Riverside Avondale Night Trolley Launch This Weekend

[ProjectMaximus]

including the possibility of 3-circle routes that will connect to Brooklyn and maybe downtown.

Yes, this needs to happen. It will either float or sink but it is needed to test the viability of the night trolley.

[CG7]

I think it would work much better if JTA would make the trolley 7 days a week during the day, plus weekend nights. Put up easy to read maps in different parts of the neighborhood, so people from the neighbor would know where the stops are, and people from out of the neighborhood could park once and explore the entire historic district.

[JaxAvondale]

Being able to tie the Trolley into Brooklyn is a good start. If possible, I would use the parking garages on Riverside as pick up spots to make it easier for consumers who live outside of the area to visit on a Friday or Saturday night.

[Sentient]

The trolley will only work when the alternatives are more onerous than using the trolley.  To that end, increased density and maxed out parking will set the stage for actual use.  Right now you are selling to no buyers...

[mtraininjax]

I think it would work much better if JTA would make the trolley 7 days a week during the day, plus weekend nights.

Heck yeah! But you gotta prove the concept, so the weekend will have to suffice, to see that people will ride it on weekends....first.

Right now you are selling to no buyers...

Back in the Spring there were 500 riders per night, lots of "no-buyers", the summer is always tougher because people go places, vacations, its hot to just sit and wait. Lots more coming to engage with riders. Should be better and more fun for the riders along the way.

[exnewsman]

I think it would work much better if JTA would make the trolley 7 days a week during the day, plus weekend nights.

Heck yeah! But you gotta prove the concept, so the weekend will have to suffice, to see that people will ride it on weekends....first.

Right now you are selling to no buyers...

Back in the Spring there were 500 riders per night, lots of "no-buyers", the summer is always tougher because people go places, vacations, its hot to just sit and wait. Lots more coming to engage with riders. Should be better and more fun for the riders along the way.

500 per night? Sorry, but the trolley hasn't hit those numbers since 2014. From January-December 2014 the trolley averaged 921 riders per weekend for a yearly total of 11,057. In 2015, it dropped off to 271 average per weekend and a grand total of 3,532. That's a nearly 70% decline. Over the first six months of 2016, the trolley is trending upward. At its current pace it should reach around 5k for the year. That's less than half of the ridership in 2014 but up 41% over last year.

As for the "it's summer" argument - in June, July and August 2014 - the trolley averaged nearly 1,300 rides.

So where are all the people who road the throughout 2014? Buying passes is easier now than it was in 2014. You can buy right on your phone and track the trolley throughout its route in real time so you don't have to leave your house, or the bar/restaurant until right before the trolley arrives. It doesn't get much easier than that, I don' think.

[Live_Oak]

The novelty of it wore off.

The parking really isn't that bad in R/A, therefore no need for a trolley right now. I can drive to my destination and find parking much quicker than walking and taking the trolley. And parking is free.

RAP needs to stop fighting places like The Roost if they ever expect the Trolley to be successful.

[CG7]

I just know from my perspective, that it is to difficult and expensive to use. If you could hop on for a dollar at a well marked pick up spot, and ride to a well marked drop off spot. I would use it more often.
On a different note, I think a well advertised, and marked trolley could do wonders for visitors to be able to experience the entire neighborhood. If you park in 5 points, and see a visible trolley presence with signs telling you where it goes (Avondale, Park & King etc) it would make R/A a great destination.

[mtraininjax]

It doesn't get much easier than that, I don' think.

The numbers are not that easy to pull out. For the Silver Star Card, the drivers are supposed to punch a simple button to get a count, do they all? Nope, so the numbers being thrown around, 1400, 271, 500, are at best.....estimates. Either JTA does not know exactly or they are not willing to give out the numbers, who knows, but exact numbers are not known. Summer is a real issue, ask the restaurants, ask retail shops, they will tell you their business declines during the summer. When a majority of the monthly sponsors are restaurants and state this, its more of an awareness issue out there.

The novelty of it wore off.  The parking really isn't that bad in R/A, therefore no need for a trolley right now. I can drive to my destination and find parking much quicker than walking and taking the trolley. And parking is free.

New 100/150 seat restaurant in Avondale, Hoptinger and other restaurants set to open in 5 points, more coming to Brooklyn, the Trolley will find its spot in RA, Park street is already undergoing a change and it will take time to get people to ride it, use it and for JTA to figure out what is best for the residents.

Most new businesses fail in the first year of operations. The Trolley has been able to secure 14 sponsors and 1 corporate sponsor. Its never been done before, not even the Beaches Trolley has a corporate sponsor, per JTA. The RA trolley is special and there are some good changes coming down the road as the area expands and grows in restaurants.

People still believe that they should always get a place to park in front of wherever they go. There many not be a parking problem, but there is a walking problem. No one wants to walk a few blocks in the heat, during summer, maybe more valet will pop up too.

[mtraininjax]

Here are the ridership numbers for the Riverside Night Trolley and Seasonal Beaches Trolley that ran this past weekend (7/29/16 -7/30/16).

Riverside Night Trolley
On Friday, the ridership was 60.
On Saturday, the ridership was 127.
The total ridership for the Riverside Night Trolley this past weekend was 187 riders.


Seasonal Beaches Trolley
On Friday, the ridership was 21.
On Saturday, the ridership was 31.
The total ridership for the weekend was 52 riders.

At these numbers, the Beaches Trolley may not make it.

[KenFSU]

She's closing down this month, per the JBJ.

http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2017/06/30/jta-approves-autonomous-vehicle-pilot-program.html

In other business, JTA cancelled the Riverside Night Trolley, route 71. The once successful 2014 pilot program had steadily lost ridership, falling to just 35 passengers for Friday and Saturday nights combined. July will be the route's final month. The route closure is expected to save JTA $17,000 annually.

[JaxAvondale]

The route passes by my house and I rarely saw some people on the bus. Downtown has to become more vibrant for the route to work.

[remc86007]

^and it needed to go to hotels where people are readily able to obtain information about the route and schedule of the trolleys and it needed to run every night. Running one weekend a month is a recipe for disaster. It seems like the real missed opportunity was not having it hit the hotels downtown during the week when business people were in them and take them to places to eat dinner. I hate how when you go the JTA site and click on the trolley page it doesn't show a map of the route: http://www.jtafla.com/schedules/trolley/riverside-avondale-night-trolley/ Maybe I'm just dense, but I find the JTA website in general isn't very informative.

[Adam White]

^and it needed to go to hotels where people are readily able to obtain information about the route and schedule of the trolleys and it needed to run every night. Running one weekend a month is a recipe for disaster. It seems like the real missed opportunity was not having it hit the hotels downtown during the week when business people were in them and take them to places to eat dinner. I hate how when you go the JTA site and click on the trolley page it doesn't show a map of the route: http://www.jtafla.com/schedules/trolley/riverside-avondale-night-trolley/ Maybe I'm just dense, but I find the JTA website in general isn't very informative.

From that page:

The Trolley can easily take you to eat, meet, shop, sun and fun. The Riverside Avondale Night Trolley features stops throughout the neighborhood residential and commercial districts, hitting Five Points, Park & King, the Shoppes of Avondale, the Brewery District, Stockton & College, and the St. John's Village areas. Customers can enjoy in the historic district and Downtown destinations like the Elbow or the Landing by connecting with a JTA bus.

How much sun are people getting on the Riverside Avondale Night Trolley?

[jaxlore]

I wished this would have worked out but poor marketing and lack of convenience killed it for me if I have to walk a half mile to hop on I might as well walk all the way to king st and only running on the first weekend of the month i hardly remembered it was there.