New JTA leader could mean new direction for authority

[fsujax]

It simply has to do with the road building aspect of the agency and execution of the better jax program. Not so much related to size of the transit function of the agency.

[Ocklawaha]

True,  but as roads and bridges are likely to be taken away it will leave JTA as a transit agency represented by the numbers I posted. Sad when one considers Orlando and St. Petersburg are bigger, and Gainesville carry's as many passengers even though we have two universities and several colleges along our own routes.

[Tacachale]

That's IF the roads and bridges are taken away, which is unlikely to be contingent on this one hire. As is, the head of JTA will run JTA which has a considerable construction element most other transportation agencies do not have.

[tufsu1]

True,  but as roads and bridges are likely to be taken away it will leave JTA as a transit agency represented by the numbers I posted. Sad when one considers Orlando and St. Petersburg are bigger, and Gainesville carry's as many passengers even though we have two universities and several colleges along our own routes.

Gainesville and Tallahassee are not fair comparisons....50,000 students at UF and 43,000 at FSU compared with less than 25,000 combined at UNF and JU

Plus, both cities transit systems get millions from their universities each year in return for making the system "fare-free" for students and some staff...plus you have a captive market of students whose parking can be severly restricted.

Now UNF has started a transit service on campus...and with their new policy that all freshmen live on campus, parking can be minimized and transit ridership could go up....but of course it isn't operated by JTA so it doesn't count in their figures.

[Noone]

^Still a fat raise.  Any idea why Blaylock's salary was so high in comparison with these heads from larger agencies?

Because there is no checks and balances.
An Independent Authority.
The outgoing JTA director gets a golden parachute that was approved by the Board.
City council is voting on a budget that will include free parking for some of themselves. 2012-202
Also you have to have a compensation bar for the newest Independent Authority that has just been created.
next council meeting is approval of the newest appointment of DIA Board members.
So can you just imagine how the Board will now vote and approve a compensation package for the New DIA director.
Cha -Ching.

[thelakelander]

I guess someone from Pittsburgh would be happy to see Bland leave.....

SanDee1    09/18/12 - 09:18 pm

The citizens of Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas would LOVE to get rid of, umm, make that have Bland be JTA's new head honcho considering what has gone on under his watch there. Yippee, one more reason for me to go back home!!!!

http://jacksonville.com/news/florida/2012-09-17/story/new-jta-leader-could-mean-new-direction-authority#comment-646593

[Ocklawaha]

A FRESH OKLA-RANT!

True,  but as roads and bridges are likely to be taken away it will leave JTA as a transit agency represented by the numbers I posted. Sad when one considers Orlando and St. Petersburg are bigger, and Gainesville caries as many passengers even though we have two universities and several colleges along our own routes.

Gainesville and Tallahassee are not fair comparisons....50,000 students at UF and 43,000 at FSU compared with less than 25,000 combined at UNF and JU

Plus, both cities transit systems get millions from their universities each year in return for making the system "fare-free" for students and some staff...plus you have a captive market of students whose parking can be severly restricted.

Now UNF has started a transit service on campus...and with their new policy that all freshmen live on campus, parking can be minimized and transit ridership could go up....but of course it isn't operated by JTA so it doesn't count in their figures.

"One photo is worth..."

Who said anything about Tallahassee?

Unfair? Hardly, more like inept leadership at JTA being a reason why UNF started their own transit service. RTS (Gainesville) operates FREQUENTLY all over the UF campus... where is JTA? 16,500 students and faculty are not enough to get JTA to the table? Over at FSCJ,  7,535 full time students and 18,151 part time at various campuses, get the typical 30-45 minute headway JTA 'accommodation,' which is quite shy of a real 'service.' 751 more at Edward Waters College, 3,715 over at JU and toss in 1,753 more at the FCSL, all get the, "Well the bus comes around every hour or so, so the students definitely have 'convenient transit, even if they have to stand in the rain and wait," excuse. As long as our 'Transportation Authority' is missing in action, it's a fair comparison.

