30 Days of Plight. Stephen Dare goes JTA every day.

[duvalbill]

Any clues as to what the system was originally designed to do?

Screw with Stephen Dare. 

[gatorback]

Over a year ago on this forum I discussed, or compared JTA to CapMetro...let me find the thread.  I compared the two websites...maybe that thread will gain us some insight. Here it is...just me and Ocklawaha discussing how horrible JTA is compared to CapMetro, Texas's #1 transit system voted!


http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,961.msg5959.html#msg5959

[stephendare]

Any clues as to what the system was originally designed to do?

Screw with Stephen Dare. 

lol.   mission accomplished.   Its been 24 sweaty, hot, acrid, exhaust fumed, frustrating days filled with speculation as to what eternal punishments will await the designers and implementers of this mechanical soul destroying system.

[stephendare]

The bus system was originally set up to provide transportation for the poor people of the Northside with transportation to work.

The poor whites with downtown and talleyrand jobs, and the african american maids and domestics with transportation to the ortega/avondale/san marco estates.

Once they were transported in and out of the neighborhoods to do the jobs needed, the service was then shut down.

It replaced the train trolley and interurban service which had been designed to provide transportion for all citizens of jacksonville to all areas.

And the basic purpose of our mass transit has never really been revisited.

Do we really need a system whose only purpose is to provide work transit only to the poorest?

[stephendare]

Today is the day that all bets are off with the bus system.

It is pouring rain, and the bus stops are inadequate to shelter people from the elements.

Whatever happened to the initiative to build the bus stops with advertising monies?

This is ridiculous.

[thebrokenforum]

Since your meeting have you heard anything else from JTA? Are they checking on your progress?

[stephendare]

As a matter of fact, the JTA has kept in touch pretty much all the way through.

Today I was asked if I would present a speech with a meeting of the drivers to address some of the customer service points.

They acknowledge the points about there being way too much change and flux in the system.

And I have spoken on a couple of occasions with the director of customer service.

This system is in a real mess, broken forum, for all the reasons listed above and a few more.

One interesting fact that has come from internal JTA analysis.

There are 4000 stops in Jacksonville.

However, if you took all the customers who are within a quarter mile of any of those stops, you would only reach 40 PERCENT of Jacksonville Residents.

If you think about that its a pretty staggering statement.

I think the whole system needs to be reimagined.   It seems like we are endlessly perfecting a system that at its best could only serve a fraction of the "mass" population.

basic uses for Mass Transit seem to be missing.

Using the busses to get back and forth from the campuses around the city for example....
Or connecting the town centers with each other (five points, san marco, springfield, Avondale, Murray Hill etc)
Connecting the entertainment centers like tinseltown and the malls and the nightclub districts in order to provide reasonable night time service options. Never mind night students or late shift corporate work

I mean, something as simple as addressing the reasons people travel and use their cars and providing a mass alternative.

What do people use their cars for that buses would be a better alternative?

This question is unasked and unanswered by our present system.

[thebrokenforum]

As a matter of fact, the JTA has kept in touch pretty much all the way through.

Today I was asked if I would present a speech with a meeting of the drivers to address some of the customer service points.

That is excellent. I admire what you're doing with this. I truly hope this causes some positive changes. I'm very interested to hear how the speech goes.

One of the most consistent things I've heard since moving here is that you cannot get around the city without a car. I don't think most people even consider the bus an option because of everything you have experienced.

[stephendare]

It has been amazing to me how many first time bus riders I am encountering.

Its very painful to watch the JTA blowing it with them.

[brainstormer]

I think the whole system needs to be reimagined.   It seems like we are endlessly perfecting a system that at its best could only serve a fraction of the "mass" population.

basic uses for Mass Transit seem to be missing.

Using the busses to get back and forth from the campuses around the city for example....
Or connecting the town centers with each other (five points, san marco, springfield, Avondale, Murray Hill etc) Connecting the entertainment centers like tinseltown and the malls and the nightclub districts in order to provide reasonable night time service options. Never mind night students or late shift corporate work

I mean, something as simple as addressing the reasons people travel and use their cars and providing a mass alternative.

What do people use their cars for that buses would be a better alternative?

Many excellent points Stephen! 

First, I think the huge success with the downtown-riverside trolley system is that JTA created a quick and easy way to access two destination points.  Why hassle with driving when you can make it to lunch in less time and for less money on a trolley. 

Second, Jacksonville has grown tremendously since the original bus routes were designed.  Starting from scratch would force JTA to take a look at where people live, where they want/need to go and then find an easy solution for how to get there.  It would take a lot of research and surveys but in the end if done correctly would probably boost ridership tremendously.  They would need to keep in mind all methods of mass transit (Bus, Trolley, Skyway, and hopefully very soon streetcars and light rail.) so as not to duplicate routes.  People want simplicity and efficiency or they won't even try it as an option.

[stephendare]

Great commentary, Brainstormer.

Although I have completed more than 30 days of Plight by only using mass transit (with a couple of incidental rides from Ocklawaha after our Tuesday Night Meetings at Hola back to San Marco)

I spent the final week of July in Gainesville.

Anyways this series will be continued in a new thread.  Long Days Journey into Plight.  Morning becomes Electrifying.

The most explosive thing happened yesterday as I attempted to go to the Westside Equestrian Center by bus.

What would ordinarily have been a couple of hours---including swim, chatting up the hot 40something (married) receptionist and shower, turned into a nine hour odessy in which your stalwart reporter nearly lost his life, played a deadly game of tag with a wild deer migration which seemed hellbent on overtaking and trampling your reporter to an early death, walked long enough to feel like Kwai Chang Kain, nearly lost his life again, and then participated in an all out Championship Smackdown way out in the boondocks between himself and a wildly enraged, gesticulating and expostulating bus driver.  This last sordid melodrama comes complete with lots of drama, threats of police action, a near miss with an 18 wheeling semi which the bus driver was actively losing his mind and concluded in a train wreck.

Which is a lot for a quick trip to the pool.

Anyways check out the new thread a little later on today.

[BridgeTroll]

   Welcome to the Westside...

[stephendare]

  Welcome to the Westside...

Thanks Bridge Troll.  Btw.  I have spent a whole lot of time in the woods here in Florida without ever having spotted a deer.  I had no idea the beasts could be so bloodthirsty.

[BridgeTroll]

Westside deer are killers...

[gatorback]

did you catch any mass transit down in the swamp stephen?