Why is everyone waiting for Feds or JTA to do something or give some funds?
Why don't we have better Jax plan for mass transit?
Have people vote if they want mass transit,then pass some additional taxes like better Jax to fund it.Hopefully Feds would join with some money too.
Maybe get involved with private companies,sharing at least cost of station or even use MT for additional services?
We already did that. There was $100 million in the Better Jacksonville Plan for mass transit, but no one knows where the money is now.
Well,this time we should do only for mass transit.No other projects.Strictly for mass transit to get developed.
Bos, as Lunican said, we already did that. The BJP had $100,000,000 dollars sitting aside just for Mass Transit. The people voted for it, and we trusted the city to set it aside for us... (big mistake apparently)... The way the funding set aside read, it could be used only for transit right-of-way, by ANY organization capable of performing the task.
When the Peyton Courthouse got into trouble for the 200Th time, the mayor went into "Good Old Boy" mode. Money got scooted all over hells half acre, and the courthouse was "saved." Funny thing happened on the way to the streetcar stop... The Money just freaking jumped up and disappeared! No one in the city is giving a stright answer, and I for one would love to gather some friendly attorneys to look into "WHERE'S THE MONEY?"
If we don't get a complete and straight answer from the city hall, then we as a citizen class, should sue for not only the discovery and replacement of the funds (even if they have to cancel some new developers PORK overpass), but for construction of a streetcar starter system, and maybe 30,000,000 for Skyway to 8Th at Shand's or to Atlantic at in San Marco.
Any takers?
OCKLAWAHA
Tampa will be asking voters for a 1% sales tax increase this fall strictly for transit...since that area is slightly less conservative than Jax, let's see what happens there first.
NO TU!
LET'S MAKE IT HAPPEN HERE FIRST!
Storm the ramparts! Damn the torpedoes, FULL SPEED AHEAD!
OCKLAWAHA
if we did that this year Ock and it failed (which it would),we couldn't bring it back for a decade!
Correct me if I am wrong, but JTA has been using the money to research the bus based "super lanes" project.
Buses = more roads, (ongoing paving contracts) more jobs (drivers, mechanics) therefore more patronage. JTA likes it because it supposed to give them flexibility. No large capex that a "fixed" transit system (ie: light/heavy rail, skyway) would cost, just ROW and road building cost.
Super Lanes are very popular in Mexico and South America. Essentially they are reversible express lanes that are for buses only. The buses are usually very long and articulated like a train, but roll on wheels.
My thought. No one will give up JTB or the Buckman to roll in on a bus, no matter how long.
This is what happens when the people in charge of the highways also control the transit money.
Transit is a regional activity and therefore requires regional leadership. There have been public hearings recently on transit management for NE Florida. JTA must give up a little control to get a more comprehensive regional plan.
Quote from: tufsu1 on January 29, 2010, 10:15:04 PM
if we did that this year Ock and it failed (which it would),we couldn't bring it back for a decade!
It's all about will to win TU. I recently went through our national elections in Colombia. For the first time in memory we have a president that is intelligent, benevolent, capitalist, social liberal, fiscal conservative, pro growth, pro industry, pro green, pro transit... in fact TU, I have yet to find ANYTHING that anybody could disagree with in the man. Colombia's President Uribe was, like every other president in the republic's history, saddled with a SINGLE term of 6 years and limits that prohibit any future election. The man is such a Godsend, that we voted to amend the constitution so a good president can stay for 2 terms, 12 years! Uribe has moved Colombia to the forefront of all Latin Countries because we wouldn't let him leave.
To hell with the rules TU, let's do it NOW, failure is not an option for those who percivere. If for some reason we don't fund it this time, then we do a special election next month, next year, the next year, and the next, and the year after that if needs be!
High Time for our city to LEAD! Never give up! Never Surrender! OCKLAWAHA
Are you saying we should elect Peyton again and extend his term?
QuoteWhen the Peyton Courthouse got into trouble for the 200Th time, the mayor went into "Good Old Boy" mode. Money got scooted all over hells half acre, and the courthouse was "saved." Funny thing happened on the way to the streetcar stop... The Money just freaking jumped up and disappeared! No one in the city is giving a stright answer, and I for one would love to gather some friendly attorneys to look into "WHERE'S THE MONEY?"
LOL - That money is long gone, used to plug holes in the budget, which will be, from what I hear, 150 million in the hole this year. Far worse than last year. We shall see.
So much for Peyton's running the city like a business. Ock - you should conduct his exit interview in 18 months and get him to recant trying to run the city like a business and finally admit to us all that government is inefficient and cannot be streamlined.
That money is an example of why you should properly plan and implement improvements when the money is made available. That money sat there for nearly a decade before disappearing. If there was a plan for mass transit when it was made availble, we would actually be riding on a starter line built with that money and leveraging that investment for additional federal help instead of wondering where it went.
The problem is Lake they have been telling us they are planing and studying for thirty years but no plan is ever completed or study ever finalized.
What is the current timeline for completion of the Streetcar or Commuter rail study? Any predictions on when they may really be completed or if when done the studies will actually be what we need when fund are available to be applied for. No we never have plans that could be implemented only planning for plans.
QuoteThe problem is Lake they have been telling us they are planing and studying for thirty years but no plan is ever completed or study ever finalized.
Over the last thirty years, outside of the Skyway and BRT, there has never been a true commitment. Everything else has been hot air. With that said, its our fault for not holding our leadership accountable.
QuoteWhat is the current timeline for completion of the Streetcar or Commuter rail study?
There is no real commitment to either one of these projects. Both are still waiting on funding to progress to the next round of studies needed to secure federal funding. Until that money is provided or we decide to fund something 100% local, we're in a holding pattern.
QuoteAny predictions on when they may really be completed or if when done the studies will actually be what we need when fund are available to be applied for.
If left up only to JTA, it could snow in hell before we see anything. If we can get someone to really run with this in the mayor's office or city council, and pay for it locally, you could see something up and running fairly quickly (ex. within five years).
QuoteNo we never have plans that could be implemented only planning for plans.
We've never really planned. We've talked and done a few charrettes but that's not planning. Imo, planning is making an official commitment (project and time wise) and working to meet those goals. With that said, we haven't committed to streetcar or commuter rail. We haven't selected a first phase corridor with a timeline for funding and construction. We haven't even gotten around to modifying land uses along that "selected first phase corridor" so that development taking place today will help support the transit system proposed. We seem to want federal dollars but we can't even do the studies required to even compete for them.
If we we did the things described above, over the last 15 years, we would have had a few shovel ready projects when the stimulus opportunity came along. Some people here don't like the fact that Central Florida is about to get HSR, but they really "planned" for it a while ago and had something far enough along to dust off the shelf when the opportunity came presented itself. Jax did not so Jax took a back seat.
Stephen, even Colombia has Mass Transit Systems... But then we have 'TRAFFIC CONTROL," too!
(http://colombiareports.com/pics/2009/12/tank_war.jpg)
OCKLAWAHA