USDOT announces TIGER 2014 Grant Recipients

[Metro Jacksonville]

USDOT announces TIGER 2014 Grant Recipients



The U.S. Transportation Secretary Foxx recently announced 72 TIGER 2014 Recipients and the Jacksonville Transportation Authority's (JTA) application to extend the Skyway did not make the winner's circle. The U.S. Department of Transportation received 797 eligible applications from 49 states, U.S. territories and the District of Columbia, an increase from the 585 applications received in 2013.  Overall, applicants requested 15 times the $600 million available for the program, or $9 billion for needed transportation projects. Here's a list of the winning applications.

Read More: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2014-sep-usdot-announces-tiger-2014-grant-recipients

[Anti redneck]

I guess they're just not taking Jacksonville too seriously. How many times has JTA been passed up now?

[Lunican]

What happened to the money they got in 2010 for BRT on Broad St through Downtown?

http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2010-jul-downtown-bus-rapid-transit-project-moving-forward

[Lunican]

Very exciting... Scheduled for completion in 2012!!



In this location today there isn't even a sidewalk, just a mud path.

[CityLife]

The state of Florida, despite holding 6% of the US's population (and a much higher percentage of total visitors, tourists, and part time residents) was only awarded one winning grant (1.3% of all winners). The $20 million awarded to South Florida only comprises 3.3% of all Tiger funds.

[thelakelander]

Very exciting... Scheduled for completion in 2012!!



In this location today there isn't even a sidewalk, just a mud path.

I'm not sure, but BRT is now proposed for Park Street through Five Points and Riverside. I just noticed it this morning on the 2040 LRTP project maps.  Year's ago, the plan was to run BRT down the CSX "A" Line.  I guess CSX didn't approve, so the path switched to Roosevelt and I-10 to Forsyth Street to access the JRTC.

[tufsu1]

I guess they're just not taking Jacksonville too seriously. How many times has JTA been passed up now?

JTA has been passed by twice...but considering the chances of "winning" this year were less than 10%, that isn't surprising.

The BRT project was funded through FTA Small Starts, not TIGER....and from what I've heard, construction is imminent

The first leg of SR 9B was funded by the Stimulus

The only TIGER grant that Jacksonville has received was $10 million to JAXPORT for the Intermodal Container Transfer Facility, now under construction

[tufsu1]

Very exciting... Scheduled for completion in 2012!!



In this location today there isn't even a sidewalk, just a mud path.

done (stupidly) on purpose.  The City didn't build a sidewalk on that side because JTA was supposed to come in the next year and reconstruct.

[simms3]

I know this has probably been discussed to death, but is it just me or is the JRTC in a pointless location?  All of the proposed streetcar routes have to jog out of the way to "connect" (pointlessly) to this JRTC before continuing on their route through downtown.

Streetcars aren't for moving massive amounts of people - they are essentially permanent fixed-rail bus routes that are short and for Point A to Point B (i,e, Riverside to DT).  A connection, especially out of the way, seems highly unnecessary, especially if it's possible to do something like the L in Chicago's Loop, where most lines converge.


Also, having BRT through a neighborhood like Riverside seems like overkill doesn't it?  BRT to me is like a cheaper alternative for rail if the funds aren't there for a new subway line but ridership and crowding on existing bus lines is an issue.  I can't imagine at R-A's relatively low density that bus frequency is that high or that the buses themselves are crowded (I have ridden a couple in my time in Jax and a] the transfer downtown was annoying but understandable and b] these buses weren't crowded at all!).

Wouldn't simple improvements to bus services be enough?  e,g, new busses, improved frequency, etc?  It's not like BRT is going to mean thousands of new apartments in NIMBY single-family housing areas like Riverside-Avondale (so economic development is pointless), and the density really isn't there.  Maybe just keep it "quaint" with a streetcar, spend a little extra, and call it a day?

[neptune]

Are there any alternative funding opportunities for the projects included in the TIGER application? both Skyway and Bikeshare?

