JTA did it big in Arlington. Perhaps 200 persons attended including a State Representative and FDOT as well as a host of JTA and BRT CONSULTANTS. I was clearly outnumbered. This is not your previous meeting. They have a formal display, tons of posters and maps, Spanish, Sign Language and Court Reporter on-hand to take down every word. Comments via Card, letter, recorder, or in public forum.
The maps have changed, they now show BRT all the way to the Airport and the Avenues, To Wilson Rd and to Regency Square but the final stop is short of Regency. They also have Station locations on the maps, only 2 in all of Arlington. Only 3 on the Northside line: Shands, Golfair, Gateway. The South and Westside lines are also sparse with Wilson, San Juan and Blanding. Southeast is Emerson, University, Bowden, JTB, Baymeadows.
The rail "STUDY" is on the maps but the BRT routes still duplicate the rail routes. I posed this question in public forum and never got a real answer why. We are just susposed to believe that "CONTRARY TO SOME PEOPLES CLAIMS AND BELIEFS, OUR STUDY SHOWED BRT IS FAR CHEAPER THEN ANY RAIL PROJECT..." blah, blah, blah... Bet you didn't know Mikes background is a talk host on WDBO radio in Orlando! So he is only armed with what JTA has fed him. Too bad because he is one of the people that will listen. Ditto for Randy, Carolyn and Debi. Following the display, is a formal presentation, a meeting and public Q and A or COMMENT segment. It takes over an hour just for the meeting portion. THIS IS CRITICAL!
Mike was clearly worried that I came to debate him or them. I think he had thoughts of a major scene being created. I told him to relax, I restrict the play to the forum comments and web-pages. If you come out, let's all, citizen or forum activist, keep it professional. These guys are really on the spot, and quite exposed, it would be very easy to take a cheap shot. DON'T PLEASE.
We do need your voices, cameras and handouts. This is clutch time and we better shift gears because the bus is running away from us on a long down-hill slope!
We spoke after the meeting broke up about the Skyway. They are in agreement about the BAY - RANDOLPH - STATE street alignment. Also into San Marco via the King Street Station, over the FEC and down the street toward Publix. Thirdly, we spoke of the old Public School #4 in Riverside, I told them they would be the heros of the City if we could work that into a transit center and save the building or facade. Oh my, no one had ever said that before and they sort of jumped on the idea... Skyway? With a little push, we could kill several birds with one stone.
See y'all tomorrow, if you can't speak up, your helpless, if you DON'T speak up, your hopeless! (urban league Jax)
Ocklawaha
We been saying for a while now that they are getting pretty far along on this thing. I mentioned it to a few people the day I did the presentation at city hall a few months back. Anyway, I have one question. How much does it cost (What's the overall price tag)?...$300 million?
They haven't a clue. Though they might venture a guess, it's "all incremental..." according to their answer for everything.
Further, the "RAIL STUDY" was exposed as a smoke screen, a joke and a lie. The statement came out that "IN SPITE OF WHAT SOME PEOPLE (Mike looked right at me, after introducing me during Q and A as: "the one with the most answers in this room, based on his railroad background.") CLAIM, WE KNOW THAT RAIL IS THE ROLLS ROYCE, BUT IT IS ALSO MANY TIMES MORE EXPENSIVE THEN BRT AND BRT "can be" JUST AS GOOD!" Well folks, with that statement the cat is out of the bag. Like I predicted, they have no intention of showing anything but BRT as the clear winner. "S" line, or anything else is just talk to them. They don't even have numbers but BRT is the "smart and far better choice" for Cowford... and of course, to the assembled peasants, there was the standard head nods in agreement... THIS IS WRONG!
So how about tomorrow? Starbucks or JTA? What will it be guys?
Ocklawaha
I have no problem attending tomorrow's meeting.
Do you think we can get a copy of their cost analysis study? If it exists, it would be great to see what type of rail/brt systems were studied and why it is proven that building BRT parallel to the CSX A line (for example), is cheaper and better for the community, then flat out buying the "A" Line.
Without being able to state a ballpark price range for a dedicated busway system (if it stretches to the airport, then its well past a billion), its impossible to claim that its the cheapest and best alternative.
What's the projected timeline now? Are TOD sites integrated with the communities surrounding them?
TOD's are just simple old lots, service stations, Arlington Shopping center and such. No plan or effort has been made to show how they will build all of this "TOD" they expect. They are working to sweep away the red tape so they can move on with rapid development that they "know" is going to happen, because we will have a system better then the High Speed Rail in France...etc... In other words, nothing is planned. it's all incremental. Dumb as dirt!
Cost? Ha! They still talk about 2025, but downtown by the end of next year or so... They are all over the board, and this thing is all things to all people. Just ask them, These buses will serve hot Pizza, rock the baby, paper the walls, and light your fire, all in one pass. Never before have so many, owed so little, to so great a boondoggle, as this BRT system. We need troops and need them now!
Been a long day, so I'm outta here for the night...
Ocklawaha
Ock, I have a couple of questions for you.
After sitting in on the last three BRT public meetings this week and looking at the aerials, its evident that JTA expects to run this thing down rail right-of-way owned by FEC and CSX. Some of these proposed routes go through industrial zoned land lining the railroad tracks. If you run a busway right beside the railroad, at grade, what happens if a new company comes to town and acquires adjacent industrial zoned land to recieve shipments by rail? Are we looking at a bus expressway then filled with industrial railroad spur crossings or will these properties forever be cut off from being served by rail, despite the recent port expansion news that will lead to an industrial/distribution revolution in this town?
QuoteAfter sitting in on the last three BRT public meetings this week and looking at the aerials, its evident that JTA expects to run this thing down rail right-of-way owned by FEC and CSX. In some of these proposed routes go through industrial zoned land lining the railroad tracks. If you run a busway right beside the railroad, at grade, what happens if a new company comes to town and acquires adjacent industrial zoned land to recieve shipments by rail? Are we looking at a bus expressway then filled with industrial railroad spur crossings or will these properties forever be cut off from being served by rail, despite the recent port expansion news that will lead to an industrial/distribution revolution in this town?
It is very hard to imagine any railroad giving an "at grade" permit for a bus-freeway to tag alongside their tracks. I am confident this portion of the BRT plan will have to change. It will be much harder to box in the railroad then it would be just to use the railroad with some capacity additions. The access, security, and assurance and insurance requirements alone would be staggering. I don't think it gets much better with the bus freeway over the top of the railroad. These are not even guided buses, that are planned (guided bus that follows a cable laid in the runway offers protection against accidents) JTA keeps talking about the railroads won't deal with us. If this is where they have approached the railroads, then they are right. If they go for rail itself, the stage will change considerably. I think we have nothing to fear, as to JTA blocking off industrial access. The railroads are HUGE taxpayers and financial GIANTS, they won't be pushed into a box. Count on it. Ocklawaha