AirJTA: Ghost Bus?

Doctor_K · February 17, 2011, 12:28:36 PM

Does it still duplicate the Skyway route through downtown, or has that changed along with some of the other bus routes that were doing the same?

Lunican · June 04, 2011, 04:11:32 PM

I encourage JTA not use their oldest junk buses on this route. I was on this route the other day headed to the airport and the bus couldn't make it past 50mph on I-95. By the time we got to River City Marketplace the bus was smoking and the driver wasn't sure if he could make it to the airport. He pulled the bus over to make sure it wasn't on fire and then we slowly continued to the airport, arriving about 40 minutes late.

It was a really old RTS bus. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapid_Transit_Series

thelakelander · June 04, 2011, 04:51:23 PM

Lol, only in Jacksonville.

fsujax · June 04, 2011, 05:05:33 PM

That is just sad. What day was it?

cityimrov · June 04, 2011, 05:46:41 PM

Quote from: Lunican on June 04, 2011, 04:11:32 PM
I encourage JTA not use their oldest junk buses on this route. I was on this route the other day headed to the airport and the bus couldn't make it past 50mph on I-95. By the time we got to River City Marketplace the bus was smoking and the driver wasn't sure if he could make it to the airport. He pulled the bus over to make sure it wasn't on fire and then we slowly continued to the airport, arriving about 40 minutes late.

It was a really old RTS bus. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapid_Transit_Series

You can't have an Airport Bus arriving 40 mins late to the airport! Things like that causes people to miss flights and missed flights causes people to be angry and possibly loose money and never take that bus again. I would pay $5 each way for reliable bus service to the airport! If a bus breaks down, JTA should be sending a replacement bus ASAP. Thousands of dollars in flight tickets are riding on that bus.

Any airport bus service must be perfect and it must have extended hours. One time I had a flight schedules to arrive in Jax at around 9PM and was delayed until 1AM the next morning due to a thunderstorm. That bus isn't even running at that time!

Of course, in this city - an empty bus somehow means that nobody wants to ride the bus to the airport that means nobody wants mass transit into the airport and so forth - even if the service is extremely bad - thus we should shut down all bus service.

brainstormer · June 04, 2011, 06:41:11 PM

Quote from: thelakelander on June 04, 2011, 04:51:23 PM
Lol, only in Jacksonville.

I wouldn't have laughed so hard at your post Lake, if it wasn't true.

urbaknight · June 06, 2011, 12:36:05 PM

It shouldn't cost extra just because it goes to the airport. Just because people fly, doesn't mean they have the extra money to payout!

Lunican · October 04, 2012, 03:22:20 PM

I rode this bus again yesterday on the way to the airport (it is now called CT3).

According to the published schedule for this bus, it is supposed to arrive at the airport 10 minutes after the hour.

Everything was going great until 4:10 when the bus driver decided to pull over on Airport Road (about a half mile from the terminal) and eat a sandwich. We sat there for 15 minutes.

This is the second time this has happened.

Can someone explain this? Wouldn't it make much more sense for the bus to wait in the designated spot at the airport so people can actually make their flights?

JTA: This is ridiculous.

airdalecv59 · October 04, 2012, 07:08:40 PM

I have rode this route to Airport (parked car at River City Market pLace) the thing is if you have a flight before 8am ( I fly to JFK Once a week 6am flight) and a return after 9pm your out of lot. I just park in the ecomany lot, what can you do. Jville is a wanta be player very sad.

spuwho · October 04, 2012, 08:50:37 PM

When the new JTA Director settles in, I would recommend a couple of things;

- if they set up some community hearings on JTA service as part of his/her entry to office, attend & share
- if they don't, request if they will meet with MetroJacksonville (as always, be professional, courteous) and see if the new director will take a meeting over dinner, lunch etc.

Don't be antagonistic, just share some high level issues from the urban perspective, airport timeliness, indirect routes or any of the other items discussed on MJ.

Better yet, have MJ host a "The Future of First Coast Transportation" business lunch somewhere in the city and invite the new director to be the keynote. Make sure you allocate some time just after for a small MJ roundtable where you can share information. Have lots of handouts.

Just a thought.