Has ANYONE at JTA ever thought what a community shuttle running on 15 minute headways during school day and evening hours, between the schools (thus connecting all school facilities with each other), and research facilities such as the 3.5 million volumes at the downtown library? Or perhaps directly linking the schools with the Beaches, Highlands, Mandarin, Pablo Creek, Regency Square, South Mandarin, Southeast, Wesconnett, West Regional, Argyle, Northwest, Brentwood, Myrtle Avenue, Maxville, Murray Hill, Eastside, San Marco, University Park, Westbrook or maybe Willowbranch libraries? Recreation facilities? Military Bases (which often have excellent training facilities and thousands of college age - education paid - students or prospective students).

Likewise has JTA ever thought about a career focused shuttle? How about linking all of our major medical facilities with a dedicated frequent service? Have they ever sat down with the commander of Kings Bay, Marine Corps Blount Island Command, Mayport, JIA Air National Guard, NAS JAX and the various armory's? Hell they even managed to miss the massive Baptist Hospital and the oldest insurance building on the south bank with the Skyway, and there is no easy way to walk from the San Marco Station. This is not to mention Shand's, San Marco, Brooklyn and the Stadium District somehow fell off the Skyway's goals.

No excuses, JTA is a rogue agency that needs to focus 100% on mass transit or highways, but not both. It's fleet and 'accommodations' have fallen sharply behind many regional towns and cities, and TRUE SERVICE is nearly nonexistent.

END OF RANT...

[fsquid]

Flower's candidacy has made the Charlotte newspaper this morning.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/09/19/3539890/cats-flowers-on-short-list-for.html

[tufsu1]

Unfair? Hardly, more like inept leadership at JTA being a reason why UNF started their own transit service. RTS (Gainesville) operates FREQUENTLY all over the UF campus... where is JTA? 16,500 students and faculty are not enough to get JTA to the table? Over at FSCJ,  7,535 full time students and 18,151 part time at various campuses, get the typical 30-45 minute headway JTA 'accommodation,' which is quite shy of a real 'service.' 751 more at Edward Waters College, 3,715 over at JU and toss in 1,753 more at the FCSL, all get the, "Well the bus comes around every hour or so, so the students definitely have 'convenient transit, even if they have to stand in the rain and wait," excuse. As long as our 'Transportation Authority' is missing in action, it's a fair comparison.

and RTS got redesigned to center on the UF campus as part of the campus development agreement....whereby UF pays RTS millions of dollars each year to offset their transportation impact to the community

come on Ock, I know you know better....JTA may have a long way to go, but there are lots of reasons Gainesville has a successful transit system that can't be easily replicated here.

[urbaknight]

For the love of God, just don't hire the guy from Florida!

[thelakelander]

Lol, I think I may fall in your camp, at this point.  Let's find someone who actually knows (this includes having recent public transit experience) how to build a public transit system who also isn't afraid to be a leader, even if it means taking a position that may rock the political boat here.

[Ocklawaha]

and RTS got redesigned to center on the UF campus as part of the campus development agreement....whereby UF pays RTS millions of dollars each year to offset their transportation impact to the community

come on Ock, I know you know better....JTA may have a long way to go, but there are lots of reasons Gainesville has a successful transit system that can't be easily replicated here.

Do I? Sorry TUFSU1, I am of the belief that in spite of our local schools smaller size, and our city not being the most populous metro area in Florida, there is absolutely no reason why we couldn't lead the entire nation in mass transit. If you really want to talk apples to apples, there is one other great port city in this country with a nearly identical population, identical industrial base, and split by a great river... PORTLAND, OREGON. Portland has chosen leaders, it has become the model of successful urban areas based almost entirely on rail or aerial cable mass transit. If Jacksonville had the will, the guts and the innovative spirit shown in our northwest twin, we could easily be 'PORTLAND-SOUTH.'

It would be amazing and refreshing to have Jacksonville actually recruit a leader at JTA that can spell RAIL.

[tufsu1]

For the love of God, just don't hire the guy from Florida!

I'm not saying hire the guy....but note that he works at a consulting firm with Florida as his home base...he has managed transit agency contracts in Atlanta, Miami, Houston, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Chicago.

