SKYWAY RIDERSHIP DOUBLES...WE TOLD YOU SO JTA!

[Ocklawaha]

Hey JTA? Why don't we finish the damn thing?

Raise the bus fare and see a 19% drop in ridership, that was my prediction... Cut the Skyway fare and double the ridership, that was both Lake and My prediction. Well guess what Wilbur?

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -
It's been a week since the Jacksonville Transportation Authority stopped charging riders to use the Skyway. Since then, ridership has nearly doubled on the downtown system.

Alan Boree is one of those new riders and said the free fare is enticing.

"I enjoyed it," he said. "Maybe people will ride it more often."

Boree said he will probably ride it again sometime in the next three months. That's how long JTA plans to run the test of not charging to ride the Skyway.

JTA said the first week is very promising. Ridership is up 100 percent.

Before it was free, 1,700 people rode the Skyway a day, on average. Last Monday was the first free day and JTA saw a big increase, with 3,813 people riding the Skyway. There were slightly less on Tuesday, with 3,751 riding.
COMPLETE ARTICLE: NEWS 4: http://www.news4jax.com/news/Skyway-ridership-doubles-with-free-fare/-/475880/8602286/-/bcdury/-/index.html

FOR MY NEXT PREDICTION: "IF JTA BUILDS THE GREYHOUND TERMINAL THEY ARE NOW PLANNING, THEY WILL DESTROY JACKSONVILLE'S CHANCE FOR A TRUE MULTIMODAL TERMINAL FOR DECADES..." STOP THIS PROJECT!

OCKLAWAHA

[duvaldude08]

Hopefully this experiment well keep it free in the long run, and show them the benefit of expanding it. Do you know how lovely it would be to park and ride the skyway to the stadium on game day?? Heck, if they had sense, Mr. Khan my be willing to fork over some money to help expand it to the stadium.

As far as the JRTC, I dont think all is lost. The city not granting them all the parcels of land they wanted kind of puts a hault on the project anyways. They cant do anything without the land. Hopefully the next move by the city will be them demanding a redesign that include the Prime Osborn.

[Timkin]

Glad to see ridership increase .  My question... How does this help the situation?   If the system is now making no money from it's users?

Can this mean future expansion of the Skyway?

[duvaldude08]

Glad to see ridership increase .  My question... How does this help the situation?   If the system is now making no money from it's users?

Can this mean future expansion of the Skyway?

Well there are people movers in other cities that are free as well Timkin. These types of system tend to struggle making a money. (which is not really the goal of public transportation) I believe Miami's people mover is free. Somebody correct me if Im wrong.

[thelakelander]

^Yes, Miami's Metromover is free.  It's ridership also doubled when they removed the 25 cent fare in late 2002.

[KenFSU]

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -
Before it was free, 1,700 people rode the Skyway a day, on average. Last Monday was the first free day and JTA saw a big increase, with 3,813 people riding the Skyway.

The obvious question though before getting too excited:

Does anyone know if the 1,700 figure used as a baseline included people through the turnstile only, or also estimated in all those who easily skipped the fare?

If the number factored in the deadbeats, we're talking about a pretty damn significant increase.

If the number only included paid riders, we're talking a pretty dishonest assessment by JTA.

[fsujax]

the skyway ridership is not counted by the turnstiles, it is captured as riders enter and exit the cars.

[Dapperdan]

I think they can make at least the amount they were charging  for ridership back in selling advertising rights to the stations and cars and subleasing space on their huge platforms. Having increased ridership will entice advertisers and also, who wouldn't want to see a hotdog cart or something like that  on the platforms. A bunch of wasted space.

[KenFSU]

the skyway ridership is not counted by the turnstiles, it is captured as rider enter and exit the cars.

In that case, this is a pretty significant increase.

As Dan mentioned above, nearly 4,000 free riders (if that number holds up over time) with advertising and subleased vendors would likely make more money for JTA than 1,700 riders for a minimal fare.

I freely admit to being wrong on this one.

Really didn't think the numbers would increase to this extent.

[jcjohnpaint]

^ I absolutely agree.  It also crushes the argument that nobody will ever ride the skyway, so we must tear it down.  Can't deny the facts. 

[fsujax]

the really cool fact is the more riders on the Skyway, the less the cost per rider is and the more money JTA gets from FTA.

[thelakelander]

the skyway ridership is not counted by the turnstiles, it is captured as rider enter and exit the cars.

In that case, this is a pretty significant increase.

As Dan mentioned above, nearly 4,000 free riders (if that number holds up over time) with advertising and subleased vendors would likely make more money for JTA than 1,700 riders for a minimal fare.

I freely admit to being wrong on this one.

Really didn't think the numbers would increase to this extent.

If you really want to boost ridership, keep it free and start eliminating the majority of bus routes paralleling it through downtown.  I don't have the numbers in front of me right now, but it wouldn't surprise me that if it were done the 4k now would probably double.

[tufsu1]

The key to a system like the Skyway is connecting it with the rest of the transit system....if it is left free, but encourages more riders on the rest of JTA, it may actually bring in more money....which is precisely what happened in Miami

[Tacachale]

If you really want to boost ridership, keep it free and start eliminating the majority of bus routes paralleling it through downtown.  I don't have the numbers in front of me right now, but it wouldn't surprise me that if it were done the 4k now would probably double.

I was wondering when this suggestion was going to be brought in.

the really cool fact is the more riders on the Skyway, the less the cost per rider is and the more money JTA gets from FTA.

Great point.


In addition to all this, there would be hundreds if not thousands more weekly rides if the Courthouse transferred its juror parking to the King Street garage, connected by skyway, rather than paying (or having JTA pay) to shuttle them in from EverBank Field. Advertising would make even more sense with that.

In all the city as a whole could save money and resources by using something that's already up and running.

[cline]

the skyway ridership is not counted by the turnstiles, it is captured as rider enter and exit the cars.

In that case, this is a pretty significant increase.

As Dan mentioned above, nearly 4,000 free riders (if that number holds up over time) with advertising and subleased vendors would likely make more money for JTA than 1,700 riders for a minimal fare.

I freely admit to being wrong on this one.

Really didn't think the numbers would increase to this extent.

If you really want to boost ridership, keep it free and start eliminating the majority of bus routes paralleling it through downtown.  I don't have the numbers in front of me right now, but it wouldn't surprise me that if it were done the 4k now would probably double.

I don't think JTA is capable of effectively adjusting their bus routes to increase ridership.  After all, mass transit clearly isn't their specialty.