JTA's New Bus System Debuts Today
After months of promotion and fanfare, the Jacksonville Transportation Authority's new network of bus routes begins today. Here's a look the new way to get around town.
Read More: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2014-dec-jtas-new-bus-system-debuts-today
So far, the real real time tracking and app are functioning perfectly and are a great enhancement. I see problems arising from JTA's own site where if someone were to click on "Bus Schedules" they are presented with the old routes and times. Same if clicked on (or can get to work) JTA's "Trip Planner."
I now have to a ten minute walk to the bus stop before it was right around the corner. For me this is almost a no go in the morning. With that extra 10 minutes I could hop on a bike and be half way to work. I hope it works out better for others.
^ how long is the total trip now vs. before...and does the bus run more frequently?
Still, they have not given their information to google (which is FREE). Even DAB is on there! Here's the list of Florida transit authorities using google maps:
Multi-Region
Broward County Transit
Manatee County Area Transit
Martin County Public Transit
Palm Tran
Polk County Transit Services
SFRTA/Tri-Rail
Space Coast Area Transit
Sumter County Transit
Daytona Beach
Votran
Gainesville
Regional Transit System
Lakeland
Lakeland
Miami
Miami Dade Transit
Orlando
Central Florida Regional Transit Authority
Florida Department of Transportation
Sarasota
Sarasota County Area Transit (Layer Only)
St. Petersburg
PSTA
Tampa
Hillsborough Area Regional Transit
Winter Haven
Winter Haven Area Transit
http://maps.google.com/help/maps/mapcontent/transit/
I swear JTA took the old system map, threw it in a blender and hit frappe then glued it back together to come up with this hot mess. Before, my wife rode the R5 from Riverside to Regency to get to work now it's 2 or 3 buses depending on what route she takes. Before she could get going about 1 1/2 hours before work and get there on time now it's 3-4 hours. Once the free week ends, watch the system just turn up it's toes and die as people find other ways to get to work.
Nat Ford said today that things went very well yesterday and complaints/issues were minimal
QuoteHow'd Day 1 of new JTA bus routes go? It depends on who you ask
By Max Marbut, Staff Writer
When the afternoon peak travel period began Monday at Rosa Parks Station Downtown, Jacksonville Transportation Authority officials described the first day of the revamp of mass transit in Duval County as a success.
"Day 1 went very well," JTA spokeswoman Leigh Ann Rassler said of the opening of the
massive Route Optimization Initiative. "We are pleased with
the launch."
Passengers who used the new routes and schedules weren't as enthusiastic.
Lucille White has been riding the bus for 10 years. She said with the new system, she now has to take two buses instead of one to get home in the afternoon. And the buses were crowded to the point of standing room only.
"They had it right before. This is crazy," she said.
Full article: http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=544418
Their website has no list of the routes, schedules, or a system map. All I see is the sharepoint site but it's not user friendly. Why haven't they updated their website?
Edit: Looks like they finally put up the system map: https://sharepoint.jtafla.com/sites/ROI/PublishingImages/JTA%20System%20Map%20Brochure%20(34x35int).pdf
Quote from: iMarvin on December 02, 2014, 03:16:00 PM
Their website has no list of the routes, schedules, or a system map. All I see is the sharepoint site but it's not user friendly. Why haven't they updated their website?
Edit: Looks like they finally put up the system map: https://sharepoint.jtafla.com/sites/ROI/PublishingImages/JTA%20System%20Map%20Brochure%20(34x35int).pdf
I agree...I wanted to study the new routes so I used the interactive map, cross-referenced with the old routes, then had to use the share point and guess which old routes corresponded to the new routes I wanted to study, and then click on the pdf brochure to see the entire route maps and schedules. A lot was wrong from a website interface standpoint. I really hope the actual changes have helped more potential riders.
Quote from: iMarvin on December 02, 2014, 03:16:00 PM
Their website has no list of the routes, schedules, or a system map. All I see is the sharepoint site but it's not user friendly. Why haven't they updated their website?
Edit: Looks like they finally put up the system map: https://sharepoint.jtafla.com/sites/ROI/PublishingImages/JTA%20System%20Map%20Brochure%20(34x35int).pdf
Here's the link to the list of new schedules:
https://sharepoint.jtafla.com/sites/ROI/Pages/Bus-Schedules.aspx
JTA has the conversion information (old to new routes) in their Quick Links section. Under Schedules is just the new routes with a separate conversion chart.
https://sharepoint.jtafla.com/sites/ROI/Pages/Bus-Schedules.aspx
JTA has always had the worst website, another reason they should offer their routes to Google, for free! Why they, or anyone, would use sharepoint is beyond insane.
I can say from unscientific observation over the last couple of days that bus ridership by both the regulars and the curious seems to be way up. I have certainly observed more people at bus stops than I can ever remember seeing before.
Also, driving around town and consulting the NextBus app is pretty cool. It tells you, based on where you are at the moment, the closest stop and what buses are coming and going from there and when.
Quote from: IrvAdams on December 02, 2014, 08:42:40 PM
Also, driving around town and consulting the NextBus app is pretty cool. It tells you, based on where you are at the moment, the closest stop and what buses are coming and going from there and when.
That to me, without a doubt, is the best improvement of all. But having traveled extensively around Asia, I find it low-hanging fruit. Still, I'll take it!
