QuoteJTA considers river transit options
By DAVID HUNT,
The Times-Union
In coming years, Northeast Florida commuters may have a choice between the interstate and the river to get to downtown Jacksonville and home again.
The Jacksonville Transportation Authority has embarked on a $200,000 study to determine what sort of burden the region's waterways could lift from the region's increasingly clogged roads.
The idea is to begin running ferries or hovercrafts like buses in and out of its metropolitan hub.
For now, there are many questions ranging from potential environmental effects to dock locations and parking to whether the service would net enough riders to keep afloat financially.
James Boyle, a regional transportation planner for JTA, said test runs for the service would begin next year depending on the outcome of the study, which is expected by January.
"If you're sitting on U.S. 17 heading to Jacksonville and you've got this wide open river out there, nothing's stopping you," he said. "Congestion is only getting worse."
Boyle said waterways throughout the region, from Nassau to Volusia counties, are being studied.
Some public officials already are talking about potential benefits.
"It is an optimistic alternative, especially when we're dealing with fuel economy and it could mean a boost of employment in the region," said Palatka Mayor Karl Flagg. The Putnam County seat is situated along the St. Johns River.
Full Article: http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/071507/met_184460128.shtml
(http://static.flickr.com/76/180705834_2574326ee6_m.jpg)
If JTA bus drivers thrill you, you'll love a wrong turn on the Trout River!
(Well, okay, this is REALLY a photo of the Aral Sea in Central Russia)
So is JTA now going to enter the Cruise business? They sure are IF they plan to reach Volusia, Palatka or Fernandina Beach! I believe these other places might be doing their own studies. Within Jacksonville, there are some good opportunities to use the waterways, but I can see some really big obsticles in the way. Will speeds be restricted by Manatees? Will the Grand Avenue Bridge have to be replaced (over my dead body) so they can run a commuter boat through at will in Ortega? Are they going to consider replacing Collins Road bridge with a high level one so they can access the narrow but DEEP water at Blanding Blvd, use the Ortega and perhaps have an NAS bus meet the boats at Bluff Landing or West of Yukon? Could a Blanding boat make it into downtown in 30 or 45 minutes? What about Blanding and Cedar Creek? Trout River and Lem Turner anyone? What would a ferry crossing roughly from University Blvd North to Imeson do? 20Th street? There are lots of places where this MIGHT work, but are they aware how much fuel a boat burns? How many rules apply? This is a whole new adventure and they CAN'T PAVE IT! While I'm sure they have a good idea, I'm not sure they are the agency to do it... Spending your morning commute stuck on a mud flat in the Trout River might not be the best way to advertise this idea... Time will tell.
Ocklawaha
Hovercraft don't run aground or gouge manatees. They're just noisy.
BTW, the public/private partnership idea the JTA mentioned in the article might be the best way to get commuter rail started.
Quote from: urbanlibertarian on July 15, 2007, 06:40:47 PM
BTW, the public/private partnership idea the JTA mentioned in the article might be the best way to get commuter rail started.
You got that right. There's several private entities that stand to benefit from a potential commuter rail system. They include Flagler Development/FEC, Shands Jacksonville, Avenues Walk/Kimco Developers, Avenues Mall/Simon, JIA/River City Marketplace, Edward Waters College, Jax Zoo and FCCJ for starters, not to mention the possibility of allowing advertising on trains and stations.
Like I said, I agree it's a good idea. If applied in the right places. I think the Ortega-St.Johns-Cedar Creek offers a great opportunity to relieve Blanding. However, like JTA playing transit agency when their primary business is planning and building highways, JTA will only spill out another bucket of worms once they take on maritime duties. Perhaps JTA SHOULD start this, get the fleet up and running, build the transfer facilities and docks, rebuild the bridges to (such as Collins Road) then get out of the way and allow a new "JMA or Jacksonville Maritime Authority" take charge. In fact, let's host a transport liberation day and on THAT date, we form the JMA "marine transport", JTA "Rail-Bus-LRT transit", and the new JHA "Jacksonville Highway Authority".
No more conflict's of interest, and maybe, just maybe, something SMART would happen!
Ocklawaha
I don't think JTA is considering running the hovercraft down any tributaries. From what I've read, it will basically only be the St. Johns.