Bus Shelter Advertising Debate headed to City Council

[Metro Jacksonville]

Bus Shelter Advertising Debate headed to City Council



"With the economy as bad as it is, and a lack of public dollars to construct and maintain new shelters, this is a good time for the community to support a transit program that is completely paid for by the private sector. We talk a lot about public/private partnerships and here we have an opportunity to put one together that the community will directly benefit from without the use of tax dollars."

- Mike Miller, JTA Director of External Affairs

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2009-aug-bus-shelter-advertising-debate-headed-to-city-council

[copperfiend]

As long as they are classy like the Hooters ads on the city buses, I am fine.

[fsu813]

big difference:

most of jax's bus stops aren't in large, urban areas like most of the one's shown in the pics. so they'll stand out much, much more.

[thelakelander]

I disagree.  These shelters are also located in areas of low density in and around these communities and they look fine and more attractive than anything we currently have here in town.  On top of this, their transit users are also protected from the elements, which enhances their system's overall usability.  I'll upload a few images later this afternoon of shelters in suburban areas.

[Deuce]

I would be curious to know who is actually against this plan. What their exact reasons are and what they propose as an alternative.

This effete hand wringing over the potential aesthetics in the face of overwhelming evidence that it can be and normally is done tastefully is just inane.

I agree with that 100%.

[Overstreet]

I enjoyed the "Bebe" ads on the bus shelters in Atlanta. Don't know what it has to do with anything to buy, but they were interesting. The Bebe I know gets senior discounts.

[Traveller]

Benches are also designed to eliminate vagrants from using them for sleeping.

Funny you mention this.  On my way to work this morning, I saw a guy fast asleep in the bus shelter on Forsyth just east of Laura.  He had his own pillow and blanket and looked quite comfortable.

[JeffreyS]

This seems like a home run. A little regulation on the advertisers and emulate some of the better designed shelters will be a nice upgrade to our transit system.

[TPC]

I am biased because I work in advertising, but I am all for this. It is paid for by the private sector, provides shelter for the bus users, and provides local advertising agencies with more work. Win, win, win.

[cline]

On a somewhat related note, I just read in the latest issue of Planning magazine that the transit agency in Pheonix (Valley Metro) is looking into the possibility of selling naming rights to light-rail stations and, potentially, even the system itself.  It also mentions that in Cleveland, two hospitals agreed to pay $6.25 million over 20 years for the right to call one of the city's BRT lines the "HealthLine".  It seems to me that this sort of practice is becoming common all over the place and I think we should get on board.

[thelakelander]

^I agree 100%.

[hightowerlover]

I think the biggest hurdle will be convincing jacksonville residents that the bus riding public is not second class citizens and they deserve a more attractive place to sit in 100 degree heat and be covered from the persistent rain showers.  if we are ever to overcome the traffic issues this city will continue to face in the future, we have to make mass transit a priority and make it attractive for people who can afford to own an automobile but, choose not to.

[cdb]

Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. I have spent much time sitting at a bus shelter waiting on the B16 or B41 to come by. In this heat and with this rain, bus shelters are a must. And selling that ad space shouldn't be too hard.  The thing that I always think about is the lack of transfers. I would take the bus to work, but I would have to walk just too far to get to the initial bus stop. You can't only route buses on the major roads, they have to cut off for convenience for many people to want to use a bus system. And most areas in Jax don't have the typical square blocks which make bus routes much easier. I am all for it, but I don't ever see Jax having a major mass transit system that will work.

[shanshan1218]

I say go for it! anything is better than the random scattered "benches" we have now. The ones along roosevelt are always in like a sand pit from what i see while driving.

[Ocklawaha]

I like the flavor of bold art with transportation...Just another way to get some pretty fantastic shelters built. Use the Universities, the art departments and grants from the National Endowment For The Arts.

OCKLAWAHA