JTA board OKs design contract

[fieldafm]

Via the Daily Record

http://jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=531315

by David Chapman
Staff Writer

The Jacksonville Transportation Authority board of directors approved the design contract for the initial phase of its Bus Rapid Transit system Thursday at its monthly board meeting.

National architecture, engineering and consulting firm HDR Inc., with a local office in Jacksonville, was awarded the contract for close to $768,000 to begin work on the Downtown phase of the overall transportation project.

The project will include intersection improvements, dedicated bus lanes, branded buses, routes with 10-minute wait intervals at peak times and 15-minute wait intervals in nonpeak times, signalization prioritization for buses, new stations and streetscape improvements, among other enhancements.

All streetscape enhancements in the Downtown area for Phase I will comply with standards set by the Downtown Development Review Board.

The Bus Rapid Transit Program is designed to make it easier for buses to avoid congestion and save time for passengers.

Slated for completion in December 2012, the Downtown phase of the Bus Rapid Transit program is the first of five parts of the project throughout the city. Similar connecting projects will follow in the North corridor near Springfield (December 2013), Southeast employment corridors (December 2014), Southwest corridor (December 2015) and East corridor (December 2016).

Initial workshops throughout the region aimed to gauge public interest have varied, said JTA planning manager Suraya Teeple, with older neighborhoods tending to be more receptive to the redevelopment.

The Downtown portion of the project will cost around $13 million, but $9.3 million would come from the Federal Transit Administration “Small Starts” grants for capital costs associated with new fixed guideway systems, extensions and bus corridor improvements.

While the contract was approved by the JTA board of officials, it must also be approved by the Federal Transit Administration.




I never paid attention to these things previously, but 

The Downtown portion of the project will cost around $13 million, but $9.3 million would come from the Federal Transit Administration “Small Starts” grants for capital costs associated with new fixed guideway systems, extensions and bus corridor improvements.

Would this money also have been available for fixed mass transit projects?  Or was the requirements aimed specifically at BRT-type systems?

[fieldafm]

But would the Smart Starts grant money only have been available for bus transit projects, or would it also have been made available for fixed transit systems as well?

[fsujax]

well, i hate to remind you all of this, but this all goes back to 1998!!!!!!  Small Start or New Starts is federal money made available for rail or BRT projects.

[Dapperdan]

It may work out. Who knows. At least there will be some form of mass transit downtown, running every 10-15 minutes and avoiding the lights.

[tufsu1]

It will be for BRT only.

Idiots.  Cart before the horse.

Actually it is to do design for the dowtown system....the streets will be used by both BRT and regular buses....the alternative is to keep running the buses all over downtown and have the BRT run down Adams Street...is that what you want?

[tufsu1]

But would the Smart Starts grant money only have been available for bus transit projects, or would it also have been made available for fixed transit systems as well?

the $ was granted for this specific project...which meant it had to stand on its own....and apparently did!

[thelakelander]

Let's just hope HDR adds some bike lanes to this project.

[TheProfessor]

I was in Pensacola last weekend and saw that they have bus shelters with advertising on them.  I don't know what Jax is waiting for?

[Captain Zissou]

This is moronic.  JTA has no clue what its citizens want.

[tufsu1]

This is moronic.  JTA has no clue what its citizens want.

I would contend that most of the citizens don't know what they want either

[kells904]

This is moronic.  JTA has no clue what its citizens want.

I would contend that most of the citizens don't know what they want either

These are probably both true, but I don't think JTA actually gives a shit what we want anyway.

[fieldafm]

I wasnt complaining, I just didnt pay attention when BRT was being discussed the last 10 years or so.  I was curious if the grant was specifically targeted for bus transit projects, or would it have been available to fixed mass transit proposals as well.  Thank you for the answers fsu(s).

From conversations I had last night with various people I met in the Riverside/Avondale area... I think there is certainly a potential groundswell of support from my generation as to fixed mass transit in this city.  Whether or not this support rises up to be heard remains to be seen.

[JeffreyS]

Commuter rail and Streetcar now then maybe some BRT.

[Ocklawaha]

YES AND YES!

The main difference between BRT and Bus Service is the "FIXED" part. BRT DOES run on fixed busways, or HOV lanes and is less likely to go away. Still BRT has NOT shown the economic impact of rail but it can be a very importat part of the rail commute experience.

IS YOUR OLD TRANSIT GUIDE OCK AGAINST BRT?

NOT IN YOUR LIFE! I LOVE BRT!

There is certainly NOTHING wrong with having buses that are fast, frequent, clean, and FIXED ROUTE! Some agencies are experimenting with painting lines or using color LED'S in the pavement to mark the routes and believe it or not, it seems to make some difference. Of course JTA would have to join the school of "advanced mass transit thought" for which we have about as much chance as General Seymour had of dining in Tallahassee back in 1864.

BRT downtown, especially a route that skirts the stupid downtown loops and puts the buses in line to serve the future "JACKSONVILLE TERMINAL" (Next person telling me it's the Prime Osbourne, does so at his/her own risk! Remember I'm SOCO powered!) I take issue with only two parts of this current JTA plan, 1. NO BIKE LANES (but we're giving some space to grass and fire ants). 2. DUPLICATION of the Southbank Skyway 100%, when a route via the hospitals and Gary Street might make much more sense. (and YES I know that involves TWO overpasses of the FEC RY, and your problem is? ? ? ? )  

Folks don't shoot the agency when it does something 75% correct! Let's lend a hand and guide them to the wise choices... Consider too that as FSUJAX stated these "new start" programs back in the 90's were unlikely to get funded at all if they contained a 4-letter word, R A I L .  GW and his anti-rail, pro gasoline and asphalt lobby buddies made sure of that, in fact it's a miracle that ANY rail got funded in that period of time. JTA and frankly this entire nation was sold a bill of goods with the claim "BRT- JUST LIKE RAIL ONLY CHEAPER!" It is in reality a slogan that finds me in 100% agreement, you see, they failed to look up the definition of the word CHEAP! CUTR in the University of South Florida, our "official" transportation think tank, even came out with the ludicrous statement that "BRT could have greater capacity then RAIL if it ran on 2 second headways!" Pitty the passengers getting on or off THOSE buses!  All JTA needs to make Lemonade out of this BRT "lemon" is to address their own abandonment of the Skyway, and Bicycles, the rest is all good folks.

YES AGAIN! COUNT EM' JTA, 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8!

OCKLAWAHA

[tufsu1]

At leat Ock gets it!

The fact is many cities are doing this "mixed-traffic" BRT thing because it actually is far less expensive than rail...and still much easier to get appoved for funding by FTA