Dump the Pump

[dougskiles]

Saw it on a JTA bus stop today.



hosting images

[Doctor_K]

Now, if only they had

A) more of those fancy sheltered bus stops
B) logical routes
C) less than 50-minute headways on all of its routes
and
D) better management

that would be awesome, and worthwhile!

[JeffreyS]

Find a way to do it.

[Cliffs_Daughter]

June 16th... hmm... no school, kid will be out of town.

Yes, I believe I will take some buses to work. 

[tufsu1]

JTA also has a neat calculator on their site...try it out!

http://www.jtafla.com/AboutJTA/DTP.aspx

[danem]

Do they have a loop from baymeadows to town center? That would be SWEET and I would ride that.

(Just one example)

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

Funny?!?  I do this everyday.

[peestandingup]

Now, if only they had

A) more of those fancy sheltered bus stops
B) logical routes
C) less than 50-minute headways on all of its routes
and
D) better management

that would be awesome, and worthwhile!

Indeed. I'd actually love to follow their advice, but that's just not going to happen for obvious reasons now is it.

So, ahem, JTA. Allow me to retort.

[videojon]

I took the bus today while dealing with some car issues and I wish they had wifi access on the buses. Those are long rides.

It would also be cool to have an app that shows where the buses are at any given point in time so I can know if I missed a bus/need to wait for next one/get creative with another route.

Though I do realize the services wouldn't be used much.

[Gators312]

I never ever consider using JTA, outside of my dreams of a rail line that would run along 17 / Roosevelt from Clay county through Downtown or using the Skyway when I have already driven downtown. 
When I go to Seattle, Vancouver, Oakland, SF, DC, even Las Vegas I wonder if anyone from JTA has ever been to one of these cities.  So I am not transit averse...But I digress...

This thread got me thinking about what trip I could take on JTA that would be useful or interesting for me to participate in DtP.  I thought I would try to take my 1yr old daughter to meet my wife for lunch.  Here is what JTA can do for me.

So by 8:45am I get to load my daughter up in her stroller, walk the 1.1 miles with no sidewalk along a busy 6 lane highway to catch a 9:15am bus that will get me to Riverplace Tower by 10:50am after 2 transfers. After lunch I get to make the return trip departing at 12:56 or 1:20pm arriving 2:59pm no matter my departure time, followed by the 1.1 mile walk previously mentioned.

So 22 miles round trip @ 17 mpg (my vehicle city avg) = 1.30 Gal @ $4.00 gal = $5.20 Fuel Cost vs. $5.50 Transit Fare, plus an additional 3 hrs travel time.

Just another example why JTA = epic fail. 

From the JTA trip planner. 

Depart...Avent Drive in Jacksonville

Then...

Go to: S.E. Corner Of Roosevelt Blvd. & Yorktown Ave. (Approx. 3/4 to 1 mi.)  REALLY = 1.1 Miles
Board: J.T.A. W.S.24 Line/Ortega-Nas Shuttle at 9:16 am (next bus 2:12 pm)
Fare: Pay $1.00
Get Off: F.S.C.J. Kent Campus at 9:37 am

Then...
Go to: N.E. Corner Of F.S.C.J. Kent Campus, 3939 Roosevelt Blvd
Board: J.T.A. R5 Line/Regency-F.C.C.J.-U.N at 10:15 am (next bus 11:15 am)
Fare: Pay $1.00
Get Off: Pearl St. & Bay St. at 10:35 am

Then...
Go to: Bay St & Pearl, Central Station
Board: J.T.A. Skyway Line/Kings Ave Station at 10:43 am (next at 10:48 am)
Fare: Pay $0.50
Get Off: Flagler Av & Riverplace at 10:50 am

Arrive... 1301 Gulf Life Drive in Jacksonville

Depart... 1301 Gulf Life Drive in Jacksonville

Then...

Go to: N.E. Corner Of San Marco Blvd. & Prudential Dr.
Board: J.T.A. S.S.8 Line/Spring Park-San Souc at 12:56 pm (next 2:01 pm)
Fare: Pay $1.00
Get Off: F.C.C.J. Station at 1:10 pm

Then...
Go to: N.W. Corner Of F.C.C.J. Station, Hogan St & Union St
Board: J.T.A. P4 Line/Roosevelt-103rd at 1:55 pm (next bus at 2:34 pm)
Fare: Pay $1.00
Get Off: San Juan Ave. & Fair St. at 2:26 pm

Then...
Go to: S.W. Corner Of San Juan Ave. & Fair St.
Board: J.T.A. W.S.24 Line/Ortega-Nas Shuttle at 2:44 pm (next bus 3:56 pm)
Fare: Pay $1.00
Get Off: Yorktown Ave. & Roosevelt Blvd. at 2:59 pm

[Doctor_K]

Find a way to do it.

Oh I would, believe me.  If any of the routes went where I needed them to go, in a timely manner.

[duvaldude08]

Do they have a loop from baymeadows to town center? That would be SWEET and I would ride that.

(Just one example)

NOPE. And you wanna know something stupid? I stay off baymeadows. If I wanted to take the bus to the Avenues, which is around the corner I would have to take TWO BUSES. I would have to take the B7 up the street to Baymeadows way, then hop on the L7 to go around the corner to the Avenues. That is the DUMBEST crap I have seen in my life. Stuff like this is why people dont like riding the bus here.

[JeffreyS]

Well perhaps just one aspect of everyone's day transit could be used.  Lunch or trip to post office.

[KenFSU]

Find a way to do it.

Find a way to do it.

Oh I would, believe me.  If any of the routes went where I needed them to go, in a timely manner.

Same here.

Choosing to "dump the pump" would add no less than three hours of extra travel to my work day. JTA can frame it as if the spoiled consumer is choosing to drive rather than take the bus all they want, but that doesn't change the fact that one day's commute to work via JTA bus takes longer than my entire week's commute in my own vehicle. I'd love the opportunity to take the bus to work, but not if it means sacrificing 33% of my non-working, non-sleeping day to do so. It'd be nice to be able to not worry about driving and to do a crossword or catch up on some work on the bus. But it's not so nice to start The Lord of the Rings while waiting on the bus in the morning and running out of movie by the time you get home at night.

Question for those wiser on transportation planning than I:

What's wrong with our bus system? Why are the headways so long, and the routes so wonky? Bad planning? Sprawl? Lack of buses and/or funding? Outdated routes? Is the bus system fixable given their current assets and infrastructure?

[Cliffs_Daughter]

Thinking harder about it, I suppose it would be easier to drive to work BUT get a few gals in the office to walk & ride the skyway with me... we could cross over to Tidbits for lunch.