Trolleys to roll into Five Points

[Steve]

I also work at Fidelity and caught the trolley from BCBS to Five Points.  Ten of us boarded around 12:20 after waiting for 10 minutes and met another 14 passengers.  The stops were logical and convenient and we got off in front of Al's.  For our return trip, we boarded in front of Starbucks and were dropped off at 601 Riverside.  Tomorrow we head to The Landing.

Overall, everyone was excited.  Not only did the driver sound the trolley bell, but each ride allowed us to enjoy a break during the day and not bother with parking or traffic.  Plus, the $0.50 one-way fare doesn't begin until the 19th.

Out of curiosity, will your riding patterns change on May 19th, when it is no longer free?  If there is a hangup with this project, I think this will be it.  I see no reason to charge for this service, especially with the rest of the trolleys being free - I think it will be very confusing.

[JaxNole]

I will ride the trolley as frequently as we decide to eat in Five Points or Downtown.  Cost is not an issue, although it would be nice not to have fares.  Accounting for how much fuel is burned driving through the garage, in midday traffic and circling for parking (throw in parking fees at The Landing) and then back, I think at worst I'm even.  An added plus is socializing with others I may not come in contact with on a daily basis.  Did I mention I don't like driving and the parking hassle during the day? 

Those I have talked to don't see the fare as a deterrent.  We're happy to ride in a comfortable trolley that provides more lunch options by stopping at many places of interest.  Some of my friends and I are even planning a picnic at Memorial Park this Friday.

[Jason]

Good point about the temporary free ride.  It would make sence to at least keep the service free just like the other "trolly" lines.

[jmccharen]

My boss and I decided to try out the trolley to see how it was working. We went kind of late (1:30), but even then the ride downtown was nearly full. We did have to drive to the stop from the RADO office, however. But I accept that we weren't really the folks the thing was built for (office is at Stockton and College, with a staff of three, and there isn't much disposable income in nonprofit salaries), and we might have walked if we'd had more time. Regardless of that, or the potato-chip truck thing...it felt like transit. It felt GOOD. People seemed really happy about it. The route maps at all the stops are such a forehead-slappingly obvious, but extremely positive improvement over JTA's bus stop signage.

It's hard not to get excited when J-ville throws you a bone, transit-wise. But I think it's pretty backwards to build a single mode around a single economic activity, i.e. folks who work on Riverside Ave buying lunch at a restaurant in either downtown or Five Points. Real transit provides for all sorts of activity, like not driving to work (freeing you to spend your money elsewise than on gas), or going to dinner, or going out to bars, or going to a friend's house, or going to the Community Garden in Springfield, or church, for those who do that.

The trolley-bus experiment is a really positive thing. But I agree that permanent infrastructure would be worlds better for the social and economic development of downtown. I was just looking over the photos from the 1950s...I can't believe it. What the hell did we do?!

I don't even dare hope, but I'm dying to see this city figure out mass transit. Keep up the good work, MJ.

[Steve]

This was probably the best rollout of a new service that I have ever seen JTA do.  In particular, I thought the signs were excellent - they can be seen from a block away, and they were distinctive, letting you know this was not a bus stop but a trolley stop.  In addition, the route map on the back is a great touch.

Nice Job, JTA

[blizz01]

Has there been mention of the prospect of extending the hours and/or route (i.e. San Marco) if there is continued success?

[Steve]

Has there been mention of the prospect of extending the hours and/or route (i.e. San Marco) if there is continued success?

I can see them extending the hours before the route.  Remember, if you extend the route, you can't cover the region with every 10 minute headways unless you have another vehicle.

[Lunican]

It's amazing what happens when they connect destinations instead of driving the trolleys in circles through abandoned parts of downtown.

[mikemiller]

RiversideGator:
The name "Trolley" was not a product of JTA marketing but is the name given to the vehicle by Gillig, the manufacturer. Check out their website at the following address: http://www.gillig.com/New%20GILLIG%20WEB/trolley.htm

[Steve]

It's amazing what happens when they connect destinations instead of driving the trolleys in circles through abandoned parts of downtown.

I think the loop thing is the worst - they loops only go in one direction, so if I need to get from point B to point A, I have to go to points C-Z to get there.  This is one of the things that killed the San Marco Trolley (aside from the fact that nobody knew what the hell the hibiscus line was)

[Lunican]

Thanks Mike, but I think you may have just incited a long posting from Ocklawaha...

[JeffreyS]

I am in five points again today at Scribes and people are loving the new service.

[JaxNole]

I would become a regular rider if the hours were extended beyond lunch.  I live in Riverside on the P3 and I would welcome the option of leaving the car at home while I am at work.

[RiversideGator]

Hopefully JTA will extend the hours if the initial times prove popular.  The morning and afternoon rush hours are natural first additions to the service.

[Lunican]

Riverside Trolley exceeds expectations

The new Riverside Trolley service started Monday by the Jacksonville Transportation Authority drew 362 riders on its first day of service. The service was much more popular on its first day than JTA officials expected.

"We thought it would be popular, but these numbers far exceeded our expectations," said Michael Blaylock, executive director and CEO of the JTA.

http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2008/05/05/daily19.html