I am the same person that worked so hard with George Harmon of the Jax Journal newspaper to kill the skyway and insert a historic downtown LRT system. It was proven then, as it is now that busses draw less riders then LRV´s regardless of track or lane systems. The idea that Pittsburgh dumped LRT for BRT is highly suspect information. What they did was to 1. build some busways 2. go through a period of sticker shock 3. scrap most remaining busway plans in favor of up grading the old Trolley (LRT) system. 4. consolidated their planning and tore the LRT off the streets in downtown and placed those SAME LRT lines in subways.
Since one mile of railroad is cheaper to build then a mile of highway, and since that same railroad line has the same capacity as a 6 lane highway at peak flow, is LRT or Commuter Rail more expensive then BRT? Not a chance! What the city officials never owned up to was that the "historic trolley" or LRT for that matter is simply an electric train. They CAN and DO (San Diego example) operate on the same track as freight railroads and DO NOT have to be in a street and compete with vehicle traffic. The City of Jacksonville used the "street traffic" argument to stonewall the trolley system.
What was the Historic Trolley? (see Tampa which built Jacksonville´s Trolley!) The Historic Trolley Project was to extend from Union Terminal to Metropolitan Stadium with large parking facilities at or near both ends. The Bay and Water Street route was to be a Gas Lamp, Old South style, Trolley Parkway. (see old post card photos of Jacksonville Traction Companys Main Street Line, once considered to be the most beautiful Trolley line in the WORLD). Some of the line in medians, some private (freight) right of way and some street trackage. It could be built using all sorts of moneys available for Historic, Urban, Redevelopment projects and never touch the "transportation funds". Once up and running, Modern LRV´s could use the same route to access downtown, while existing FEC, CSX and NS RR trackage would allow them to reach the suburbs. Consider if this little link were built today, with it in place, LRV´s could enter town from:(1) Busch, Immeson and alongside North Main Street to the Stadium connection. Also from Union Terminal west along (2) Moncrief, Kings Road, Grand Crossing and Paxon. (3) Beaver Street, Normandy, Merietta, Baldwin (4) Edgewood, Ortega, NAS JAX, Orange Park, Green Cove Springs (5) San Marco, University Bl, Phillips Mall, Sunbeam, St Augustine. All of this trackage is already in place. These routes (with the exception of the downtown historic line) could also be used by the new DMU trains. In fact with DMU´s a couple of the Baldwin trains might even extend beyond the metro area, one for Lake City and Tallahassee and the other for Starke, Alachua and Gainesville (downtown).
I love Jacksonville with all of my heart but I finally gave up. At that time, nobody but the press would listen. I am currently living in a city that is "Transit Savy" in South America! Sad that this place is more progressive then my home.
