Mayor Curry & Shad Khan in talks about Metro Park Development

[thelakelander]

^ Except a big part of the Skyway/BRT discussion involves expanding into areas away from the river, like Springfield, Baymeadows or Southpoint. Also, Jax isn't really that unique in the grand scheme of things.  For example, Charleston, Norfolk and Baltimore are three East Coast settings worth taking a look at to provide a picture of how something could possibly work in Jax. However, I'm not aware of any of their services acting as a replacement for traditional forms of public transit.

I don't think anyone is saying it should replace plans for transit into Springfield and Southside. I think it was an idea in the meantime to make meaningful connections for our biggest nodes of activity in the urban core without spending $150 million dollars.

I understood the idea. I just don't agree with the assumption that a water taxi can be any meaningful substitute for actual public transit in Jax's landscape. Doesn't matter whether we're talking about a Skyway extension, running a bus as a circulator down East Bay or even a community shuttle.  They'd all be more useful and efficient for moving commuters than a water taxi on the St. Johns.

What would be the difference between a water taxi route and extending the Skyway to the stadium down Bay St or down Riverside Avenue?

1. Most of downtown's residents and workers aren't on the riverfront.  The Skyway being a few blocks north, makes it more accessible to those  north of Bay.

2. The Skyway connects to other modes (First Coast Flyer, local bus, Greyhound....one day...Amtrak), a water taxi would not.

3. The Skyway is high frequency. You'd need a ton of water taxis running at the same time to compete with frequency and capacity.

4. Cost. If you're trying to save money, just run a bus down East Bay. If that's the primary goal, it would be easier to implement and operate than running a water taxi as public transit.

[BenderRodriguez]

Honestly, I would like to see water taxis connect more of the greater Jacksonville area to downtown. The river cuts straight through the county. There's more communities that lie on the river than Riverside and San Marco. Something like that could really move downtown forward as an actual hub of activity.

[thelakelander]

There was a study done for this about a decade ago. Its feasibility didn't turn out to well. Part of the problem was accessibility to the river from the region's major employment centers and destinations. Ferries for transit work best when they cross a body of water with little to no alternative as competition for usage. We have too many river crossings and the one we do have, we struggle to keep it afloat. I'll try to find a link to that old study.

[Charles Hunter]

Part of the problem,  where do you put the Ferry Terminals? By definition,  they have to be on the river, probably some of the most expensive real estate around. Except for downtown, nearly all riverfront property is residential, and much of it single family. What riverfront neighborhood wants a Ferry Terminal next door? If the FT does not have parking, do you have buses going through the neighborhood?  That adds even more to the subsidy needed.
As Lake said, the FEC RR Bridge might as well be a wall for any routes from the south.

[thelakelander]

Here's that 2008 study I mentioned: 
http://www.jtafla.com/pdf/Waterborne/JTA_TPO_WaterborneStudy.pdf