROPOLITAN MASS TRANSIT AGENCY, ANSWERABLE TO THE CITIZENS OF THE JACKSONVILLE METRO AND NOT SUBJECT TO TALLAHASSEE.

OCKLAWAHA

[local]

Thanks for the responses.  I'd like to move really close to King St. and Park St., so the location is perfect for the trolley, I think.  I just need the trolley to be reliable.  I work right next to the Landing.

However, what is lame is that if I were to drive to work it is cheaper (see GasBuddy Trip below) than $2 roundtrip. Even including my parking bill of $25/mo the cost would be the cheaper to drive to work.

FYI, if anyone is interested there is a JTA public hearing soon:
http://www.jtafla.com/pdf/Service%20Updates/FareStructure09-27-11.pdf

Gas Buddy Trip Cost Calculator:

Trip Summary:
Park St & King St, Jacksonville, FL 32204 to Water St & S Pearl St, Jacksonville, FL 32202
to Park St & King St, Jacksonville, FL 32204


Total Trip Cost
$0.67 

Price of Gas 
  $3.41

Distance 
  5.1 mi

Fuel Used 
  0.2 gal

Carbon Footprint 
  4.79 lbs

[Dashing Dan]

The Riverside Trolley used to end at Five Points before it was extended to Avondale.  If they go back to their original route, Park and King would not be served by the Riverside Trolley. 

Take a look at the rest of the JTA network and make your decision based on what you see.

[local]

Thanks, I assumed that King & Park was still part of Riverside not Avondale.  It's all clear now.

[iLenin]

Thanks, I assumed that King & Park was still part of Riverside not Avondale.  It's all clear now.

It's.. close, but not exactly in the avondale region.

[Ocklawaha]

Y'all call me and we'll talk about "trolley's" when the rails go down and the wire goes up... until then, you talking about glorified potato chip trucks.

OCKLAWAHA

[Dashing Dan]

Before the rails go down and the wires go up, people will still need to travel.