A Metro Jacksonville rail presentation will be given at the City Council's Transportation, Energy & Utilities Committee February 5th meeting. The presentation will focus on the negative impacts of the current BRT proposal and the possibility of integrating commuter rail with the existing plan. Representatives from both Metro Jacksonville and JTA will be in attendance. The meeting will begin at 10:00am and will be held in the Council Chambers, First Floor, City Hall at 117 W. Duval Street.
This was a no go. Councilwoman Johnson was very nice breaking the news that this presentation was rescheduled for the 20th I believe. The change is so the JTA can also make a presentation. Lets have big support on this one. I may be out of town but will try to be here. Mr. Miller was also nice and said he would be there.
Hopefully, they'll let us present AFTER JTA.
Simple, have them reset for whatever amount we need and place them in the garages, maybe bottom floors only. Quick in and out, feed the meter, avoid the guy at the gate? Better still do some lots with all meters and get rid of the employees in selected garages.
Problem solved... Parking free on the street and a bit more constrained in the core garages... = more transit, better downtown.
Ocklawaha
Wrong thread?
Ocklawaha[/quote]
Quote from: thelakelander on February 05, 2008, 10:41:58 AM
Hopefully, they'll let us present AFTER JTA.
Quote from: thelakelander on February 05, 2008, 10:41:58 AM
Hopefully, they'll let us present AFTER JTA.
Call Councilwoman Johnson and request to present after JTA. When I served we got those requests all the time. You can call the Chairperson of the Transportation Committee and make the same request. You need to do it tomorrow, so that they have the request in time for the agenda meeting where these decisions are made.
Thanks. As long as city hall has the equipment in place to pull it off, we have something prepared that will be presented in a fashion, that it won't matter who presents first. We'll check with the Transportation Committee tomorrow morning, to make sure everything is in proper order.
Your welcome.
Call Division of Legislative Services tomorrow at 630-1404 and tell them what you need to present at that committee, that way it will be ready for you when you get there. It is best to arrive 30 minutes early to set up.
Thanks.
At 10am MetroJacksonville will have a special presentation online to coincide with the start of this meeting.
So how did the big presentation go?? Can't wait for an update!
Overall the video presentation was very effective. Most of the council asked some tough questions of JTA and to say the least, are not sold on their BRT plan.
JTA had to retreat and are now most likely working on their next move... but so are we.
Bravo to all of you, really. This is great.
Im glad someone is standing up to JTA and their attempts to ramrod a system through that costs too much and nobody wants anyway.
Rail is the future!
I like the way Metro Jacksonville presented themselves. Job well done !
However, right now it seems like it is Metro Jax against the JTA. Why can't we all work together and implement a system that is going to work for the best of Jacskonville for the next 50 - 100 years (railsystem I would say!)
How do we get JTA on our side instead of making them putting their heels in deeper......
I think both groups are willing to work together, but in the immediate future we need to prevent JTA from wasting the $100 million. This is our top priority right now.
Quote from: Beloki on February 20, 2008, 01:28:59 PMI like the way Metro Jacksonville presented themselves. Job well done !
However, right now it seems like it is Metro Jax against the JTA. Why can't we all work together and implement a system that is going to work for the best of Jacskonville for the next 50 - 100 years (railsystem I would say!)
How do we get JTA on our side instead of making them putting their heels in deeper......
By dumping this crap BRT system :).
In all seriousness, anytime JTA has asked to meet with us, we have obliged. We are sitting on both their BRT and Commuter Rail CAC's. I can tell you that the consultants that they have hired for the Commuter Rail Study are sharp - no joke. However, the consultants are simply tied to whatever the study parameters are. If you hire Thomas Edison, and don't allow him to use filament, electricity, or glass, it's going to be rough for him to make a light bulb.
As far as the consultants for BRT, I can't speak to that. I've met with Ed Castellani, and I can tell you that I was unimpressed. He was the one who uttered the "rail is rail" comment. If that's the case, let's build a maglev to the beach, and be there in 5 mins.
We would be happy to work with JTA, but in gooc consience, we just can't support a system that is literally 10 times the cost of some rail systems, and will take 20 years to implement.
We're trying to work together. JTA has invited us to be apart of their citizens committee and advisory groups and we've accepted them on that offer. However, there is a gulf between us, as far as route planning and costs go. This is a plan JTA has been cooking for eight years now and its going to take more than us just sitting at a table with this state agency to get them to seriously reconsider the plan before blowing the BJP money. That's why we continue to take the fight to the council, mayor's office and general public. I don't think anyone here hates or has any ill will for our cohorts off Myrtle Street, but sometimes you have to use a little tough love, to show your loved ones the way to the light.
I support you guys 100%
How do we get this stuff in the Times Union? ???
Quote from: Beloki on February 20, 2008, 02:04:18 PM
I support you guys 100%
How do we get this stuff in the Times Union? ???
The TU had a reporter there today.