The MAX: A New Name for JTA's Bus Rapid Transit

[Metro Jacksonville]

The MAX: A New Name for JTA's Bus Rapid Transit



The Jacksonville Transportation Authority's (JTA) long planned Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project has a new brand name. The MAX!



Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2012-aug-the-max-a-new-name-for-jtas-bus-rapid-transit

[civil42806]

How much did the consultant get paid to rebrand the bus system?

[ChriswUfGator]

How much did the consultant get paid to rebrand the bus system?

+1

[jcjohnpaint]

It drives me mad that this system parallels the skyway.  And what is the difference between this and the regular bus system?  Are we only gaining a dedicated lane that people will drive in anyways? 

[Captain Zissou]

Who thinks this will actually cover its cost??  Let's tear it down!!!

[Jason]

Please call it the Jax Max.

[Doctor_K]

Agree w/ jcjohnpaint.

Why the F*** does it parallel the Skyway??

[archiphreak]

could we make the shelters more boring and antiseptic? How much did we, tax payers, pay for this is also what I'd like to know. Why wasn't there a city wide design competition issued? And what effect is this dedicated lane going to have on cyclists who already have a difficult enough time traveling downtown and surrounding?....What a cluster F$%^.

[JFman00]

BRT has stations. American bus systems for poor people have shelters. We really need to stop calling these kinds of plans BRT when they're not.

[avonjax]

No matter what the name it's still a crappy bus.

[jcjohnpaint]

So the new widening of Beach near Hodges added shelters that look like the stations shown.  These stations actually look the same/  What is the difference?  One is called BRT and stops at stations that look like shelters (hopefully frequented by the rich) and the other is call a 'city bus' and it stops at shelters that look like shelters.  We just pay much more to call one service BRT/ Again running parallel to the skyway.
We have so many people around here that bitch so much about paying taxes and wasteful spending... again, nobody is protesting this one!

[Ocklawaha]

MAX, the name of the Portland Light Rail project, here's the story of the 'original' MAX.

THINGS ARE DIFFERENT HERE

In 1974, residents of Southeast Portland rejected a proposed eight-lane freeway that would have destroyed many neighborhoods, and officials decided to put the money toward transit instead.

At a time when pavement and parking lots were measures of a city's growth, this was a pioneering decision that marked a new way of thinking about how transportation affects our quality of life.

By the late 1970s the Portland region was embracing the idea of linking land use and transportation to help manage growth and maintain livability:

1976: The city replaces a four-lane freeway downtown with what is now Tom McCall Waterfront Park.

1978: The Portland Transit Mall opens, with one-way streets intended specifically for transit. Among the first of its kind in the nation, the Mall became the focus for downtown redevelopment.

1981: Instead of a 10-floor parking garage, the city builds Pioneer Courthouse Squareâ€"now known as Portland's "living room."
1986: MAX Light Rail opens between downtown and Gresham, using money initially earmarked for new freeways. MAX was one of the first modern light rail systems in the country.

Today, Portland is frequently cited as one of the best places to live in the world, known for its thriving downtown, walkable neighborhoods, extensive bike paths and comprehensive transit system.

"BRT, it's just like rail only CHEAPER!" (National BRT Institute)

In JAX perhaps that means we can fool our citizens to buy into the BRT sales pitch that this 'IS' light rail, only without the rails. Let's name it after a light rail system.

archiphreak, not only are our bus stop plans ho-hum, our JRTC plans are ho-hum too, so they'll match nicely.

I'm in OKC right now, when I return, prepare to be blown out of the water Jacksonville. OMG! We've got to pull our heads out!

OCKLAWAHA

[jcjohnpaint]

Kind of like real beer, but just a little watered down and half the calories.  Oh we meant to say totally watered down and tastes like shit. 

[KenFSU]

All riders should be required to sit in their seats backwards, AC Slater style...

[buckethead]

IIRC, Kansas City has a BRT line by the exact same name... maybe even the exact same logo.

It's been since 2010, so I might be misremembering.