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zoo
May 20, 2009, 07:00:17 AMRS&H/JTA have not completed their homework and due diligence with the Springfield community on this route.
Despite much discussion on this forum board re: the route through Springfield NOT being on Boulevard (south of 8th St), and a better, already city-owned stop location on the SE corner of 8th & Jefferson that could be integrated with the revitalized park system, they press on with their early plans. Jefferson south of 8th St was suggested as an alternative option for a variety of reasons including;
- no single-family housing affected by BRT traffic, noise, etc.
- park system not cut off from the Historic District, of which it is a part, by BRT (smaller version of elevated expressway/waterfront problem transportation planners have been criticized for creating in many U.S. cities -- just trading focus on the car to ruin "places" to focus on the BRT to ruin places)
- better stop location at Jefferson/8th that actually ADDS to integration of facilities, parks, community
Many in Springfield aren't in support of BRT at all, but I can imagine distaste for it will grow more when it becomes clear JTA isn't heeding community input. What does it take to get city agencies, and their suburbanite-staffed planning departments/vendors, to listen?
thelakelander
May 20, 2009, 07:16:52 AM^A continuous effort to keep driving home the point of what you will and not accept as citizens of Jacksonville. In addition, an aggressive campaign to prove why things should be a certain way instead of what's being proposed. After all, for transit to succeed in this anti-transit city, its in the best interest of JTA and the riders they want to attract to work together.
2010 - 2011
I wonder where and how much ROW would need to be purchased to run express buses on regular streets? My hope is that it would be minimal to none at a best. That rapid transit money is better used for..........fixed route rapid transit.
fsu813
May 20, 2009, 08:04:59 AMGoodness gracious..........it wouldn't be compolet until 2012 (probably later)
Please don't start this project !
thelakelander
May 20, 2009, 08:33:09 AMTo tell the truth, I don't know why express bus along this corridor, using the exact route proposed, can't be implemented now as a demonstration project. The streets are already in place and outside of Lem Turner, near Edgewood, congestion is not a major problem.
Maybe they should do a real pilot project (the bus lines along Blanding don't count) along this corridor with existing rolling stock making limited stops at the station locations identified. Because having dependable frequent service is more essential than large Park n Ride lots, over-the-top transit stations and intersection improvements. When you have money to splurge, bells and whistles are great, but all they really are is nothing more than lipstick. Even with them, BRT will struggle to be attractive for choice riders without complementing fixed rail trunk lines, which should really be our first implementation priority.
However, with a pilot bus project, perhaps a deal can be arranged with shopping centers along the route to use portions of their half empty parking lots for "park n ride." By implementation now, we can see the pros & cons of BRT and if there is truly a need, all of the extra bells and whistles can be added down the line, as funding opportunities present themselves.
In the meantime, this would preserve our ROW funding source for higher quality mass transit options.
Deuce
May 20, 2009, 09:50:44 AMMy advice to the citizens of Broad street would be to hire a lawyer (the slimier the better), find something, somewhere that allows them to drum up a lawsuit (it can be frivolous) against the city or JTA or other entity and try to create a media circus in the press.
Looking at those last renderings of the BRT stops brings the phrase "Lipstick on a pig" to mind.
TheProfessor
May 20, 2009, 09:52:44 AMWhy doesn't it go to the airport?? This makes no sense!
fsujax
May 20, 2009, 10:14:44 AMI don't think RS&H is actually involved with the planning of the route, they only provided the graphics.
5PointsGuy
May 20, 2009, 01:00:51 PMThe City planners need to take a city planning class...
ralpho37
May 20, 2009, 02:03:06 PMWe've got to stand up against this. After all the negative feedback that has been given towards this BRT stuff, it's unbelievable that the city is still trying to get their way and build it.
Springfield Girl
May 20, 2009, 06:11:43 PMI am completely disgusted. I am against the BRT no matter what the route but to run it up a residential street in a historic district is beyond idiotic. Jacksonville is doomed by continueing to make bad planning decisions.
tufsu1
May 20, 2009, 06:16:30 PMfolks...this is not the type of route that is meant to take Jax. transit to a new level....or bring in choice riders.
The reason for this route is that it will be very easy and inexpensive to implement....remember, there is extra pavement on Dunn/Lem Turner and it serves an area that is heavily transit-dependent.
JaxNole
May 21, 2009, 12:52:55 PMI was in the Twin Cities last week and visited the Nicollet Mall where Minneapolis implemented the Bus Daytona 500. I agree with Lake's assertions this is a death knell for these parts of town.
Exhaust was heavy, even after a bus had left. Headways were infrequent and the vibrancy was missing from an area one would expect from such a wealth of ground-level, mixed-use businesses.
Areas outside the periphery seemed to be thriving and felt less like glamorous Detroit.
Just my 2 pesos.
tufsu1
May 21, 2009, 08:06:02 PMExcept for the fact that Nicollet Mall was very successful for 20+ years after it was closed to traffic...its only gone downhill in the lst 5 years.
As a result, Minneapolis has decided to reopen it to eveyday traffic...but that doesn't mean there won't be buses.
I was not in favor of the original BRT plan for our downtown, but to be fair, it was never comparable with Nicollet Mall.