Problems with Gameday Shuttles?

[Steve]

Nashville shuttles on Titans game days halted

July 9, 2008 2:20 PM

Nashville shuttles on Titans game days halted

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

Downtown Nashville is ill-equipped to handle all the necessary parking for a crowd of nearly 70,000 for a Titans home game at LP Field. But city officials will have to start looking at options after new federal regulations wiped out Nashville's Metropolitan Transit Authority's game-day shuttle services.

The MTA recently informed fans that the End-Zone Express shuttle service won't be available this season because of changes made by the Federal Transit Administration regarding charter services, a development that's going to impact similar services in other NFL cities.

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/afcsouth/0-2-18/Nashville-shuttles-on-Titans-game-days-halted.html

[Steve]

Does this affect gameday here?  If so, how?

[Jason]

Hmmm, thats a good question.

Mr. Miller?

[BridgeTroll]

changes made by the Federal Transit Administration regarding charter services, a development that's going to impact similar services in other NFL cities.

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/afcsouth/0-2-18/Nashville-shuttles-on-Titans-game-days-halted.html

I assume this is why... Not sure if it actually impacts jax tho...

[Eazy E]

On a somewhat related note: if you live in Springfield, and don't go to Jags games (as I don't), but have to leave the house around the time the game lest out, has anyone ever been caught trying to cross State street when the stoplight are set to blinking?  HOLY CRAP-- talk about frustrating. I was at the intersection of State and Boulevard for literally 30 minutes one day trying to get across.

[ac]

I believe the issue is that JTA would not be able continue the shuttle service if there is a private charter company who wishes to provide the service.  I couldn't find a lot of info from other cities.  Here are a few.

Baltimore: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4183/is_20080516/ai_n25446009?tag=untagged

Cincinnati: http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2008/05/19/daily25.html

Seattle: http://www.metrokc.gov/kcdot/news/2008/nr080509_specialservice.htm

It appears that Nashville and Baltimore have simply chosen to end service rather than first determining if a charter service desires or is willing to provide the service.

I can tell you that as of right now, JTA are still advertising the service, and selling advance shuttle tickets and passes for the Jaguar, FSU/CU, and UGA/UF games.

http://www.jtafla.com/services/sss.aspx

Of course, I don't work for JTA or have any inside knowledge, so who knows if this will change between now and August 9.

[copperfiend]

On a somewhat related note: if you live in Springfield, and don't go to Jags games (as I don't), but have to leave the house around the time the game lest out, has anyone ever been caught trying to cross State street when the stoplight are set to blinking?  HOLY CRAP-- talk about frustrating. I was at the intersection of State and Boulevard for literally 30 minutes one day trying to get across.

The city could care less. Downtown streets are like I95 after a Jaguars game or other big event.

[ac]

On a somewhat related note: if you live in Springfield, and don't go to Jags games (as I don't), but have to leave the house around the time the game lest out, has anyone ever been caught trying to cross State street when the stoplight are set to blinking?  HOLY CRAP-- talk about frustrating. I was at the intersection of State and Boulevard for literally 30 minutes one day trying to get across.

The city could care less. Downtown streets are like I95 after a Jaguars game or other big event.

I know traffic is horrible before and after games.  It's got to be frustrating.  However, how long is it like that?  45 minutes?  An hour?  After the big rush is gone, aren't you all clear?

Trip planning can be helpful.  Jaguars.com lists a schedule with dates and times of each game.  If you have to be somewhere at a specific time, that could help beat it or avoid it. 

Please correct me if I'm wrong.  I'm not trying to be antagonistic, I promise, but it's akin to complaining about traffic during morning and evening rush.  Everyone who's experienced it knows it's going to be bad, and where and at which times.

[Eazy E]

On a somewhat related note: if you live in Springfield, and don't go to Jags games (as I don't), but have to leave the house around the time the game lest out, has anyone ever been caught trying to cross State street when the stoplight are set to blinking?  HOLY CRAP-- talk about frustrating. I was at the intersection of State and Boulevard for literally 30 minutes one day trying to get across.

The city could care less. Downtown streets are like I95 after a Jaguars game or other big event.

I know traffic is horrible before and after games.  It's got to be frustrating.  However, how long is it like that?  45 minutes?  An hour?  After the big rush is gone, aren't you all clear?

Trip planning can be helpful.  Jaguars.com lists a schedule with dates and times of each game.  If you have to be somewhere at a specific time, that would definitely help. 

Please correct me if I'm wrong.  I'm not trying to be antagonistic, I promise, but it's akin to complaining about traffic during morning and evening rush.  Everyone who's experienced it knows it's going to be bad, and where and at which times.

No, you are right, with a little bit of planning, it can be avoided, usually, save the occasional emergency trip.
But, where you are wrong is that, with traffic, you eventually get to go where you need to. In game day cases, the stop lights are blinking, so unless three lanes of traffic decide to let you through, no way is that going to happen. My complaint is not with the fans leaving, it's with the damn blinking lights. When all the traffioc lights are set to blinking, you just cannot cross state street (or union-- i forget which one runs west and is the first one you cross from main, laura, pearl, etc.).
And, because of my lifestyle and schedule, free time on Sundays is more valuable to me than most others.

[ac]

On a somewhat related note: if you live in Springfield, and don't go to Jags games (as I don't), but have to leave the house around the time the game lest out, has anyone ever been caught trying to cross State street when the stoplight are set to blinking?  HOLY CRAP-- talk about frustrating. I was at the intersection of State and Boulevard for literally 30 minutes one day trying to get across.

