JTA approves HNTB contract for Skyway conversion

[CityLife]

As Action News Jax highlighted, Ford is neglecting JTA's core mission, which is to serve the people most in need of reliable, safe, and efficient transportation services. JTA is not even coming close to being able to serve the City's needs, which is to move its financially disadvantaged around so they can work, shop, and manage their lives without an automobile. I'm looking at JTA's budget from FY 22-23 and the agency only brought in $8,871,639 in passenger fares. The remaining $164,552,139 of operating expenditures were funded by a variety of federal, state, and local dollars. Local sales tax funded $98.8 million of that. It's not abnormal for public funds to subsidize the bulk of a transportation agencies operating costs, but I just wanted to highlight this because it's important to remember that JTA is a public service. Just like local parks, police department, etc.

Ford is clearly using the JTA and federal, state, and local tax dollars to serve his own interests and the interests of the greater transportation industry, not those of the people of Jacksonville. This can be seen by the fact that he was chair of the TRB and spends a significant amount of his working time traveling to various board meetings that do not serve Jacksonville's interests.  See below excerpt from his bio:

"Ford is currently the Immediate Past Chair of the prestigious Transportation Research Board (TRB), a division of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine that promotes innovations, technology, and research in transportation."

Jacksonville is not "getting in on the ground floor" of something special. It is being used as a guinea pig to test new technology that does not solve a problem or improve anything for the residents of Jacksonville.

When will the citizens and leaders of Jacksonville put an end to the madness?

[thelakelander]

Jacksonville is not "getting in on the ground floor" of something special. It is being used as a guinea pig to test new technology that does not solve a problem or improve anything for the residents of Jacksonville.

This. While I have no problem testing new technology that doesn't solve local problems, it should not be a higher priority than the core basic transportation needs of the community.

[Ken_FSU]

As Action News Jax highlighted, Ford is neglecting JTA's core mission, which is to serve the people most in need of reliable, safe, and efficient transportation services. JTA is not even coming close to being able to serve the City's needs, which is to move its financially disadvantaged around so they can work, shop, and manage their lives without an automobile. I'm looking at JTA's budget from FY 22-23 and the agency only brought in $8,871,639 in passenger fares. The remaining $164,552,139 of operating expenditures were funded by a variety of federal, state, and local dollars. Local sales tax funded $98.8 million of that. It's not abnormal for public funds to subsidize the bulk of a transportation agencies operating costs, but I just wanted to highlight this because it's important to remember that JTA is a public service. Just like local parks, police department, etc.

Ford is clearly using the JTA and federal, state, and local tax dollars to serve his own interests and the interests of the greater transportation industry, not those of the people of Jacksonville. This can be seen by the fact that he was chair of the TRB and spends a significant amount of his working time traveling to various board meetings that do not serve Jacksonville's interests.  See below excerpt from his bio:

"Ford is currently the Immediate Past Chair of the prestigious Transportation Research Board (TRB), a division of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine that promotes innovations, technology, and research in transportation."

Jacksonville is not "getting in on the ground floor" of something special. It is being used as a guinea pig to test new technology that does not solve a problem or improve anything for the residents of Jacksonville.

When will the citizens and leaders of Jacksonville put an end to the madness?

Great post, fully agree with every word.

One of the most important functions of public transportation is to connect low-income citizens and neighborhoods to the city's major job centers, as well as to educational and medical hubs. Transit should be the great equalizer that affords the same opportunities to everyone in the city, regardless of their zip code.

Per the Action News Jax investigation, the JTA is badly failing the economically disadvantaged. Inconsistent service and three-hour bus commutes for trips that would take 15-20 minutes by car is a death sentence for those who can't afford cars, or who have disabilities preventing them from driving.

What I don't think we realize as a city when we let JTA play in their sandbox autonomously is that the effects of poor public transit don't exist in a vacuum. How much crime in Jacksonville would be alleviated if better public transportation was in place? How much more equitable would the city be?

Using a notoriously "bad" area like Moncrief as an example. Let's say I live in the area and want to improve my life, rather than becoming another statistic. Maybe I want to get a retail/service job at the Town Center, where there's the highest concentration of such jobs in the city? Best case case scenario, it's a two-hour, two-bus trip each way. If I want to work and take classes at UNF, it's damn near impossible without a car. And this is assuming that all buses are actually running on time, which we know isn't the case. Maybe I can't feasibly commute 5 hours a day across the city to work or school? Maybe I have a younger sibling to take care of, or an ailing parent? And maybe someone offers me the opportunity to make a quick buck on the streets instead? Transit is such a key part of that vicious cycle that perpetuates crime and denies certain people the same opportunities for upward mobility as others.



The sad irony then is that our local gas tax - a tax paid by affluent and able vehicle-owners to (in part) help improve the city's transit for those who don't or can't drive - is being largely used to fund a vanity project intended to (inefficiently) shuttle well-to-do residents in San Marco, Brooklyn, Riverside, and the Southbank around downtown bars, parks, and sporting events.

It's downright terrifying if you look at the numbers.

Though the First Coast Flyer isn't perfect, and isn't true BRT, it's a solid system extending into every region of Jacksonville.

For $137.6 million, we built 57 miles of new lower-headway bus routes, 80 stations, and 92 shelters. We retrofitted 96 intersections for signal priority, and purchased 53 new buses for the First Coast Flyer.



For over THREE TIMES THE COST of the First Coast Flyer ($400 million+ vs. $138m), assuming JTA somehow becomes the first transit agency in the world to make AV work at scale, we're going to end up with a fancy, low-speed shuttle competing with the private vehicles or UberX of the affluent residents in the only neighborhoods it serves.



