Downtown Bus Rapid Transit Project Moving Forward

[tufsu1]

I beleive there are plans to implement transit signal priority (TSP) along major routes throughout Jacksonville....and possibly 1 or 2 queue jumps in the downtown area

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

So, Lake, after reading your points and reasonings A-D, I'm still not seeing it. 

You said, "Federal money has already been allocated.  For a cash strapped agency, that's pretty hard to turn down.", well, is this project being 110% financed by the Feds?  If we are paying $.01 into this, then we're wasting money on an inferior product than what's already existing. 

Tell me again why we can't just restructure the schedule and use the skyway as the feeder system it was intended to be to accomplish everything that's being proposed.

[thelakelander]

Tell me again why we can't just restructure the schedule and use the skyway as the feeder system it was intended to be to accomplish everything that's being proposed.

Going this route, you'd have to forget about instantly adding all the bells and whistles that federal money brings (ex. money to purchase new buses, etc.).  However, I actually agree with you that we could get away by just restructuring routes to provide the service desired.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

An analogy (probably not a good one) to express my inability to understand why this is a good thing:

I have a car that's not being using near its full potential. 

You offer me $1,000 to help fix it and make it faster.

I accept your $1,000, knowing that I'm still going to have to spend an additional $1,000 of my own money to make the modifications.

I now have something, shiny and new, that still isn't really any faster than what I had before and is now costing me an additional $500 / month in additional maintenance.

or.....

I decline your $1,000 for the time being.  Using some parts I have laying around in the garage, upgrade my existing car into something that actually performs nicely.  After demonstrating my new performance car, I can now ask you for $10,000 to add some features to my car that weren't even an option before, and, based on my increased performance, you don't even need me to front any additional money.

[icarus]

I guess that would be kind of like consolidating functions into space we already own and improving efficiency and utilization of existing transportation assets. Of course, this requires planning kind of like what Miami is doing .....

http://www.miamitodaynews.com/2013/10/15/giant-bus-station-new-rail-hub/

"The goal is to combine passenger bus stops and layover points, which serve as rest zones for drivers, into a central terminal ..."

I wonder how much we could save utilizing prime osborn rather than building a new facility.

[tufsu1]

well the new Miami complex cost about $1.3 Billion....I'm sure we can do some pretty awesome thing with that kind of money too!

[thelakelander]

There's also the issue of the Prime Osborn still being a convention center.  Like it or not, Jax is in the convention business to stay.  Either we'll have to move it out or figure out a better way to make it a shared facility.

[icarus]

The new Miami center is a lot more than just a transportation center. It includes significant commercial, retail and residential development. The cost of all these additional items and not to mention, the cost of elevating a significant amount of train track to avoid crossings and traffic through downtown Miami, is included in your figure. We could do quite a bit for quite a bit less. To compare the two stations is not even possible.

You are probably right Lake but the current proposed configuration and location of the new greyhound station is crap.  I wish we had some real leadership and a plan .. preferably for more than 5 days out and preferably that doesn't require us to waste a lot of money undoing the decisions made previously without a plan.