Metro Jacksonville's Rail Plan

[02roadking]

Hmmm, let's rethink this for a minute.....

From the Jaxdailyrecord.com:

The idea of parades of buses zooming through busy intersections on Downtown’s pedestrian streets like Bay and Adams has spurred concern from many over JTA’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system.

However, JTA has apparently cooled off from its original plans for the BRT system, at least through parts of Downtown, and is asking for input from two key groups â€" Downtown Vision Inc. (DVI) and the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission (JEDC).

Full story:
http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=49029

[Ocklawaha]

This should be a warning to us, not an encouragement. Read it: "JTA is going to turn up the heat and lobby to get their way downtown!"

Ocklawaha

[thelakelander]

Hopefully the JEDC and DVI won't get tricked into thinking that BRT will work on Bay, Adams or Forsyth with slight modifications from what has been shown by JTA so far.  Running the buses down State & Union in mixed traffic is the way to go.  The Skyway and trolley bus systems can be used to provide service to downtown transit riders via the existing FCCJ bus terminal.

Also, that graphic of Adams Street is wrong.  Adams has parallel parking on both sides of the street.   JTA's graphic illustrates that it does not have parallel parking on the south side of the street, where bus lanes would run.

[thelakelander]

This should be a warning to us, not an encouragement. Read it: "JTA is going to turn up the heat and lobby to get their way downtown!"

Ocklawaha

Then we need to turn up the heat and lobby DVI and JEDC.  We have access to transit information they don't know and don't have time to search for on their own.  We should supply them with information they need to not get ran over by transit planners.

[RiversideGator]

The trouble is JTA is run by a bunch of pig headed morons.  You just have to keep hitting them vigorously in the head to get their attention.  If the downtown groups can be persuaded to strongly oppose this BRT route through downtown (read impending disaster) then the City Council and Mayor's Office may take notice and JTA may move the route elsewhere.  I am afraid though that a State and Union Street route for BRT tying into the skyway station there is far too logical for JTA's nonlinear thinking.

[Ocklawaha]

Lake, River, and others, we should schedule a meeting/presentation with JCCI and DVI ASAP. Let's get inside their heads and teach them how this cow eats his cabbage...

Ocklawaha