JTA meetings on the future of the Skyway

[jcjohnpaint]

Looks like public comment in Times Union is much more intelligent and informed than in the past. A lot of comments on extending to Brooklyn. More desire for fixed rail, etc.

[Ken_FSU]

Looks like public comment in Times Union is much more intelligent and informed than in the past. A lot of comments on extending to Brooklyn. More desire for fixed rail, etc.

As opposed to News4Jax, where the comment section undoubtedly blames the Skyway's mechanical end-of-life on transgender bathrooms and the general existence of blacks and Latinos.

[Nmhatt]

I asked someone about this at the feedback meetings when I was there, but how much weight do the community responses actually have? Could JTA just ignore the results and do what they always planned to (converting the track for NAVI), or are they bound in some way by the outcome of the feedback? Something tells me that even if the results are between larger vehicles and a walking track that neither of those will actually end up happening.

I think my last post on this thread got lost in the shuffle a bit. So, I want to give another opportunity for this question to be answered. Does anyone have insight on this?

[Charles Hunter]

There is, so far as I know, no LEGAL requirement that JTA implement the option supported by the majority of the public attending their meetings. They may face political fall-out if that happens. But, given the history of Council and the Mayor taking a hands-off approach to JTA's decisions, I doubt anything will happen.

[jaxlongtimer]

If JTA cared about the public interests, we would have more robust and reliable bus service, more urban core MASS transit, laying the groundwork for future fixed rail of some sort and less chasing rainbow projects like U2C that pull massive amounts of funding, energy and political capital away from the better projects for the sole purpose of massaging JTA egos and careers.

With a an unquestioning and subservient-to-CEO rubber stamp board not exercising its oversight responsibilities, don't count on JTA changing direction.