[tufsu1]

Do I? Sorry TUFSU1, I am of the belief that in spite of our local schools smaller size, and our city not being the most populous metro area in Florida, there is absolutely no reason why we couldn't lead the entire nation in mass transit. If you really want to talk apples to apples, there is one other great port city in this country with a nearly identical population, identical industrial base, and split by a great river... PORTLAND, OREGON. Portland has chosen leaders, it has become the model of successful urban areas based almost entirely on rail or aerial cable mass transit. If Jacksonville had the will, the guts and the innovative spirit shown in our northwest twin, we could easily be 'PORTLAND-SOUTH.'

It would be amazing and refreshing to have Jacksonville actually recruit a leader at JTA that can spell RAIL.

sorry ock, but Portland has at least one big thing we don't have....a highly educated populace.

[Ocklawaha]

TUFSU1, I believe your making excuses for JTA. The reason that Portland is a world model isn't because they have a highly educated populace, and we don't. We lead Portland in High School Grads, people with 'some college' and those with an associate degree. Several cities including Portland lead us in bachelors or graduate degrees but counting all students age 25 or under, Portland has exactly 11,627 more then Jacksonville. That's roughly the population of Palatka, hardly a stellar difference.

Fact is, Portland has imported transit talent, it has cultivated transit talent, and Portland could actually be called "The Bold New City Of The Northwest." Here's the actual data:

So what about other cities that have embraced rail, either old, new, or planned? Well there is Memphis, which already has a growing streetcar system using actual historic cars as a vital piece of the regional transit agency. Based on your argument, Memphis should be light-years ahead of Jacksonville in the education field, but we blow them away in EVERY category.  That Memphis streetcar track is built to light-rail standards and will make a great downtown loop for fast light-rail trains into the burb's at some future date. This is called planning ahead, and it apparently didn't take rocket scientists to work it out.

What about a city with the oldest continuously operated streetcar system in the United States? A system largely abandoned then given a last hour stay of execution only to be wiped out in 'an act of God.' Sorry, no cigar. New Orleans also gets trashed by Jacksonville's education numbers. Though they, like several other cities, lead us in percentages of grad students, we have many more actual people with advanced degrees.

Norfolk should be an interesting case study, here is a southern/mid-Atlantic city that has just opened an amazing starter line that now has disbelievers in Virginia Beach begging for a link. So is Norfolk's population smarter? Not even close to Jacksonville's actual numbers, Norfolk does have a less then 1% lead in graduate degrees completed, but the actual numbers show Jacksonville with a lead of 28,046 people that actually have completed a grad degree. Yet even with our own highly educated populace, we are continuously screwed by JTA, FDOT, COJ... etc...

Lastly, how about a city that has fought the good fight and come out a winner in the race to get new streetcar systems up and running? Cincinnati, Ohio, The Midwest, The Industrial Heartland...etc. Surely Cincinnati's population is highly educated beyond Jacksonville's wildest dreams? One might be forgiven for thinking so, after all we have more high school dropouts then Cincinnati, or Norfolk, or New Orleans, or Memphis, or Portland. But we also have about 100,398 more high school graduates then Cincinnati, 82,704 more people with some college then Cincinnati, 33,071 more people with associates degrees then Cincinnati, 50,790 more people with bachelors degrees then Cincinnati, 16,537 more people with graduate degrees then Cincinnati. So to extrapolate on your theory, since Jacksonville has far more highly educated people, we should be working on phase 7, of regional light-rail, streetcar, BRT, aerial cable, commuter rail and corridor train services... It's not education that we lack, it's BOLD NEW LEADERSHIP!

I've lived in Portland, and Sandy, and Boring, Oregon. Jacksonville might have it's rednecks, and our rednecks might have a largely unearned reputation for a lack of formal schooling, I have never seen a bigger collection of toothless, tobacco chewing, musclebound, dope smoking, axe swinging, beer swilling, dumb asses in my entire life then one can find in Portland. But this is not to knock Portland or Jacksonville, Portland through maverick leadership, bold planning and state of the art execution has overcome a bad hand, and dealt itself a royal flush. Portland sparkles, and I believe that Jacksonville can shine.