JTA Transit Ridership Numbers

[Metro Jacksonville]

JTA Transit Ridership Numbers



Ever wonder how many people take advantage of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority's (JTA) services on a regular basis?  Metro Jacksonville shares statistics that show the agency's most maligned transit mode may actually be the most popular with local riders.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2010-oct-jta-transit-ridership-numbers

[tufsu1]

so basically the Skyway has gone from about 1600 riders a day to about 2400 riders a day....what say you stjr?

I also find it interesting that about 80% of the fixed route service is on-time....seems to defy some claims about the system being chronically late (unless a few specific routes are always behind).

[Bridges]

Interesting and very timely article for me, as I had one of my first experiences with the Skyway last night.

I recently moved downtown (Metropolitan Lofts) and am getting acquainted with all the things there are to do downtown.  One of the things I was excited about was that the Skyway stop is 2.5 blocks from me at Hemming Plaza, and San Marco is just a few stops over the bridge.

I rode the Skyway once before.  It was a Friday night and some friends and I ate at Sake House in San Marco and rode it over to the Landing for a few drinks.  Not being familiar with the Skyway, we got back on at Central at 8:50, and upon arriving at the Riverplace station, we found ourselves locked in (closed after 9).  We had to use an emergency exit to get out, which sounded the alarms and summoned some personnel.  Not the grandest of first appearances.

Last night, my girlfriend and I decided to order take out from Sake House and take the Skyway over.  This should be a reasonable alternative to driving over there, correct?  We ordered the food at 6:44 on our way out the door from Metro Lofts...We walked back into our building and HOUR AND 20 MINUTES later at 8 PM!  Needless to say the food was ready when we got to Sake House, but that wasn't the problem.  It took us less than 5 minutes to walk there, get the food, and go back to the Skyway.

Several problems we noticed.
- Very bad information as to how the whole system worked.  There were several other people attempting to make it to art walk, who were thoroughly confused as to how the system operated.  In fact, several couples rode in wrong directions, only to return at where they started.  It was so confusing, that we decided to just hope on one, and hope it was going to where we needed to be.  But it felt better to be on one, than look at the worthless map. 

- There appears to be work going on at the Riverplace station, which might have caused some of the problem.  Was this work and alternate routes stated anywhere? No.  You're on your own in there. 

- No matching up of the trains.  It seems that every time you reach a spot where you need to transfer, you have just missed the other train and have to wait the full 7 (more like 10) minutes for the next one.

Like I said, maybe the construction at Riverplace caused this whole problem, but there was no way of knowing.  No signs, no directions. 2 lines?...One labeled blue, and one labeled blue? 

I was fuming by the end.  Will I give it another go?  Sure, but not many more times, and it certainly won't be the first option I choose.  Will the others who rode and were lost? I don't know. 

[simms3]

IMO the leg that goes over to Jefferson/Prime Osborn messes everything up.  Sure it's a necessary thing, but the transition is pretty poor, I agree.  Those 2 extra stations screw up headways, route efficiency, and ease of use for the rest of the system.

[thelakelander]

It should be reconfigured into two routes.  Kings Avenue to Rosa Parks and Convention Center to Central.  That should reduce the wait for most or need to transfer within the system.

[fsujax]

I emailed JTA about the what was written earlier and got this response.

"Due to the construction going on right now on the platform edges, we can only run shuttles. We can only run on one side of the guideway over the Acosta bridge. We should be completed with the south side stations next week. Also, due to the problems with the construction, we will complete the left side of Central station over a weekend."

[Bridges]

Thanks Fsujax. 

I thought that might be one of the problems.  But, like I said, there was zero information that that was going on.  I only came to that conclusion, when I reached Riverplace and saw construction tape.  I would have thought they would at least put up a sign or notification somewhere, especially considering the Art Walk atmosphere and ability to reach new riders. 

[Singejoufflue]

I just moved back to Jacksonville from Chicago.  I won't begin to compare the CTA and JTA, apples and oranges.  I will say, that in returning home to Jax, I don't have a car, and won't until I have a job.  As such, I will HAVE to take JTA to whatever position I get. 

An 80% on-time rate for the fixed routes is intolerable.  When you have to make a connection to routes with only half-hour or hourly frequency, your boss doesn't care about JTA being late.  Will they tolerate me being late once a week?  Interviewers even ask if I have my own transportation and job postings make it a point to put "must have reliable transportation" in the listing.  The struggle here is that you can't just take the earlier bus to be certain you will arrive at your destination on time.  Just Friday, my connecting bus NEVER showed up. I had a 30 minute buffer built into my plan.  The next bus that DID show up ran it's scheduled route, which, mid-day, is different from rush hour. 

I fully appreciate the $1 fare and $40/month pass.  What I can't appreciate is the lack of planning in the routes, the timing thereof, the lack of customer service, and the ABSOLUTE ho-hum mentality of the people in charge of JTA.

