The Next Streetcar City? GAINESVILLE!

[Ocklawaha]

...Jacksonville??? Hello??? Wake up and smell the Ozone!

City moves ahead with $100K streetcar study

By Christopher Curry
Staff writer
Published: Thursday, April 18, 2013 at 8:05 p.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, April 18, 2013 at 8:05 p.m.
Call it a downtown streetcar or an urban circulator, but the City Commission wants to begin studying its possible development down the road.

On Thursday, the City Commission voted for staff to enter into contract negotiations with Tindale-Oliver & Associates Inc., the highest-ranked bidder to conduct a conceptual study on a streetcar system, at a cost of up to $100,000.

The money for the study is already allocated in this year’s budget.

The move passed 6-1 with Commissioner Todd Chase in dissent.

Chase noted that the streetcar was a low priority in a 2011 Regional Transit System Vision, Funding and Governance Study. At this time, he said there are more pressing transit issues than studying a system that might potentially be built in 10 or 20 years.

Other commissioners said the planning process could stretch on for several years and the city needs to begin gathering information now.

“We’re paralyzed if we don’t have information, because we have nothing on which to base a decision,” Commissioner Lauren Poe said.

Commissioner Thomas Hawkins, an advocate of the streetcar or circulator system, said it could take “decades of consistent and persistent planning to know if these projects are the types of things we want to pursue.”

Early talks have focused on a streetcar or circulator linking the University of Florida, Shands at UF, the Malcom Randall VA Medical Center, the several million square feet of development planned in Innovation Square, downtown and the Power District.

If eventually developed, the system could include electric vehicles operating on steel rails that run down existing streets or it could involve a more conventional shuttle bus.

Regional Transit System Director Jesus Gomez said the study will look at capital and operating costs, the economic development impacts of the system and projected revenues.

At Thursday’s meeting, members of the public spoke against moving ahead with the study, saying money should instead go to improving current bus service in east Gainesville.

Kamal I. Latham, the vice president of public policy at the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce, also requested that commissioners postpone a decision at least to get public input at a town hall-style meeting Tuesday on future budget issues.

“Is $100,000 right now, today, really the best decision to make?” Latham asked.

In an email to commissioners, Innovation Square developer John Fleming supported moving ahead with the study to see if the system is feasible.

“We must have a clear and concise picture as to costs and benefits before moving forward with any action, which is what I hope this study will provide,” Fleming wrote.

At this point before the study, the early cost projection for the system is $128 million for infrastructure and annual operating costs of $2 million, according to the city’s federal legislative priorities. Besides the $100,000 for the conceptual study for the system, the city also is seeking $1 million in federal money for future phases of the study.

[SightseerLounge]

...but bus rapid transit will save us! We don't need streetcars in Jacksonville! (Even though they were here)

Jacksonville is always behind the times! I'm surprised that this city has buses.
I wish they would revive some of the old routes!

I read some of the old posts on Yukon and that was amazing!
This area had some good transportation, and it has been ripped apart!
We can't even get the buses to run correctly.
(BTW What is the address of the old Yukon Depot at its Orange Park location? Is it still there.)

[I-10east]

That's a high explanation point to sentence ratio!

[tufsu1]

Gainesville is STUDYING streetcar....they are doing a feasibility study and nothing more.....yes, it is true that Gainesville may get streetcar before Jacksonville, but they have even less money to play with!

[tufsu1]

looks like a simple feasibility study has some folks in Gainesville up in arms

http://www.gainesville.com/article/20130503/ARTICLES/130509862/1109/sports?p=1&tc=pg

[Captain Zissou]

They have been setting up southwest 2nd ave for this for some time. They put in traffic calming measures and complete streets to help connect campus to downtown via 2nd ave for pedestrians. Recent infill has also helped to bridge that gap. This would be the last piece of the puzzle needed to establish that connection and really bring in some density to innovation square

[I-10east]

I was reading the comments on Gainesville.com and someone mentioned a failed G-ville trolley system in the past; I guess that the cars were named "Albert and Dolly". Maybe one of yall old timers are familiar with that.

[Ocklawaha]

NOPE, Gainesville didn't have electric streetcars, however there might have been a short 'horsecar' (like Main Street at Disney) route, many smaller cities had such a system well into the 20th century. For example:

Palatka and Heights Railway
Longwood Hotel
Magnolia Springs (Green Cove Springs area north of Governors Creek)

[tufsu1]

^ or perhaps they used to have trolley-looking buses that ran in the downtown area