The city could care less. Downtown streets are like I95 after a Jaguars game or other big event.

I know traffic is horrible before and after games.  It's got to be frustrating.  However, how long is it like that?  45 minutes?  An hour?  After the big rush is gone, aren't you all clear?

Trip planning can be helpful.  Jaguars.com lists a schedule with dates and times of each game.  If you have to be somewhere at a specific time, that would definitely help. 

Please correct me if I'm wrong.  I'm not trying to be antagonistic, I promise, but it's akin to complaining about traffic during morning and evening rush.  Everyone who's experienced it knows it's going to be bad, and where and at which times.

No, you are right, with a little bit of planning, it can be avoided, usually, save the occasional emergency trip.
But, where you are wrong is that, with traffic, you eventually get to go where you need to. In game day cases, the stop lights are blinking, so unless three lanes of traffic decide to let you through, no way is that going to happen. My complaint is not with the fans leaving, it's with the damn blinking lights. When all the traffioc lights are set to blinking, you just cannot cross state street (or union-- i forget which one runs west and is the first one you cross from main, laura, pearl, etc.).
And, because of my lifestyle and schedule, free time on Sundays is more valuable to me than most others.

I gotcha.  I missed the *blinking* part.  That changes things a lot, for sure.  This is probably a dumb question, but has there ever been a group effort by residents to request a compromise?  It seems JSO could spare one officer to work lights or direct traffic at at least a single intersection to let cross traffic by on occasion.  Or maybe they could just leave the lights at Main operational?

[Eazy E]

On a somewhat related note: if you live in Springfield, and don't go to Jags games (as I don't), but have to leave the house around the time the game lest out, has anyone ever been caught trying to cross State street when the stoplight are set to blinking?  HOLY CRAP-- talk about frustrating. I was at the intersection of State and Boulevard for literally 30 minutes one day trying to get across.

The city could care less. Downtown streets are like I95 after a Jaguars game or other big event.

I know traffic is horrible before and after games.  It's got to be frustrating.  However, how long is it like that?  45 minutes?  An hour?  After the big rush is gone, aren't you all clear?

Trip planning can be helpful.  Jaguars.com lists a schedule with dates and times of each game.  If you have to be somewhere at a specific time, that would definitely help. 

Please correct me if I'm wrong.  I'm not trying to be antagonistic, I promise, but it's akin to complaining about traffic during morning and evening rush.  Everyone who's experienced it knows it's going to be bad, and where and at which times.

No, you are right, with a little bit of planning, it can be avoided, usually, save the occasional emergency trip.
But, where you are wrong is that, with traffic, you eventually get to go where you need to. In game day cases, the stop lights are blinking, so unless three lanes of traffic decide to let you through, no way is that going to happen. My complaint is not with the fans leaving, it's with the damn blinking lights. When all the traffioc lights are set to blinking, you just cannot cross state street (or union-- i forget which one runs west and is the first one you cross from main, laura, pearl, etc.).
And, because of my lifestyle and schedule, free time on Sundays is more valuable to me than most others.

I gotcha.  I missed the *blinking* part.  That changes things a lot, for sure.  This is probably a dumb question, but has there ever been a group effort by residents to request a compromise?  It seems JSO could spare one officer to work lights or direct traffic at at least a single intersection to let cross traffic by on occasion.  Or maybe they could just leave the lights at Main operational?

Yeah, I started e-mailing about this last fall, and no one really got back to me and then the season was over and it dropped off my radar.  I mean, I totally understand, you gotta get the people out of there in a timely manner and I am one car vs the 20 or 30,000 going in that direction, so 'poor me', essentially.

I didn't mean to bitch, more just commiserate and see if anyone else experienced that problem and had any advice.

[Jason]

There have been gobs of discussions and rants on that very subject onthis site.  There are more than just a few that are displeased with the gameday traffic process.

[Eazy E]

There have been gobs of discussions and rants on that very subject onthis site.  There are more than just a few that are displeased with the gameday traffic process.

I--obviously-- missed those.  You know, I think people have to look at this like I do (and also with FBC crowds and traffic control which REALLY used to piss me off): how else do you safely and efficiently remove thousands of people? We (residents who use these raods in our daily lives and not just to go to a football game or church) are in the minority, and it is better to incovenience the few than the many.

[ac]

There have been gobs of discussions and rants on that very subject onthis site.  There are more than just a few that are displeased with the gameday traffic process.

I can totally understand.  It's why I prefer to ride the shuttle.  I've just never looked at it from the POV of someone who has to get across State and Union when the signals are flashing.  The last time I did that on a game day was 2004 and the lights on Main were working.

[Jason]

There have been gobs of discussions and rants on that very subject onthis site.  There are more than just a few that are displeased with the gameday traffic process.

I--obviously-- missed those.  You know, I think people have to look at this like I do (and also with FBC crowds and traffic control which REALLY used to piss me off): how else do you safely and efficiently remove thousands of people? We (residents who use these raods in our daily lives and not just to go to a football game or church) are in the minority, and it is better to incovenience the few than the many.

No disrespect meant Eazy.  Just letting you know that this has been something passionately discussed and you are not alone.

I, personally, have only been on the "herd" side of the argument and have not had to fight the masses from your perspective.  I have seen the lonely ones trying to make their way through the gauntlet of yellow lights and pushy impatient travelers trying to make their way back home, and sympathize with them (you).