[Doctor_K]

Aren't we also one of the least-dense cities in the country, per-capita, thanks to our 757 square miles of space?  The fact that the county is coterminous with the city and the fact that downtown is as dead as it is (or is perceived to be) and there are still 200 riders per day isn't the worst thing that could happen.

[Singejoufflue]

In the comments for the X4 route ridership numbers, a -18% growth is commented as: "...Route continues to follow a trend of positive productivity."  Did someone not proofread, or are they that backward at JTA...

Take a look at the system map: http://www.jtafla.com/Schedules/showPage.aspx?Sel=17  I've made spaghetti that would be more effective and efficient and getting commuters from one end of Jax to the other.

[wsansewjs]

You see... I have an eye condition known as Retinitis Pigmentosa which caused the DMV to revoke my driver license (back in November 2007), forcing me to use JTA city buses and JTA Connexion. This is one of the biggest reason why I am on this website after facing the completely blasphemy and malarkey of our beloved city upclose in mass transit.

I can go into all the details all day long with those entities, but I am going to keep it short and sweet, unless someone ask me to take a dive.

JTA Connexion is one of the biggest jokes I ever seen in my entire life. Majority of the drivers I have seen and met are real nice and sweetheart, but the Director of JTA Connexion is a genuine dickhead. There, I said it. (Wherever you are, the Director of JTA Connexion who may be lurking on this sacred website, please take that into your heart).

JTA and its city buses, granted that they are more reliable than JTA Connexion, but the entire system is obnoxiously flawed.

Yes, I am preaching to the choir, but I want my opinion to be noted by my lovely peers on MetroJacksonville.

I honestly do believe JTA and its board of directors needs to be completely wiped out. I would suggests in bringing few retiredees/employees who wants to migrate from NYC's MTA, San Francisco's BART, Chicago's CTA, and other fine mass transit in North America cities to become part of the JTA to overhaul the entire system.

That should be the #1 step, then the real solutions will start falling in afterward.

I am going to stop here. -out of breath-

-Josh

[wsansewjs]

You see... I have an eye condition known as Retinitis Pigmentosa which caused the DMV to revoke my driver license (back in November 2007), forcing me to use JTA city buses and JTA Connexion. This is one of the biggest reason why I am on this website after facing the completely blasphemy and malarkey of our beloved city upclose in mass transit.

I can go into all the details all day long with those entities, but I am going to keep it short and sweet, unless someone ask me to take a dive.

JTA Connexion is one of the biggest jokes I ever seen in my entire life. Majority of the drivers I have seen and met are real nice and sweetheart, but the Director of JTA Connexion is a genuine dickhead. There, I said it. (Wherever you are, the Director of JTA Connexion who may be lurking on this sacred website, please take that into your heart).

JTA and its city buses, granted that they are more reliable than JTA Connexion, but the entire system is obnoxiously flawed.

Yes, I am preaching to the choir, but I want my opinion to be noted by my lovely peers on MetroJacksonville.

I honestly do believe JTA and its board of directors needs to be completely wiped out. I would suggests in bringing few retiredees/employees who wants to migrate from NYC's MTA, San Francisco's BART, Chicago's CTA, and other fine mass transit in North America cities to become part of the JTA to overhaul the entire system.

That should be the #1 step, then the real solutions will start falling in afterward.

I am going to stop here. -out of breath-

-Josh

turns out, i do like you wstirngofltteers

What did the director of JTA Connexion do?

When I was at the JTA Connexion office, I was telling the receptionist one of my experiences on the JTA Connexion, which the Director of JTA Connexion walked by and overheard.

That experience was that I was on the JTA Connexion for an approximately 7 hours to the driver's lack of navigation skills in Jacksonville, wrong destination TWICE for a rider, and picking up/dropping off two more riders before me. I had to miss two classes at UNF on that day. I was simply going from my home to UNF which was 20 mins away.

The Director of JTA Connexion REFUSES to believe my story and scoffed away. I stood there in an act of shock and lost all of my respect for the Director.

-Josh

[Singejoufflue]

JTA is hiring a Director of Mass transit; the candidate must be "Committed to understanding the unique culture of the JTA and the realities of the environment in which it operates."  Perhaps the JTA should elaborate on the unique culture and realities of the environment for the greater understanding of its passengers.

[tufsu1]

In a city of a million people, how do you justify a service that is such a work of shite that the busiest route only averages 200 people per day?

huh?

the highest ridership route (CT1) has 72,000 riders a month....assuming it operates every day, that is still 2300+ each day

the lowest route appears to be the Mandarin express route....which likely runs twice a day (inbound in the am and outbound in the pm)....and it still gets about 10 passengers a day.

[wsansewjs]

JTA is hiring a Director of Mass transit; the candidate must be "Committed to understanding the unique culture of the JTA and the realities of the environment in which it operates."  Perhaps the JTA should elaborate on the unique culture and realities of the environment for the greater understanding of its passengers.

Oh the humanity...

-Josh