BUS RAPID TRANSIT STARTS SERVICE IN JACKSONVILLE!
A new Bus Rapid Transit line was announced by transportation executive Charles Strickland, to run from downtown Jacksonville to San Jose. The buses are the latest type with every innovation in commuter comfort. The Transportation Authority is referring to them as a "parlor bus", again BRT is borrowing from the railroad lexicon.
Four coaches are already on the property to Begin the San Jose BRT express, and two more are expected to arrive shortly. The first downtown BRT terminal will be built in the 200 block of West Forsyth Street, The San Jose station, will include various community functions and will be near or in the community club or administration complex. The fast buses will run non-stop from downtown to San Jose on both commuter and shopper schedules of 15 minutes or less.
The buses are made by "Yellow Truck and Coach", and are the first of their type to enter into North Florida, or the Southeast. The new coaches have a somewhat smaller wheelbase and are a bit shorter then the buses seen in regular service throughout the City. Their ride is superior and their handling makes them a dream in the most adverse conditions, according to Mr. V. S. Moore, in charge of Transportation.
The new buses are being painted in retro designs of old San Jose, through sponsorship, some complete with a "Coat of Arms" near the doors. BRT branding and sponsorship we are told is a new way of quickly financing services that might otherwise take more time in a traditional grants process. The soft colors not unlike the new other models now seen on the streets of Jacksonville. The first run will leave the downtown terminnal at 10:30 AM, and the early schedules will be covered by just two coaches. As the success of this new "Rapid Bus Concept" catches on, it can then be spread throughout the City. We all look forward to this leap into non-stop, limited stop and exclusive lane buses, Jacksonville Transportation future is at hand. Jacksonville Journal article, Jan. 15, 1926. Deja Vu? We've all been here before...
Ocklawaha
(From the Jacksonville Public Library Archives)