I posted this on another thread originally ...but has anyone ridden the bus since the new routes changes took effect?
I have a fairly lengthy commute to Riverside from Mandarin and the bus travel times aren't much longer than driving at rush hour according to the JTA website. I might give it a shot if i can sit and ride vs driving in stop-n-go traffic for 45 minutes.
Also, does anyone know how scarce the bike rack availability are on the buses? One leg of the trip suggest a 15 minute walk, i'd prefer to bike that part if possible.
We rode around on our local Riverside buses out to the end of the line during the free ride period. Not much change there.
I have been investigating the Next Bus smart phone app. It seems pretty clunky at this point in time. You need to know the route number, the stop number, and the direction of travel before you can get the time of the next bus.
RE: bike racks - I think there are 2 per bus.
Quote from: Charles Hunter on December 17, 2014, 02:27:57 PM
RE: bike racks - I think there are 2 per bus.
Thanks. Might be too risky to try it on a work day if all the bike racks are full. Could do the park n ride but I may just drive past it and keep going to work if i'm already in my car.
The only reason i'm considering it is the route is a straight shot up San Jose and 95 grates my nerves during rush hour...(and there's usually a wreck on there 2 or 3 days a week.) But time permitting, throwing some headphones on and doing some work on a laptop would be a better use of 1.5 hours a day.
Scoped out the stops yesterday, The bus bike racks were actually full at the Pearl & Water stop. And the website/app isn't exactly clear on the 200 route schedule(although I do like the simpler route numbers vs the old naming convention of A1, L7). I'll probably try it out once just for the experience, but for the average commuter i don't think it'll be enough to get them out of their cars.
I just got on a mass transit kick with memories of taking the trains around NY and DC yesterday. Man that would be awesome if we didn't HAVE to rely on our cars to get around this city.
Yeah the website wasn't very clear at all during the implementation week. I remember the 200 route was only peak hours though.
Interestingly, I was chatting with an attorney acquaintance who mentioned he rides the bus to work everyday from his home in Mandarin. Bus goes up San Jose and he gets off at Kings Ave then rides the skyway in. Really surprised me but seems like he's been doing that for a long time.
JTA schedules have been loaded into the Transit Times + app, although real time bus positioning apparently is not available (yet). I prefer this app to NextBus.
QuoteBus ridership up after JTA revamps entire system
By Max Marbut, Staff Writer
Following the Dec. 1 implementation of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority's Route Optimization Initiative, the number of passengers increased more than 9 percent compared to December 2013.
Brad Thoburn, JTA vice president of long-range planning and system development, reported Wednesday to the authority's board of directors that average weekday ridership increased by 6.6 percent, Saturday usage increased by 8.3 percent and the passenger count was up on Sundays by 17.3 percent.
He said even accounting for the spike in usage the first week of December when riding the bus was free, the passenger count for December was up 2.2 percent compared to 2013.
"It's nice to see stable ridership after a major change," Thoburn said.
He attributed the overall increase to the addition of late night and weekend service on many routes.
The new system involved changing the schedules for all routes and eliminating some routes and bus stops. One part of the redesign was intended to better utilize the Downtown Skyway system.
Thoburn said, excluding the first week of the new system, the number of Skyway users in December increased by 23.9 percent compared to December 2013. In January, Skyway riders increased by about 20 percent, from 80,111 in 2013 to 100,038 last month.
Full article: http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=544876
that's actually quite impressive...it is pretty common in the industry to see a 5-10% short-term drop in ridership after making major system changes
For what it's worth, based on my informal poll of friends and my observations locally, I can see that the system has greatly improved. Everything from route changes, frequencies, web-based tracking, number of buses and the hours they run. Just the look of the service, right down to the 'thank you' signs on the buses, etc., has visually improved. Good job.
The changes affected me negatively*, but if the system as a whole is improved for most people, then I'm all for it!!
*I used to ride the CT3 between downtown and the airport, probably just once every 3-4 months. That transit time has increased from 25 minutes to 57 minutes, so I don't plan on using it anymore. So far there has only been one instance where I would have normally taken it, and I rode uber instead.
Any word on how the changes in the way that buses interact with the Skyway have worked out? The number of buses on northbank streets seems dramatically lower.
Quote from: urbanlibertarian on February 13, 2015, 10:19:05 AM
Any word on how the changes in the way that buses interact with the Skyway have worked out? The number of buses on northbank streets seems dramatically lower.
the article notes that Skyway ridership has increased significantly, primarily because of route restructuring
The big problem with the skyway is that, its schedule never changed. It's still closed on weekends and closed at 9pm suring the week. And they still disrupt service with their "maintenance" during the day. JTA still has no concept or 3rd shift!
However, on a more positive note,
My bus was the ws7, my biggest complaint was that it needs to run later and more often. It does that now as route 15. So I'm glad for that. But I've heard mixed reviews as well.
But I guess it's not easy to please everyone.
Quote from: urbaknight on February 24, 2015, 03:39:16 PM
But I guess it's not easy to please everyone.
No truer words have ever been spoken. No way any transit system is going to be perfect for everyone. You could pick people up at their house and somebody would still find reason to complain.
At a meeting this morning, JTA CEO Nat Ford said January 2015 ridership was up 10% from January 2014...and that's with much lower gas prices!