BRT not going down Adams, Bay and Forsyth

[thelakelander]

Congrats.  It appears that JTA has decided to revise their plans to convert either Adams or Bay and Forsyth into Bus Rapid Transit routes.  For the time being, the plan is to enhance the trolley bus system to serve the downtown core.  Here's an email I received from Ron Barton on the issue.

Paul passed on your note to me. I appreciate your interest in this subject and I encourage you to continue to interact with the JTA on this subject just as JEDC and DVI have. We have made significant progress with the JTA relative to the BRT issues and they have certainly heard us relative to the intrusions that the BRT system would impose on our core downtown. We are working with JTA to shift the inner core transit burden to the Trolley system which we think is a better system fit for the inner core.

In our latest meeting with JTA they indicated that the inner core bus traffic could decrease by as much as 30%. This would be a great thing as the exiting bus system is more of a blight to the downtown (noise, traffic, bus stop locations in wrong places, etc).  At the same time it allows for the enhancement in the Trolley service (headways and locations) greatly benefiting the resident, consumer and office worker in the core, something we need badly in order to better connect our large downtown (especially until we can gear up a more aggressive streetscape program that will make the downtown more walkable).  Any way just wanted to give you an update. We will still have an east/west route dialogue with JTA before it is over with and your support on that discussion will be valued. We still feel that the routes should stay on the fringes of downtown (Broad/Jefferson on north/south and Union/State on the east/west). Feel free to pass this on to any of your folks that are interested in this subject, as an update.

[77danj7]

Well that is some good news!  Way to go everyone for sending in emails, doing surveys, and going to meetings!

[midnightblackrx]

A win for downtown! Hooray!

[Steve]

If this holds true, this is defintely a win for downtown.  I won't stop trying to kill this entire thing (whith the possible exception of the line to the east since there is no pre-existing rail), but at least it won't come down Adams St.

[second_pancake]

You guys are full of good news!  Great job!

[JeffreyS]

Hope springs eternal congats.

[Ocklawaha]

So they do the same thing with a potato-chip-truck painted to play-trolley and call it our "Trolley" service, then put the same or even more buses downtown. SMOKE AND MIRRORS! Probably more smoke then mirrors.

Until, we JTA and the CITY to back off rubber tires, and marry themselves to the Skyway (which some may recall was to replace downtown bus routes), and embrace REAL TROLLEYS with steel wheels on steel rails, nothing much is going to change. For downtown (both North and Southbank) to have effective transit, we need in descending order, SKYWAY-LRT on the primary routes, TRUE electric trolley buses on the secondary routes, something novel and not large on all other smaller routes... such as vintage buses (which can be ordered new with electric or CNG engines).

No victory yet, all we have removed is the giant Jersey barriers in the middle of the busway... the bus is still coming.

Ocklawaha

[thelakelander]

Ock.  You have a valid point.  Downtown would be better off with electric shuttle buses running the trolley routes, as opposed to what currently pollutes the downtown streets.

[Ocklawaha]

So right Lake, the Chattanooga style vehicle is great, or we could go with traditional Trolley Bus, which is starting to make a strong come-back.

Then there is another system...



These can be ordered in almost any shell design, they are built from the ground up, and feature the ability to pull up to 2 trailer coaches. They are all steerable, and even better they are wire guided. A simple wire is buried in the pavement and each coach and it's trailers follow the wire with automatic steering. Recharging is done at stops with a device also buried in the pavement the bumps up the power for the next trip segment. Unproven? No, they are used in theme parks around the world, and just now finding their way into transit.

The same Tech company also offers a real streetcar version of the same system, minus the guide wire. It also charges its self as it makes its circuit. The only limitation the system seems to have is somewhat slower speed, and a 5 minute dwell time at end point terminals. Which means they don't make for fast commuter buses or streetcars, but they make excellent shuttle vehicles in a downtown core.

Ocklawaha

[Cheshire Cat]

That is great news guys.  My congrats to all of you.  Keep up the hard work. 

I also agree with Ock about the trolleys and would love to see "the real deal" in our downtown.

Keep it up guys and very well done indeed.