JTA shifting towards mass transit?

[Tacachale]

I don't want to downplay the news, as it's good to hear, but there's still going to be a problem with the people currently at JTA. Right now JTA is a good road building agency and a poor public transportation agency. Just telling them to change their focus from the thing they're good at to the thing they're not good at isn't going to solve the issue.

[JeffreyS]

Needless to say, I am thrilled with this.

“There just isn’t going to be a lot of money for road construction right now,” Jones said. “And we need to find a better way to get people around town.”

Let us show you Councilman Jones.  It starts with the Mobility Plan.

+1

Which will work as shown by 7-Eleven. They want to do major expansion throughout the market but did they rush to the suburbs where the mobility fee moratorium would would have granted them the biggest relief or the core where they wouldn't have the fee even after the moratorium sunsets? They went to the core because businesses gravitate to where they think their business model works best not to where the city council has given insider benefits to the local good ol boys.  You seem to be learning city council learn from the Mobility Fee Moratorium mistake as well.

[JeffreyS]

I don't want to downplay the news, as it's good to hear, but there's still going to be a problem with the people currently at JTA. Right now JTA is a good road building agency and a poor public transportation agency. Just telling them to change their focus from the thing they're good at to the thing they're not good at isn't going to solve the issue.

I think you state it too strongly that it won't solve the issue but it may not.  If they are competent in the area they have chosen as the higher priority that competence may well translate to new priorities. Plus they are getting new leadership.

[dougskiles]

Right now JTA is a good road building agency and a poor public transportation agency. Just telling them to change their focus from the thing they're good at to the thing they're not good at isn't going to solve the issue.

The change starts from the top and works its way down.  A new leader brings in new people.  No different than what Mayor Brown has done.  It doesn't happen over night.  But it doesn't happen at all without a change in focus directive from the city leaders.

[urbanlibertarian]

Maybe JTA can steal Jesus Gomez away from Gainesville's RTS.  My only experience with them is on Gator gameday but color me impressed.

[wsansewjs]

Maybe JTA can steal Jesus Gomez away from Gainesville's RTS.  My only experience with them is on Gator gameday but color me impressed.

I completely DISAGREE with this. RTS is much smaller than JTA. We need someone from a LARGE city mass transit like METRO from NYC or BART from San Francisco. Someone who is already familiar with the state of the art services and efficient operations and compare to JTA to push for massive improvement.

In other words, I wouldn't mind if Uncle Ockie would be the director of JTA.

-Josh

[fsujax]

JTA needs someone with strong transit background. Preferably with fixed guideway transit i.e. streetcar, LRT or Commuter Rail. I would suggest look outside Florida to Charlotte, Houston, Dallas, Austin, Salt Lake City, Portland, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Minneapolis that should be a good start.

[JFman00]

Chicago's Metra (commuter rail) has done quite well on a shoestring budget.

[thelakelander]

JTA needs someone with strong transit background. Preferably with fixed guideway transit i.e. streetcar, LRT or Commuter Rail. I would suggest look outside Florida to Charlotte, Houston, Dallas, Austin, Salt Lake City, Portland, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Minneapolis that should be a good start.

+1

[urbaknight]

Maybe they'll finally kill that stupid sprawlling ass transit hub. And go back to the drawling board with a more compact and major city like atmosphere.

[John P]

JTA needs someone with strong transit background. Preferably with fixed guideway transit i.e. streetcar, LRT or Commuter Rail. I would suggest look outside Florida to Charlotte, Houston, Dallas, Austin, Salt Lake City, Portland, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Minneapolis that should be a good start.

I wonder if  Jta will offer a competative salary.

[fsujax]

well, for the Director of SLC UTA to come here it take $400,000 a year salary.

[exnewsman]

The City Council is basically telling JTA to focus on mass transit.

Wow.

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2012-03-29/story/jta-might-soon-be-out-road-building-business

All this really is - lazy journalism. Larry Hannan went to he same two people in City Council who he knows hates JTA and asks them for a comment. And guess what - he got exactly what he wanted. Bishop and Crescembeni have made it very clear over the past eyars that that don't like anything about JTA. Crescembeni is still bitter about JTA gettign the go-ahead from council (over his objections) to put up bus shelters with advertising. Bishop thinks he can design roads/bridges/overpass/etc better than anything JTA can do. Have you seen his portfolio - not very impressive.

Come on Larry - work a little harder. There are 19 members on the council. Maybe ask a question of the other 17 and see what happens. Nope. Better to go back to the quote machines. Weak!

[John P]

well, for the Director of SLC UTA to come here it take $400,000 a year salary.

How much did Blaylock make?

[exnewsman]

The City Council is basically telling JTA to focus on mass transit.

Wow.

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2012-03-29/story/jta-might-soon-be-out-road-building-business

All this really is - lazy journalism. Larry Hannan went to he same two people in City Council who he knows hates JTA and asks them for a comment. And guess what - he got exactly what he wanted. Bishop and Crescembeni have made it very clear over the past eyars that that don't like anything about JTA. Crescembeni is still bitter about JTA gettign the go-ahead from council (over his objections) to put up bus shelters with advertising. Bishop thinks he can design roads/bridges/overpass/etc better than anything JTA can do. Have you seen his portfolio - not very impressive.

Come on Larry - work a little harder. There are 19 members on the council. Maybe ask a question of the other 17 and see what happens. Nope. Better to go back to the quote machines. Weak!

Meh.  It would be even lazier to simply accept these ad hominem attacks on bishop and Crescimbini as the gospel.

Ive been told the same thing by at least four other council people, so I don't think that Larry Hannan is too far off

Well I'm sure that BB and JC are glad you have their back. Doesn't make my comments any less true.