Action News Jax Investigates JTA

[marcuscnelson]

Action News Jax just aired a nearly hour-long investigative special of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority.

https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/local/action-news-jax-investigations-taken-ride/5f41e22e-677c-4293-9642-dc2914f02731/

It's expansive, from the suffering of riders at the lagging quality of JTA's transit services, to the lavish expenditures of well-heeled executives on jet-setting and luxury hotel stays, to the albatross of the Ultimate Urban Circulator program, to the languishing employees who just want to provide the public service they are responsible for.

The concerning thread throughout is the silence on the part of public officials when asked for any sense of oversight. It's just tragic to see how one of the biggest cities in the country is abdicating the thought of how people are supposed to get around it.

[Charles Hunter]

Was this new material, or a compilation of their reports over the last year?  I recorded it, but haven't watched it yet.

[marcuscnelson]

Column A, Column B. All new recording but covering some previous ground while also discussing more recent developments.

[jaxlongtimer]

I just viewed this entire reporting special (note, due to technical issues, you may have to drag the timeline cursor forward to roll from one episode to the next).  It is outstanding, thorough, well researched and damning.  Anyone watching this would want to immediately replace JTAs board and CEO or close the agency down entirely and replace it with something entirely different. 

As predicted on the Jaxson and proven in this reporting, JTA is about to become the next "JEA level" scandal here.  It is just a matter of how long it takes to blow up.  If Nate Monroe would join in reporting the abuses found by Action News, JTA would already be on the ropes.  Action News deserves some awards for this reporting which stands out among the best investigative reporting locally since the T-U's reports on Zahn at JEA.  No stone was left unturned... poor and declining bus service (longer headways, cancelled and late scheduled bus routes, etc.), wasteful spending on travel and more, bloated salaries, excessive time away from the office, the U2C as a boondoggle in the making, employee dissatisfaction and excessive turnover, dollars and free services supporting the Jaguars, the lack of transparency, failure of leadership at all levels, no accountability or oversight, dismal financial and operational metrics vs. industry standards, etc. 

It is an upside down world that some normally rational leaders including Deegan and Carlucci are standing by JTA while firebrand Diamond gets it.  Be careful, JTA is radioactive and may be poisonous to political health.  Get out while you can.

All JTA critics on the Jaxson need to watch this reporting in its entirety to further expound authoritatively on the many shortcomings of JTA.  It is our collective civic duty.

[thelakelander]

Wow, I will have to check this out later today. The U2C Maintenance shed is coming out of the ground in LaVilla now. If you have been paying attention to the construction, you can see why it's eating up a good share of the initial Bay Street Innovation Corridor funds. When all this eventually blows up, LaVilla will have a sound storm shelter.

[Steve]

Wow, I will have to check this out later today. The U2C Maintenance shed is coming out of the ground in LaVilla now. If you have been paying attention to the construction, you can see why it's eating up a good share of the initial Bay Street Innovation Corridor funds. When all this eventually blows up, LaVilla will have a sound storm shelter.

Amen to that. The walls look like they're going to support a 30 story building. If the land wasn't so low lying, I'd think it would be perfect Category 5 Hurricane Shelter.

[CityLife]

Hats off to Emily Turner for her reporting, but unless she has photos of Nat Ford at one of Diddy's parties, nothing will happen.

[jaxlongtimer]

My guess for the most likely scenario is a board member smells the coffee and advises Ford to move on voluntarily before everyone gets further embarrassed.  Then, maybe more of the dirty laundry gets aired after his departure but it is soon put aside as leaders proclaim a "new day" at JTA thanks to their "proactive" leadership.  And, we start all over with inaction, just a new "coach" in charge.  Kind of like the Jags  .  Selling ""hope."

Outrageous that the JTA board is not oversighting at all.  Add, the FDOT district secretary that is the 7th board member hasn't attended a JTA board meeting in 6 years!  Tells you everything about how serious the board is about executing their fiduciary responsibilities.  Instead, as noted in the reporting, they take lavish trips at JTA's expense as an added perk to their role.  For over 50 years, JTA board has been a joke and it continues to this day.

