Bus Shelters: Time to Grow up Jacksonville

[archiphreak]

I think that's a good start.  Jacksonville is a growing city, still one of the fastest growing cities in Florida and the US, so there is room to get a little more edgy, modern, futuristic, flashy, whatever.  Anyone else have something they want to throw up?

[Jason]

Here is something with a little flair.  This would fit perfectly downtown as a bus or trolly stop.

[Jason]

Here is a better image...

[thelakelander]

nice...

[thelakelander]

Here are a few examples I came across on Google.

Logic would say we should be able to set the standards, dimensions, etc. for any type of advertisement that would go up on our streets.  It's no different from a zoning ordinance that states what you can build on your property.  As I said earlier, Jax is about 10 years behind most similar sized cities regarding this issue.  That means there's both good and bad stories to learn from.  I'd say the Pinellas image on Folio Weekly would represent the bad side of things.  Here's a few good ones from a simple google search.













Bus shelters with ads don't have to look like crap if we don't want it.  We control that.  Demand these types of shelters or no ads at all.

[Ocklawaha]

A JTA bus? A mobile billboard? A rolling whore-house? But PLEASE, PLEASE, don't put up a small poster? Duh?  

Okay y'all, mark the date on your calender... Blaylock, Miller, JTA and Company, I'm going to be NICE to JTA!  



This is not a bad start, ever wait at a bus stop in Bakersfield, California in August?

Having traveled far and wide, there is much good about our City Bus system as it is. The whole system was redesigned after Ed Muller and myself spent several long meetings talking about the old Streetcar routes which were still being used (for buses) in the 1970-80's. We identified all major employers, schools, retail, residential and re-aligned the routes in a hub and spokes. Then wrapped the hub with cross-town cut-off buses such as University Blvd. I am sure that this process has been done again and that there is up dated information on where people are moving about the City. Armed with good route information and a new design, (recall that buses are "better" then rail because they are flexible... oops sorry, said I would be nice) the City and JTA should work to incorporate parts of the BRT concepts into EVERY stop. I would argue that this should NOT be from the CBD out, but from the audited passenger boardings system-wide, priority being given to the stops that have the heavy load factors.



This small stop has "real time information" and a small seating area in Orlando.

The issue at hand is advertising at the bus stops. This is not rocket science. We have several buses in the fleet that we have allowed to be painted reminiscent of "rolling whore houses." Yet City Council is worried about a 4'x 6' poster behind a glass frame? If you really want to attack Transit Advertising, get it the hell off the total bus and back onto placards mounted on the front, back or sides. There is more then money at stake here, though I can't yet prove it, I have a theory.  I would challenge the City and JTA to have an independent study done of a standard painted transit bus, and a "rolling billboard" bus, running the same route. Allow the passenger to make a choice which to ride, then tally the results. If Light Rail out performs Bus with as much as a 2/3 margin, no small part of that is the psychological aspect of a FIXED ROUTE. Standard Transit Buses have more of that appeal then a giant "TV SET" or "Whore House on Wheels." Walk though ANY URBAN City and notice the stores and walks are chock full of small posters and signs. In front of our own award winning downtown library is a big fold up sign advertising the Library and it's services! What difference is there in a sign in front of the library, (blocking the middle of the sidewalk), or one professionally designed to blend into a Transit Stop? MONEY! Neither hurt the City, neither should be banned, to do so is to flush away much needed improvements to our JTA system.



Like JTA along Atlantic, Miami-Dade employs many pull out stops, yet like the Jacksonville proposal, they work from the inside out, so major stops such as the VA clinic have a sign in the mud and nothing else. Let's get it right the first time.

The Stops themselves, (again starting with the high traffic stops) should be made into turnouts. Bus traffic should be able to exit the mainstream of the roadway and pick up or discharge passengers. HOV lanes and signal priority could also be added giving us a deep discount version of the ridiculous BRT plan. Every bus stop should be coordinated with City Sanitation to have an attractive trash receptacle nearby. Lesser stops should be provided with a smaller "mushroom" shelter or simple covered bench. No one should have to stand in the grass (in a bed of fire-ants and trash), and every stop should have a small paved slab. EVERY ONE of these improvements could be sponsored by advertising and nearby businesses.



Wow, imagine this above your commuter stop, would this help? What about those confused T-U reporters that couldn't find the bus? Would this guide them?

Lastly, major stops on EVERY route should have REAL TIME bus arrival and departure information signs. These are tied to tracking systems aboard the buses themselves and can tell you: "The next #9 bus will arrive in 10 minutes.....Thank you for using JTA....Thirsty? The BP station offers ice cold coke for .75, come on in, it's cold inside.... The next #9 bus will..."



Okay, so I couldn't resist just ONE photo of Transit Perfection, imagine this next to Shands, ask yourself, which way to you want to go?

It's not time for BRT (see guys I'll save my venom for another day) it is time to allow what we have to mature into the system it can be. I mean, what the hell Jacksonville, we might even get the passenger boardings of Gainesville or Clearwater next year... MIGHT! City Council, the ball is in your court.

For more on BRT, SKYWAY, LRT and JACKSONVILLE TROLLEY HISTORY please visit me at:

http://www.freewebs.com/lightrailjacksonville

Ocklawaha

[Jason]

Fantastic insight Ock.  Those are all great ideas and its those little details that set apart a mediocre transportation system (even if it is busses) from a great one.

[Owen Holmes]

In the spirit of providing a little balance, here are a few reminders from Pinellas County of how hideous these things CAN look:

[Jason]

^ Great contrast.  Anything owned by ClearChannel will surely be loaded with outrageous advertisments.  Panels that large become a safety issue, IMO, by reducing visibility.

[thelakelander]

The great thing is there are both good and bad examples of how to do this thing.  That's one of the benefits of being in a community that's on average 10 years behind most of it's peer cities.  With that said, if this is to be approved, it needs to be done with binding conditions that eliminate the possibility of the crap lining Pinellas' streets to pop up in Jax and forces shelters, more in line with the modern shelters.

[Ocklawaha]

Seen this THING lately? I'd rather pass a dozen well done poster ads, in frames, and nice little shelters, then to see this sorry excuse for advertising coming at me. It has the same effect as watching television with out of town guests. Some idiot commercial comes on with a guy selling "peanut-butter proof," house siding or car dealer smashing windows, and jumping up and down on the hood... Your face turns red, your sorry your guests saw this image of our city... and make a note, you'll NEVER EVER be seen in that car lot! We have the power to control this, right now we have it bass-ackward!

Ocklawaha

[big ben]

i saw a bus shelter at the corner of 1st and main that looks pretty good.  more springfieldish than downtowney, so it doesn't look out of place.

[archiphreak]

Here is one of my ideas for a bus canopy.  There is room for signage/advertising that is out of the way, but still visible.  The shelter provides just that...shelter but you don't feel like you're sitting in a box waiting to get out.  You're a part of the environment that you are surrounded by, not removed from it.

[Jason]

How's this look Archiphreak?

[Ocklawaha]

Jason, that looks GREAT, doing away with any downward roof tilt toward the bus means happy and DRY passengers!
Like I said before, if it's a two sided station you simply employ a "Vee" shape to the roof allowing water to run off the ends of down spouts built into the support posts. The proper Transit name for that type of "Vee" roof shelter is "Butterfly Shed".  BTW, posted your graphic on the SLC - LRT thread.  

Ocklawaha