It would be a tragedy of nearly unprecedented proportions to let JTA blow half a billion dollars in a transit-starved, inequitable city like Jacksonville on a fancy, purposeless, proof-of-concept toy for the wealthy that no one outside of Nat Ford and the JTA as ever asked for. It satisfies no real need. It costs more than three BRT-lite systems. It serves 5 square miles of an 875-square mile metropolitan area.

It's just obscene.

Everyone involved with this thing should be sent packing.

It doesn't serve the city.

It serves one man's resume.

If we believe as a city that JTA primarily exists to equitably provide opportunity for all members of the community to get where they need to go to better their lives regardless of their circumstances, why are we blowing thirty years of fare revenue and our long-term transportation budget on a small remote-controlled loop making it slightly easier for someone to get from the Landing to a Jumbo Shrimp game without having to walk?

[Fallen Buckeye]

If I might make a suggestion...This site seems to have decent readership, and our policy makers need to hear from constituents to show public opposition to awful projects like this one. It might be worthwhile to add an advocacy section to this site. On this page you could add some forms that would send a prewritten email to make it really simple for people to reach out to the people who need to hear about an issue.

[Jax_Developer]

If I might make a suggestion...This site seems to have decent readership, and our policy makers need to hear from constituents to show public opposition to awful projects like this one. It might be worthwhile to add an advocacy section to this site. On this page you could add some forms that would send a prewritten email to make it really simple for people to reach out to the people who need to hear about an issue.

The Mayor's office literally can't do a thing. JTA is completely outside their jurisdiction outside of some board spots (a HUGE issue for Jax & the DIA). The way something changes is related to the article Marcus shared. Most of the board members are assignments from the state (one from FDOT). Most of the state appointed board members are termed out. However, the state couldn't give less of a s**t about this. So really we are handcuffed until the state puts in competent board members that realize the whole thing is a sham. Extremely unlikely to happen sadly.

To your overall point, I completely agree. I'm sure that there are people here who would carry weight locally.

[iMarvin]

Can the mayor/city refuse to provide funding? I know the mayor can't get rid of the board members but if JTA knows they have no local support for this, surely they'd stop pursuing it... right?

[jaxlongtimer]

Can the mayor/city refuse to provide funding? I know the mayor can't get rid of the board members but if JTA knows they have no local support for this, surely they'd stop pursuing it... right?

As I recall, when the gas tax passed, it was the City Council that decided how to allocate the funds within certain parameters, such as has to relate to transportation.  As such, I recall some $150 million was reallocated to the Emerald Trail.  This project could certainly use more funding to finish it sooner than later so no reason the City Council couldn't go back and maybe allocate even more from AV's to the ET  .

The only possibility holding this idea back would be if JTA bonded the gas tax revenue but I don't recall reading that has happened.

[Charles Hunter]

If I might make a suggestion...This site seems to have decent readership, and our policy makers need to hear from constituents to show public opposition to awful projects like this one. It might be worthwhile to add an advocacy section to this site. On this page you could add some forms that would send a prewritten email to make it really simple for people to reach out to the people who need to hear about an issue.

The Mayor's office literally can't do a thing. JTA is completely outside their jurisdiction outside of some board spots (a HUGE issue for Jax & the DIA). The way something changes is related to the article Marcus shared. Most of the board members are assignments from the state (one from FDOT). Most of the state appointed board members are termed out. However, the state couldn't give less of a s**t about this. So really we are handcuffed until the state puts in competent board members that realize the whole thing is a sham. Extremely unlikely to happen sadly.

To your overall point, I completely agree. I'm sure that there are people here who would carry weight locally.

And the FDOT representative apparently hasn't attended a JTA Board meeting in 5 years.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/investigates-fdot-district-secretary-hasn-t-been-to-a-jta-board-meeting-in-over-5-years/ar-AA1mSjhW


Maybe if we convince the Governor that AVs are part of a 'woke agenda' he will appoint board members who will kill it. After, Florida is "where woke goes to die."

[Ken_FSU]

Maybe if we convince the Governor that AVs are part of a 'woke agenda' he will appoint board members who will kill it. After, Florida is "where woke goes to die."

"Governor,

Thank you for your support of the JTA's half-billion dollar U2C network.

Looking over the plans, I can certainly see why Taylor Swift supports the U2C so strongly.

Sincerely,
Charles"   

[Joey Mackey]

According to this, do they also plan on these autonomous land shuttles having the capability to traverse the river as autonomous water shuttles as if they are a Transformer?

[Jax_Developer]

According to this, do they also plan on these autonomous land shuttles having the capability to traverse the river as autonomous water shuttles as if they are a Transformer?

"New River Crossing" LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

What is the map source? Please link & save this for the Nat Ford Lawsuit a few years from now. This is beyond ignorant.

[jcjohnpaint]

Woke Robot Cars!

[Ken_FSU]

According to this, do they also plan on these autonomous land shuttles having the capability to traverse the river as autonomous water shuttles as if they are a Transformer?

"New River Crossing" LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

What is the map source? Please link & save this for the Nat Ford Lawsuit a few years from now. This is beyond ignorant.

It's from the original U2C plans.

Included a half-baked bridge that a dinghy could barely slide under at low tide.

JTA abandoned the bridge idea due to the expense, but kept the half-billion dollar robo-vans.

[Jax_Developer]

Guess I never got this far into the materials. Never seen this before lol...

[acme54321]

Lmao.  I'm sure The District wants this clown car bridge crossing the river and landing right in the middle of their development.  Not that it will ever happen.