Metro Jacksonville

(http://cdn.theatlanticcities.com/img/upload/2012/01/03/map_.jpg)

Source:
http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2012/01/02/opening-and-construction-starts-planned-for-2012/ (http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2012/01/02/opening-and-construction-starts-planned-for-2012/)

Just as we've been saying, Jacksonville is getting skunked by the competition and the foul odor is coming from FDOT/JTA.
FDOT has long ago sold its mind and soul to the automobile and bought into every anti-transit excuse that comes down the line. Meanwhile, in Jacksonville, JTA is a rogue agency that no longer (as if it ever did) has the best interests of the citizens in mind. 'Public hearings' that devolve into a quick sales pitch, followed by often heated feedback from the transit using community. When the 'JTA' meetings are over, they pack up the dog and pony show and go right ahead with what they planned in the first place.

With over 30 years of experience with JTA, I've continued to warn many on this site that they may be playing 'streetcar' or 'commuter rail,' just as they are playing the 'JRTC', with EVERY intention of going ahead and doing pretty much what ever the hell they planned to do in the first place. Granted we might have brought on enough heat to make a few changes to our  BRT plan, at the heart, they haven't changed anything but the way they plan to implement it, piecemeal.

Someday soon Central Floridians are going to be whisked into and out of the Orlando metro on sleek new trains. Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and West Palm are watching as they gain a whole new commuter rail link, and the whole of their system is pushed north to Stuart. Tampa has a starter streetcar line and a small BRT system up and running, the Bay Area will likely revisit both the Light Rail, and the expanded BRT or even commuter rail issue. Once again the historic 'also ran' horse called Tampa/St. Pete will beat our old mule out of the gate. Then there is Jacksonville circa 2030. A city with 3.5 miles or so of underused monorail, a completely disfunctional BRT system based on bits and pieces, and zero chance at a meaningful Transportation Center which will have been ruined by horrible planning and, understandably, only partial completion. Zero rail, and even Amtrak will be sending connecting trains over duplicate routes in order to get to Orlando, when those same 'extra' trains could easily have been coupled into one at a proper Jacksonville Terminal.

MAYOR BROWN, PLEASE CONTINUE TO PUSH A NEW, METRO BUILDING TRANSIT AGENDA.

OCKLAWAHA

JTA was always going to do BRT piecemeal because there wasn't a billion dollars laying around for the eventual HOT lanes funded with transit money, that were proposed for I-95 and the Arlington Expressway.  So what we did successfully do is save taxpayers hundreds of millions and national wide embarrassment by forcing them to convert to an enhanced bus project on existing streets.  As for the streetcar, that was never a priority of theirs.  In fact, its not even acknowledged in the JRTC master plan that's been presented to the public.  The streetcar needs to be a COJ project, since it will eventually be funded with COJ mobility fee money.

The only real problem I have with JTA's BRT plan is that they are calling it BRT.  It really is enhanced bus service, which I think is sorely needed and will serve us well.

+1,000.  The other problem I see is asking for federal funding for both enhanced bus service and commuter rail along Philips Highway.  I truly believe there's a way to implement enhanced bus service at a fraction of the cost currently proposed, just like Charlotte and Los Angeles have recently done.