Design approved for city’s new transit center

[Ocklawaha]

Frankly all operations personnel SHOULD HAVE UNLIMITED PASS PRIVILEGES, Floor sweepers, Mechanics, etc... on a per request basis. Management, should be REQUIRED to ride at least XX days per month, as regular passenger and the fare returned through expense accounts.

The Operations guys have EARNED the benefit.

The shop and other staff folks might need the benefit, per request.

The Management should ride without tipping the hand, so as to keep some eyes on the movements and outrages on-board. Of course knowing FOR SURE, the black dude in the back of the bus, with a paint stained tee-shirt, looks a little like Mr. Blaylock might not stop some crazy stunt, but KNOWING FOR SURE that the black dude sitting back there with is MR. BLAYLOCK, will sure keep things off the radar screen. Thus, management sees a taste of the REAL product. They should also have to turn in a sheet with accountability, showing they boarded and exited at different stops during any given time period.

The old C&O railroad was famous for it's passenger train service right up until the days of Amtrak. Though it had been greatly trimmed down, it still was sharp, clean and on-time. One of the reasons was then president Paul Reistrup, would board trains in a middle of the night snow storm in "God Forgot" West Virginia, or "Thumb Screw", Michigan, spill his suitcase, get lost on-board..."where was that lounge", etc... ANY EMPLOYEE that crossed him, had their walking papers by morning. It should also be said, he could be equally generous with rewards of cash, tips, benefits and perks to exceptional employees. He was legend and became the FIRST president of AMTRAK to start turning it into a railroad.

OCKLAWAHA

[tufsu1]

Ock...a few posta back you said....

"Greyhound and Amtrak are both in line to move, the sad part is our local MPO doesn't really get the concept of a TRANSPORTATION CENTER and IMO, has screwed it up by moving inter-city bus far from inter-city rail."

What does the MPO have to do with anything?...they didn't move Greyhound...nor did they design the new transportation center....JTA (with consultants) did!

[Ocklawaha]

Simple, someone had said to me the MPO was completely out of the picture, and you rather confirmed that. These sort of decsions are showing the weakness of our consolidated streamlined government, NOT it's strengths. Frankly, EVERYONE - from MPO, DVI, AIA, JEDC, JTA, FDOT, City Council, etc... plus a heavy citizen board of advisors both "concerned citizens at large" and perhaps an inner board of "citizen professionals in transportation" (I'm not just talking about me here but as the transportation hub of Florida, we have got zillions of minds going to waste on these things).

I WANT to see the project done, in fact I first presented the idea to the Mayor in 1976! (something else I haven't told anyone until now). I had a complete model of it done on the back of a "HAYSTACK MANDARIN" sign, LOL... I called for removal of the stub tracks and keeping the viaduct, and all 10 through tracks. Greyhound, Trailways and JTA would have taken over the former stub yard (where the exhibit building now sits). I still think that building could be cut in half leaving the original concourse (rebuilt with tunnel under it and BAY STREET) + the new Convention Concourse with the arched glass roof. The exhibit building itself maybe could serve as the new bus terminal, it would do to have an AIA competition to see it an idea could be hatched that would both save millions and use the building. I don't claim to be a building engineer but would love to find a way to cut it in half EAST to WEST, so that we'd have the concourse and the Northern 1/2 to recycle into bus and office, and the Southern 1/2 to use for drives, connection platforms and other station utilities as well as perhaps a couple of tracks.

Having been in on the FDOT meetings on this thing, AND the JTA, I can only think someone that did our design has never been to "OCALA" or "LOS ANGELES" where they have REAL and workable Transportation Centers converted from former Rail Depots.

If MPO was out of the process, WHY? WHY? WHY?

OCKLAWAHA

[tufsu1]

Ock...the MPO is a planning organization...and it does have a citizens committee...as well as a technical committee comprised of transportation planners from Duval, Nassau, Clay, and St. Johns counties.

but the reality is that MPOs don't have much governing power....so its pretty hard for them to be involved in the detailed design and permitting process....from a planning priority standpoint (where they do have power), everyone agrees that a multimodal center in that area is a good thing.

Also you mention AIA....this is also not a government group, just a professional organization....their power would be even more limited than the MPO in this.

Your ideas would have much greater impact if your posts didn't often seem like rants against "the man"

[thelakelander]

Imo, the best way to design the transportation center would have been JTA working with the city.  Ideally, the project (like every one, both large and small) should fit into a larger vision for the core.  If the city had a grand vision in mind, we would have probably ended up with a more compact transportation center, allowing more land for quality infill development.  The convention center would also most likely end up being relocated.

The negative side of transportation minded professionals taking control of this process, is that their main perspective focuses on moving buses from Point A to B.  There's no balance in creating a pedestrian scale community.  All successful projects need balance.

[Ocklawaha]

tufsu1 Sorry if the old hippie's rants offended you. No harm intended. BELIEVE ME, and I'm sure The Lakelander knows (and thus posted) that my inclusion of AIA and others was an attempt to point out
the missing vision. The idea that we don't seem to have "an idea"... 

I have been defensive of this Phase One project, as in-and-of iteself, it is a good start. I could see a Phase two moving South and not North. Having recently broken into the old tunnels (which I posted) was proof enough to me that this is still a workable solution.

OCKLAWAHA

[thelakelander]

The key to a compact center is to get the convention center out of there.  Doing such, would energize Bay Street's entertainment district (assuming center relocates to current courthouse site), create the ideal transportation complex and free up a few extra blocks for infill development.  All in all, we would be better utilizing the land and its assets.

[brainstormer]

I agree.  Putting a huge convention center complex right downtown on bay street between the sports complex and the landing would be a smart move to revitalizing the core.  Then perhaps, a streetcar line or extending the skyway would actually happen.  A larger convention center would also help book larger convention groups.  I wonder if the Bay Steet Station would still go forward if the convention center moves?  Anyone know if the complex is contingent on the convention center staying put?

[billy]

Tampa's convention center is 600,000 SF,
and is on the waterfront.