Riverside Avondale Night Trolley Launch This Weekend

[Tacachale]

because idiots don't understand that the law states that there is no open container law in Jacksonville?

Well, isn't that the pot calling the kettle black....

What would be great would be to have to-go cups available from the merchants to ride the trolley.

[exnewsman]

Wondering how this once/month service will translate to a weekly service? This growth from Jan to Feb is tremendous and you have to think that it will be even better once the weather improves. But will it be supported every weekend with these kinds of numbers to make it sustainable?

Thoughts of the group?

[fieldafm]

Considering the overwhelmingly vast majority of people that board the trolley are choice riders, most who have never ridden a bus before in their lives... I would say there is a tremendous opportunity to sustain ridership if the trolley is convenient, reliable and relevant in people's lives (relevance includes an expansion into downtown). 


Knight Lynx in Orlando has been working since 2011, linking UCF and Downtown together via late night bus service.

[Dog Walker]

Don't forget the long term, positive effect of getting people who would never think of riding a bus having a great experience with transit once a month.  Next thing you know they will be riding the bus to work.

[edjax]

^^except due to our crappy mass transit it would probably take them 2 hours to get to work.

[ProjectMaximus]

were there no headways issues this month? I've been out of town...

But will it be supported every weekend with these kinds of numbers to make it sustainable?

Sounds like it absolutely will be. Sustainable in the sense of mass transit, probably not in the sense of it being "profitable."

[Josh]

were there no headways issues this month? I've been out of town...

I believe so, but the case mentioned to me was due to a train at King/Rosselle. Not much you can do about that unless the trolley drivers turn at Gilmore and go through the BCB parking lot, but I don't think there's a snowball's chance in hell of that happening.

[mtraininjax]

Was at Lola's last night, Carlos was packed on a Thursday. I know the trolley has brought customers to places that were not on the patron's "path" a few months ago. Silver Cow was packed Regina said, albeit for the bar glass gate issues. She sold out of most beers and wine, she said it was a lot more than she figured.

As the weather gets better too, look for higher numbers. Would be nice to see a major festival on the same date as the trolley, like the beerfest coming up at RAM/Riverside Rotary Club on the 22nd, to have the trolley extended for a day. Maybe JTA will see the value for the fall when there is the Riverside Wine Festival or Christmas in Avondale.

[BoldBoyOfTheSouth]

Extending the Riverside~Avondale trolley to Edgewood Avenue in Murray Hill will go a long way in solving the parking and traffic congestion issues in Avondale and various streets in Riverside.

Edgewood Avenue in Murray Hill has numerous churches with big parking lots that are not used at night or on weekends except for Sunday morning and the Bank Of America parking lot never used at night.

The churches could make money charging minimal parking fees, it solve many parking and traffic issues in RAP neighborhoods and expose people to the restaurants and shops of Murray Hill.

The RAP trolley with stops on Edgewood Avenue in Murray Hill is a win/win for all.

[ProjectMaximus]

were there no headways issues this month? I've been out of town...

I believe so, but the case mentioned to me was due to a train at King/Rosselle. Not much you can do about that unless the trolley drivers turn at Gilmore and go through the BCB parking lot, but I don't think there's a snowball's chance in hell of that happening.

ok. it didn't seem like much of a concern to people on this forum, but my group was very aggravated by that problem in January. I'm sure all the kinks will be worked out soon, if not already.

The RAP trolley with stops on Edgewood Avenue in Murray Hill is a win/win for all.

I'd love to see that as well, just hope it doesn't lessen the effectiveness (if longer headways and travel times) or increase the cost too much. I'd expect them to extend into brooklyn by the end of the year if they decide to provide it beyond the trial period.

[fieldafm]

The RAP trolley with stops on Edgewood Avenue in Murray Hill is a win/win for all.

Just a point of clarification, this is a JTA service.

[nighthawksjax]

Just visited with the five points merchant meeting today. If more people ride then we can extend this to every weekend. We are going to be selling tickets at rain dogs if you can't get out to grassroots by 8pm. Spread the word and get more people involved!

[exnewsman]

Just visited with the five points merchant meeting today. If more people ride then we can extend this to every weekend. We are going to be selling tickets at rain dogs if you can't get out to grassroots by 8pm. Spread the word and get more people involved!

Ridership so far has been very good. There were 963 trips taken the first month and that jumped to 1408 the second month. Both were not great weather weekends. I see it going even higher as the weather improves into the spring. The more places people can buy tickets the better though. It makes it easier - they don't have to worry about having cash (correct change).

If this is successful, perhaps this type of partnership between the public and JTA will also expand with other services.

[Coolyfett]

I hope people continue to use it and more late night venues open on the line.

[mtraininjax]

I did. And you are.

Why on earth would you post this kind of stuff on her behalf?

Btw, the owner of this remarkable little place is also Jaxbrewbitch, a pretty awesome beer blogger.

Mtrain aside, stop by and check the place out.  I ran into Cari Sanchez Potter and a few other riverside notables Saturday afternoon.  Its such a cool laid back venue.

She's getting her pinnacle system in place (the restaurant computer thingys).to help the process, and theyve been using square for credit card processing--- all off of iPads.  She was actually quite delighted to have been slammed with so much business, and at the end of the night to be able to recount the moments of sheer crazy that go into a good night of sales.

Shame on you mtrain for introducing the bar and the trolley route in such a fashion.

ROTLMAO, I sat there with Regina, we were the only ones there last Tuesday was in there with brokers from CB Richard Ellis as well as a guy who was interested in opening a similar place. We commented on Rob's art work in the bar, yet another good friend.  When we went back the next night, "Thursday", we saw Quinn working there, he used to work at Terra, then ran into Regina later that night next door at Lola's.

Let me know when you want to meet up at Silver Cow, perhaps she can set the record straight. She got flowers out of me the last time I visited her. So close to Valentines day, she said Whit would be OK with it. Cari is great,  I see her all the time, she stops by my neighbor who is one of the chefs of the Intuition Beer Dinners, the owner of a successful restaurant, who is looking to open another in Brooklyn. Maybe he could hire you as a short order cook?!