Outrageous JTA Transit Sites Selected

[Metro Jacksonville]

Outrageous JTA Transit Sites Selected



JTA has revealed their selections for Bus Rapid Transit stations throughout Jacksonville.  Is your property in the crosshairs?

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/view/624

[hanjin1]

I swear are these people the dumbest people around? I assume on Arlington Expressway when the elevated routes meet the overpasses they will have to be elevated over that too. That would look so stupid. Jacksonville must be one of those test markets where they try out ridiculous ideas and watch as they fail. The other cities can say, "You don't want to do that or you'll look like Jacksonville!". Is JTA a part owner in some concrete company or something? Damn stupid people!!!!

[Jason]

Why in God's name do they need all of that property???  I don't care if the JTA decides to lay rail instead of bus lanes, that system will almost surely fail.

Are they planning to integrate the stations into the retail sites they plan to purchace or just level everything for a surface lot and platform?

[Steve]

At the meetings, they said that they didn't know, but knoew that they needed all of that.

This reminds me of that conversation between father and son....

Son: Dad - Can I have $20 bucks?
Dad: What for?
Son: I don't know!

Except this is not $20, but millions of dollars.

[thelakelander]

Why in God's name do they need all of that property???

To land bank.  For mass transit funding you can get the Federal and State Governments to fund 80% of the system, leaving 20% as the local match.  That 20% can include the value of property owned, as well as cash.  So purchasing the most expensive office and retail complexes in these areas at today's values and then using them 10-15 years down the road as a part of the local funding, it is assumed that they'll be worth more, thus stretching the $100 million set aside in the BJP.

[lindab]

For mass transit funding you can get the Federal and State Governments to fund 80% of the system, leaving 20% as the local match.  That 20% can include the value of property owned, as well as cash.  So purchasing the most expensive office and retail complexes in these areas at today's values and then using them 10-15 years down the road as a part of the local funding, it is assumed that they'll be worth more, thus stretching the $100 million set aside in the BJP.

That's very interesting. At first I wondered how JTA could afford all this but now I see the pattern. Do you suppose this is a bailout of overbuilt, over-expensive commercial real estate?

[thelakelander]

No.  I doubt most targeted property owners will be willing to sell their parcels.  What's the benefit in having JTA as your landlord when you already own the property?

[KenFSU]

I could see some of these not going over too well.

[Westsider]

Hello, I am a newbie, found out about your website when I attended the BRT public hearing on 10/18/07.  Your site is awesome, better than the T-U reporting or our local news channels.  I just read an article in today's T-U stating Clay county has the worst commute times.  This article also quotes Mike Miler/JTA saying that JTA is studying the light rail and ferry service but the agency is moving forward with plans to build rapid bus corridors. 

Since the BRT public hearing for the westside I have talked to a few businesses and neighbors about the acquistion of land/businesses etc for the southwest cooridor.   Most of us are voicing the same concerns as posted on this site.  Some have emailed JTA with comments, but feel that this won't stop JTA from proceeding. 

Can anyone tell me why the T-U or local news stations aren't covering this issue?  Is there anything a private citizen can do to get more coverage?  If the BRT system does happen, it will effect everyone in Jacksonville for many, many years. 

Westside

[avonjax]

This plan is the biggest waste of money in the HISTORY of Jacksonville...
It's truely appalling and a total waste of valuable land.
I do have a question. On the sites listed, will all the buildings on these sites come down?

[thelakelander]

I just read an article in today's T-U stating Clay county has the worst commute times.  This article also quotes Mike Miler/JTA saying that JTA is studying the light rail and ferry service but the agency is moving forward with plans to build rapid bus corridors.

I read the article as well.  The thing about light rail is definately a misquote.  JTA has no plans to study light rail and if they did so, there would be no logical reason to spend hundreds of millions on a parallel busway system to serve the same riders that rail would do a better job of serving.

What JTA wants to do is spend as much as they can on busways and then spend more on a long range commuter rail system that will have limited stops in Jacksonville.  Instead of getting it right with one decent system, they'll create two bad ones at an astronomical cost.

Since the BRT public hearing for the westside I have talked to a few businesses and neighbors about the acquistion of land/businesses etc for the southwest cooridor.   Most of us are voicing the same concerns as posted on this site.  Some have emailed JTA with comments, but feel that this won't stop JTA from proceeding.

Sending comments to JTA won't stop them, but they'll will go on public record proving that there is a decent amount of opposition.  What will stop them dead in their tracks is all of us getting together, combining our resources and mounting a coordinated drive to save our tax dollars, neighborhoods and our property values from this boondoggle. 

[Johnny]

It's kind of sad, the more I read this stuff, the more I'm convinced that I will be leaving Jacksonville soon. I've been here for a long time and have always loved the city, but more and more lately, I feel the need to move on. I just hope I can sell my house in Springfield when I go, without losing $. 

[thelakelander]

This plan is the biggest waste of money in the HISTORY of Jacksonville...
It's truely appalling and a total waste of valuable land.
I do have a question. On the sites listed, will all the buildings on these sites come down?

Some will, some won't.  We don't know because JTA does not know.  There's no engineered plan or station designs.  They don't even know how much this thing will truly cost, although from looking at similar systems the ultimate price range will be around $1 billion.

[archiphreak]

The initial cost of implementing the system could be around $1Billion, but the overall financial impact that it will have on the Downtown Core and the surrounding neighborhoods will skyrocket to the 10's of Billions in lost tax revenues from property taxes and sales taxes from businesses that will be forced out to make way for a bus route. 
I agree that it is getting time to assemble a formal group of not only concerned citizens and taxpayers but also local business men and women and city officials sympathetic to the cause for Rail.  Our voices need to be heard on a louder more public stage than we have currently.

[brooklyn-ite]

UNbelievable ... how they will ever get the thru is beyond me.  But , wait ... look at everything else they already got thru city council !  We need the media to question this **** .  That is the only way to bring the light to the masses.  I can't get out of Jax fast enough !