I am a Jacksonville native and have used public transportation since childhood. I have also owned a vehicle but am now using our public transit system again. On Tuesday, I met a German traveler (Matthias) near the intersection of Kings Avenue and Atlantic Boulevard which is the entry into historic San Marco but also the vein to US1 South and our Beaches. Matthias was trying to get to Best Buy on Atlantic Boulevard near Regency Square to shop for a computer to aid him in his travels. He is teacher from Northern Germany who is traveling the U.S. and other countries while on a one-year sabbatical and was spending a couple of days in Jacksonville before renting a car to continue on to St. Augustine, Charleston, and Savannah before departing out JIA for New Orleans and beyond. He is basically using most of our available modes of transportation (Amtrak, local transit, Greyhound, airplanes, rental cars) to maneuver around the country.
He was quizzically looking around to make senses of the fact that he was on Atlantic Boulevard but not sure what bus would take him to the Regency area. Since the routes have changed over time, I was not completely sure. So, we called JTA Customer Service and although we were on Atlantic Boulevard and Best Buy is located on Atlantic Boulevard, there was NO direct bus route from our location. U2, which travels through San Marco Boulevard through the Square and down Hendricks/San Jose and turning off to University Boulevards before eventually reaching Regency Square, would have been his best option. After further conversation, I learned that he really was more interested in an Apple laptop computer and since we had just missed the L9 Phillips Hwy that goes to the Apple computer store at the St. Johns Town Center (it's final destination), we walked back to San Marco Square and caught the U2 which connects to the L9 on University Boulevard. Our trip was successful. After covering all conversion-related questions to suit his use and functionality of the computer back in Germany, he bought a new laptop here in Jacksonville.
We did discuss the transit system of Jacksonville and compared costs with that of Germany. He thought the fare, $1 per boarding, was a fair price as it would probably cost $5 per boarding back home. Our taxes are also lower, so buying the laptop with a 7% sales tax is far better than the 19% he would pay in Germany. Bottom line, the cost for our transit is very reasonable as I explained that the monthly pass I have is at a cost of $40 with unlimited access and ridability to all available transit (Buses, Riverside/Landing Trolley, Airport Shuttle, Skyway). Our fares are very affordable. With improved logical routing (it would simply be more accessible), the ridership may increase as well as the time efficiency, ease, and quality of traveling within the city limits and its beaches. More importantly, with escalating fuel prices, we'd be helping to improve transportation costs, environmental factors, and reducing accident rates with fewer cars on the roads. Our visitors to our fine city would have a more pleasurable, and certainly less frustrating, experience to share about their travels. Had I not met and offered to help Matthias, he may have wasted a lot of time and energy trying to navigate through this very awkward bus routing system we currently have. It became a very pleasant cross-cultural experience for us and the making of a new friendship as we later shared and enjoyed a pizza at the San Marco Loop with beer/wine and good spirits.
Nice story. Hope our city continues to make improvements in the right direction and Matthias returns to see it all in 20 years.
good story libraview. thanks for that "insider-look" at what it is like to ride the JTA buses and use Jax's 'mass transit'. after reading your story, i strongly agree - Needs Improvement. common sense improvement.
ps - you are to be commended for helping Matthias out - most others would be too busy doing their own thing to help him out so extensively.