[cline]

Also, having BRT through a neighborhood like Riverside seems like overkill doesn't it?  BRT to me is like a cheaper alternative for rail if the funds aren't there for a new subway line but ridership and crowding on existing bus lines is an issue.  I can't imagine at R-A's relatively low density that bus frequency is that high or that the buses themselves are crowded (I have ridden a couple in my time in Jax and a] the transfer downtown was annoying but understandable and b] these buses weren't crowded at all!).

Wouldn't simple improvements to bus services be enough?  e,g, new busses, improved frequency, etc?  It's not like BRT is going to mean thousands of new apartments in NIMBY single-family housing areas like Riverside-Avondale (so economic development is pointless), and the density really isn't there.  Maybe just keep it "quaint" with a streetcar, spend a little extra, and call it a day?

JTA is currently restructuring routes in Riverside/Avondale.  There are signs on many of the bus stops warning of the stop going away.  They are going to consolidate some of the routes.  Last map I saw had a route going down Riverside Ave, up King and then out on Park ultimately terminating on 103rd.  There is also a route going up Edgewood to Casset and another route on Post Street going out to Normandy.  These may have changed though.

There has been talk of BRT along Park rather than Roosevelt.  It would then go down Blanding south to the OP mall.  I think it makes more sense to have the northern segment go down Park rather than Blanding as it would serve more of a population base.  I don't know that I've ever seen people at the SB bus stops that are currently along Roosevelt between McDuff and FSCJ.  They're basically in no-mans land.

I have no idea whatever happened to the A line corridor.

[thelakelander]

^The A Line corridor was largely unrealistic.  There was no way CSX has going to allow for the construction of a road for buses all the way down their ROW. You'd have an easier time getting them to share their tracks with commuter rail.

JTA's BRT isn't true BRT. It's just a bus with headways of 15 minutes. Something you'd expect in any city with decent transit options. Since they need all the ridership they can get, penetrating neighborhoods like Riverside makes sense.  Depending on it's operational hours, it probably replaces the trolley since there will possibly be stops at Five Points and Park & King. 

Park is also listed as a JTA Mobility and Transit Accessibility Improvement corridor.  I wonder if the plan is to rebuild Park Street, similar to what JTA will be doing with Jefferson and Broad Street?  If so, that will be a nice addition for the community. With that said, I don't think it makes sense to have both BRT and streetcar parallel each other so close while other areas of the core don't have as much access to transit. Pick one and spread the wealth to another underserved neighborhood.

[mtraininjax]

The state of Florida, despite holding 6% of the US's population (and a much higher percentage of total visitors, tourists, and part time residents) was only awarded one winning grant (1.3% of all winners). The $20 million awarded to South Florida only comprises 3.3% of all Tiger funds.

Yup, Corrinne delivers alright!

[cline]

^The A Line corridor was largely unrealistic.  There was no way CSX has going to allow for the construction of a road for buses all the way down their ROW. You'd have an easier time getting them to share their tracks with commuter rail.

JTA's BRT isn't true BRT. It's just a bus with headways of 15 minutes. Something you'd expect in any city with decent transit options. Since they need all the ridership they can get, penetrating neighborhoods like Riverside makes sense.  Depending on it's operational hours, it probably replaces the trolley since there will possibly be stops at Five Points and Park & King. 

Park is also listed as a JTA Mobility and Transit Accessibility Improvement corridor.  I wonder if the plan is to rebuild Park Street, similar to what JTA will be doing with Jefferson and Broad Street?  If so, that will be a nice addition for the community. With that said, I don't think it makes sense to have both BRT and streetcar parallel each other so close while other areas of the core don't have as much access to transit. Pick one and spread the wealth to another underserved neighborhood.

While I don't know for certain, I seriously doubt the plan calls for the rebuilding of Park -its just not feasible unless you're talking about simply resurfacing the road.  They will work within the current ROW.  The improvements will consist of signal pre-emption.  There are not many stops planned within the RA district for the BRT route.

[thelakelander]

I was hoping they'd perhaps be willing to possibly fund the proposed Five Points intersection improvements and streetscape/resurface Park between Margaret and Stockton or King, which is where many park in the ROW between the travel lanes and sidewalks. Maybe that's too much hope.