JTA Transit Ridership Numbers

[Ocklawaha]

Exclusively about the Skyway and creative finance, John Mica is a HUGE FAN of the Skyway. He see's it as one of tomorrows answers and that JAX bailed out on a 1/3 finished project. He has spoken to MJ on the phone about it with such comments as "Guy's, get me something..." "they just need to ask..."

Now I said this was on creative finance, so in this instance we'll deal ONLY with the Northside line. Originally proposed from FSCJ north to Hogan's Creek, then following the extreme West side of the creeks/parks to the Shand's/8Th Street station. This is within inches of a quite large FEDERAL VA CLINIC planned for the area just South of the South medical arts tower.

WHY NOT APPROACH JOHN ABOUT A JOINT FUNDING-DESIGN-BUILD PLAN? A VA clinic with it's own built in feeder system, could even feature a train through the middle of the lobby.

Time to MOVE...

OCKLAWAHA

[tufsu1]

well John sure hasn't done anything for Jax. on commuter rail yet....in fact, funding was put in an appropriations bill that moved through the Senate but is sitting in the house.

And while Mica likes rail, don't use the word Amtrak around him!

[CS Foltz]

From my view point.............Rail is rail, who cares who it's name is? Mr Mica talks alot, but nothing concrete from him! If he is waiting till he heads up Transportation Committee, too little too late! I get tired of lip service vice action.............do something!

[showdogpro]

maybe so...but there are lots of private companies (even ones that file with the SEC) that can do it.

and plenty of government entities take their time...for example, if their fiscal year ends on Sept. 30, then they close their books sometime in November or December...get their audit done in January, pay the IRS in February/March (for-profit companies)...and then release their figures

Except we're now going into November and JTA just released. You don't think that's kinda late?

I don't think they just released it in November. I think it just got uploaded to the website in November.

[fieldafm]

maybe so...but there are lots of private companies (even ones that file with the SEC) that can do it.

and plenty of government entities take their time...for example, if their fiscal year ends on Sept. 30, then they close their books sometime in November or December...get their audit done in January, pay the IRS in February/March (for-profit companies)...and then release their figures

Except we're now going into November and JTA just released. You don't think that's kinda late?

Yes, its late... but consider that October 15th just passed, which was the deadline to file completed returns that were on extension.  So some businesses are just now getting their 09 tax returns in the IRS' hands.  I think we should hold JTA to a much higher standard than they have been accountable for up until to this point, but to Tufsu's credit its not totally without precedant in the private sector.

[urbaknight]

Of note: 81.2 percent of trips are taken by persons who ride 3 or more days per week
            Sixty percent of public transportation trips do not include a transfer
            Commuting to work...account for 59.2 percent of all transit trips reported
            Less than one-third of public transit rider households are "carless"

I would like to know how that compares to Jacksonville.

Simply put, it doesn't.

JTA has run things into the ground. JTA views its own system as a form of welfare, rather than any truly viable public transit option, and treats its customers and the taxpaying public with such disdain that its users are those people who are forced to ride the bus because they have no other choice. They have constructed a "last resort" instead of actual public transportation in Jacksonville. Much of their energy is devoted to convincing the public that there is either no problem at all, or that this kind of thing is par for the course. There seems to be no desire to actually fix the problem.

That's so true Chris, your wording is much better than mine, but I've been saying the same thing for years. But people simply dismiss me as a conspiracy theorist or a liberal activist. Most think they're too good for public transit. This is a big part of what feeds into the popular local belief, that you must have a car here in Jacksonville, if not, you're worthless!

Frankly, I would not be in the least surprised if they made it a city law to own a car or truck.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE HELP ME TO CHANGE THIS LINE OF THINKING!!! THOSE WHO HAVE TO RIDE THE BUS DEPEND ON IT FOR THEIR VERY SURVIVAL!!!

[CS Foltz]

Just now getting around to posting the 2009 figures huh? Does this mean since we are closing in on the end of 2010 that it will be next year before this years figures are available? From the looks of it............that would be a "YES"! My tax dollars fund their operation and this is the best that they can do? Get rid of all of JTA's upper management and lets start over! With all of them gone, we would have some money to put some simple shelters in ........you know the ones missing...........like 1,700+! But we got BRT coming............that by the way will have shelters...........too bad where it is going in at won't help the rest of the system or actually do something positive! Gotta love those Federal Tax Dollars...........once again, your and my tax dollars hard at work! So Eco friendly to boot.............BRT, just as good as rail, but cheaper!

[ChriswUfGator]

maybe so...but there are lots of private companies (even ones that file with the SEC) that can do it.

and plenty of government entities take their time...for example, if their fiscal year ends on Sept. 30, then they close their books sometime in November or December...get their audit done in January, pay the IRS in February/March (for-profit companies)...and then release their figures

Except we're now going into November and JTA just released. You don't think that's kinda late?

I don't think they just released it in November. I think it just got uploaded to the website in November.

That's how they release them. Duh.

This isn't a public company that files them with the SEC, when I say "release" I mean release to the public. They were not available to me before now, and I'm the public, so...

[CS Foltz]

JTA could care less about the public Chris! They are more concerned about saving their jobs and maintaining the status quo! They also have a problem with real numbers............I don't think what they publish is even accurate.............I mean......how do we know for sure what they print and put out for public consumption is real! With their propensity to cook the books and adjust numbers, I don't think they even know what the real figures are.....they just generate figures out of thin air! We need a third party auditor to go over their books and maybe the incoming administration will consider taking that upon themselves.....concrete grazing bovines!

[stjr]

not true...I know many corporations that publish their previous year financials 6+ months late.

Tufsu, just catching up on this thread.  JTA's year end for this 2009 report was September 30, 2009.  So, by posting it in October, 2010, it's more  than a year late.  JTA isn't regulated by the IRS or SEC.  Their statements are likely due by dates set by state and city laws and their bond holders.  My guess is the statements were done a long time ago and JTA just didn't want to make them readily available to the public on their web site.

Without regard to the numbers, which I will review separately, this report's pictures and words show just how little of substance JTA really is accomplishing.  It's the same fluff repeated over and over for the most part, especially with regard to mass transit.  I also note that it devotes about 5 full pages to its image building (billboards, web site rebuild, TV show, slogans, "outreach", an "academy", etc.) in the community.  I guess that takes on greater importance when you really aren't doing your job well. Another 4 pages are devoted to the Board and Mr. Blaylock.  That's a total of 9 pages out of 17 pages I count excluding the covers, table of contents, and financial information (we won't even talk about the copious amount of space for pictures).  Over 50% about self congratulations! If JTA cared about mass transit as much as its image, we would all be better off. 

Of the projects, much of the remainder is a reminder of how little progress JTA is really making since we now know what has transpired since it was written.

[ChriswUfGator]

Yeah, JTA has done an awful job. Guess we agree on this one stjr. I guess they figure if they don't congratulate themselves who will? Certainly nobody who has ever been on one of their buses has anything positive to say.

For the amount of money JTA wastes on bus-based transit we could have a real rail-based system. Everyone who thinks buses are cheaper doesn't understand how inefficient JTA is. Our public transit system could consist of two donkeys pulling a passenger cart and JTA would figure out how to make it cost $100mm.