[Captain Zissou]

My guess for the most likely scenario is a board member smells the coffee and advises Ford to move on voluntarily before everyone gets further embarrassed....
 
Outrageous that the JTA board is not oversighting at all.  Add, the FDOT district secretary that is the 7th board member hasn't attended a JTA board meeting in 6 years!  Tells you everything about how serious the board is about executing their fiduciary responsibilities.

I spoke with a couple board members and they are in lock step with Nat Ford and his "vision".  One said supporting Nat Ford is a hill they would die on.  Whatever is going on, he has won them over and there will be no seeing the forest for the trees from them.

[Steve]

My guess for the most likely scenario is a board member smells the coffee and advises Ford to move on voluntarily before everyone gets further embarrassed....
 
Outrageous that the JTA board is not oversighting at all.  Add, the FDOT district secretary that is the 7th board member hasn't attended a JTA board meeting in 6 years!  Tells you everything about how serious the board is about executing their fiduciary responsibilities.

I spoke with a couple board members and they are in lock step with Nat Ford and his "vision".  One said supporting Nat Ford is a hill they would die on.  Whatever is going on, he has won them over and there will be no seeing the forest for the trees from them.

That statement feels like either everyone is going to make some coin, or someone has photos of somewhere doing something.

[jaxlongtimer]

^ Would be interesting to know if Ford has effective final say on his board appointments by the Mayor and Governor.  This could help assure board loyalty to him.

I would add all seem to be either connected to the Chamber (two are past or current chairs and one an employee and where Daniel Davis is also a big Ford fan per the Action News reporting) and/or connected to businesses that likely rely on doing business with other Chamber members so unlikely to rock the Chamber boat.

Thus, I am guessing that no board members are truly independent of the Chamber cartel.  The Chamber doesn't care a hoot about mass transit but does salivate over the millions in grants that JTA obtains.  Add attracting Holon as a perceived feather in the cap for both Ford and the Chamber.  Likely, all this is Ford's saving grace.  JTA has followed this pattern for years... it is a basis for why we also took on the Skyway even though critical reaction to it was similar as to the U2C. 

As they say, just follow the money.

[marcuscnelson]

Speaking of money, it seems notable that they discuss in this how JTA spends its public funds on various "causes," including hundreds of thousands of dollars in sponsorships to the Jaguars and $20,000 to The Donna Foundation (but only after Deegan's campaign for Mayor). I don't think it's clear what chain of authority there is over whether to spend that money and on whom.

[jaxlongtimer]

^ It was also interesting that JTA provides transportation to Jags games as a "service" with no contribution from the Jags.  And, then, the next day, over 50 bus routes are cancelled due to the previous day's Jags service with no notice to bus riders.  Incredible!

[acme54321]

Speaking of money, it seems notable that they discuss in this how JTA spends its public funds on various "causes," including hundreds of thousands of dollars in sponsorships to the Jaguars and $20,000 to The Donna Foundation (but only after Deegan's campaign for Mayor). I don't think it's clear what chain of authority there is over whether to spend that money and on whom.

How is that legal?

[marcuscnelson]

^ It was also interesting that JTA provides transportation to Jags games as a "service" with no contribution from the Jags.  And, then, the next day, over 50 bus routes are cancelled due to the previous day's Jags service with no notice to bus riders.  Incredible!

From a public policy standpoint, it actually makes sense to try and encourage transit ridership to games. Reducing downtown traffic, reducing drunk driving, that sort of thing. I'm not sure transit agencies in other NFL cities run stadium service with any direct contribution from their teams for that service. But to have it be at the expense of commuters the following morning is horrific.

My question there is why they are still running dedicated bus service all the way from Armsdale, JTB, the Beaches, and Kings Avenue, which then massively disrupts services. Three Flyer lines run from Armsdale, JTB, and the Beaches to downtown, and JTA still owns something called the Skyway which should be able to move riders from Kings Avenue across the river.

Fun thought: will they still have to run Gameday Xpress service to the stadium even with the Bay Street Innovation Corridor, because of the obvious inability for that to actually handle serious gameday traffic?