JTA Wants to Hear from You

[Metro Jacksonville]

JTA Wants to Hear from You



The Jacksonville Transportation Authority is attempting to collect information about how they can improve their service. Let them know what you think! The survey only takes a few minutes. Take the Survey now! JTA LAUNCHES CITYWIDE TRANSIT SURVEY“Transit Talk” Goes DigitalPublic Asked to Help Guide Future Bus ServicesJACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) is taking its program for soliciting public opinion on transit projects, Transit Talk, to the web. JTA is inviting citizens who don’t normally ride the bus to take part in a special Transit Talk online survey on its Website (www.jtafla.com) about their potential need for and/or future use of city bus services. In keeping with its goal of preparing now to build for the future, JTA leaders note that Jacksonville’s continued growth signal an opportunity to strengthen the area’s bus services which are currently experiencing ridership levels at historic highs.“This survey is an ideal opportunity to assess potential rider’s public bus transit and personal mobility needs,” said JTA Executive Director and CEO Michael Blaylock. “Given the rise in existing ridership, and the growing local interest in preserving our tremendous quality of life, we hope this survey will reflect more consumer interest in using public transportation as a way to help the environment, to ease traffic congestion and to increase capacity on our roadways.”The data being gathered via the survey will help determine planning for new bus routes and services but with future rider preferences and opinions taken into account. JTA has already conducted extensive surveys of current riders and will continue its Transit Talk public meetings throughout Jacksonville, region by region. The online survey will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, through May 8 on the JTA Website.  

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/view/414

[Lewyn]

Be aware that the survey is primarily intended for use by people who rarely take the bus.  So its not meant for people like me who actually use JTA more than once in a blue moon :'(

[exnewsman]

JTA surveyed its riders last year.  They want to hear specifically from non-riders according to this article.

"The data being gathered via the survey will help determine planning for new bus routes and services but with future rider preferences and opinions taken into account. JTA has already conducted extensive surveys of current riders..."

[thelakelander]

Unfortunately, many of the questions have little to do with why people don't ride the buses and the multiple choice answers offered don't give survey takers the option to select "none of the above."  Nevertheless, it really doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why a large percentage of the local population will never catch a city bus.  JTA should solve these three issues, then worry about a survey on attracting bus ridership.

1. Bus shelters - This isn't Vermont, it gets hot in this city.  Half the streets also don't have sidewalks.  Put up some bus shelters for crying out loud.  Btw, the private sector will pay for this is you let them place their advertisements on them.  I say go ahead, it can't be anymore visually unappealing than the buses rolling around with Pierson Toyota and Hooters Ads tatooed all over them.

2. Route Information - While this may be on the website, not everyone has a laptop that they can take to the bus stop.  Bus routes need to be easily understandable.  To make this happen, each stop should also have a route map, timing schedule and rate information in place.

3. Transfer coordination - JTA may think that people hate transfers, but that's not true.  Transfers are a part of any decent mass transit system.  The problem is locally, you get dropped of at a spot and the next bus doesn't arrive until another 30 minutes or so, if you're lucky.  Combine that with stops with no shelters and route information (you don't even know if the second bus is coming or when it's going to come), and that equals up to an unpleasant experience.

Solve those issues then come to the table with questions like "Will you ride the bus if gas goes to $4.00 per gallon?"  Until those answers are solved and a 10 drive in a car to the St. Johns Town Center from Borders Books on Southside Blvd doesn't take 2 hours by bus, then maybe so.  If not, most will struggle with the extra gas prices or move to a place that's a little more compact.

[exnewsman]

i.e. - 1. Bus shelters - This isn't Vermont, it gets hot in this city. Half the streets also don't have sidewalks. Put up some bus shelters for crying out loud. Btw, the private sector will pay for this is you let them place their advertisements on them. I say go ahead, it can't be anymore visually unappealing than the buses rolling around with Pierson Toyota and Hooters Ads tatooed all over them.

I believe it was Councilman Art Shad who introduced a bus shelter advertising bill last year, but the sign ordinance lobby shut it down.  Maybe the new council will take a serious look at this issue.  

Most medium-large-sized cities in the U.S. have shelter advertising.  Council needs to think about the people who don't have a choice but mass transit and consider what its like for them to wait at a bus stop without a shelter in the Florida heat and afternoon rain.  My understanding is the sign companies pay to palce the shleters, acquire the advertising and maintain the shelter property (which in the long term can be quite costly on a regular basis).  Taxpayers pay nothing but get more potentially hundreds more bus shelters.  Seems like very little to pay (the visual of the ads) for what is gained for the citizens. The problems is - councilman don't ride the bus, so it doesn't affect them.

[ONESTOP THRIFTSHOP]

Just to let everyone know that JTA has now got there foot in the Signage Ordinance 2010-253  Weekend Directional Signage, under the section that is Litter Trust Fund Fees?   JTA is getting 70 % of the fees that will be charged to the  people and business owners who violate this ordinance if it is passed thru the LAND USE AND ZONING BOARD AND THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.

JTA needs to monitor there money better than what they are doing. Instead of always trying to get more money from the City of Jacksonville. 

I have never seen any of there employees out by the bus stops or bus shelters cleaning the trash up around them in the neighborhoods.  Especially the one on Post Street just east of Edgewood Ave S.  The business owners and residents in that area keeps this bus shelter and grounds clean. So the employees of JTA that is suppose to keep these areas clean are getting paid for not doing it in neighborhoods out side of downtown Jacksonville. This is what I am seeing.


JTA is getting enough money as it is from the people of this city who rides the buses, rails and from the advertisement on there buses.  Sounds like that they are mis-using the money they get from these sources. JTA is always changing the bus routes and schedules. Why don't they just leave the routes and schedules alone. 

I am fighting for the small business owners in reference to the signage ordinance 2010-253  to allow business owners to advertise there name in front of or less than a mile from there businesses on the city right away 7 days a week.  I also have made several recommendations to the CC members and the LUZ  board members but I see that they are not taking them in considerations.  I am only 1 business owner fighting to survive and keep my business open and keep peple employed.

Below is just a several sections out of the Signage Ordinance 2010-253.

Under Part III. Enforcement. Section 741.107 Violation of Zero-Tolerance for Litter Law.
(c) Violation of this Section shall be unlawful and deemed a civil infraction, and shall be subject to the civil fines set forth in this subsection. Each piece of litter or separate snipe sign that a person illegally places on or affixes to public property in violation of his Section shall be deemed a separate violation. The schedule for civil fines for uncontested citations, which may be imposed under this Part III, together with such attorneys' fees and costs as may be authorized by law, shall be as follows:

Offense Fine
1st $50
2nd $75
3rd $125
4th $250
5th and each
thereafter $350For contested citations, there may be imposed a civil fine of up to $500 per citation, plus such attorneys' fees and costs as may be authorized by law.

This is not all of the information in this section.

Part 7. Environment and Conservation

Section 111.786. Litter Trust Fund
In this section a special trust fund will be set up for the monies that is collected on these citations to be deposited in and dispersed out as follows:

(a)Seventy percent of the fine monies shall be accounted for in a separate subaccount to be utilized by the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) for the sole purpose of keeping public bus stops and public bus shelters well-maintained and litter-free pursuant to written criteria adopted by the JTA for that purpose. The Director of Finance is authorized and directed to make disbursements from this subaccount to the JTA, upon appropriation of the Council, upon written request of the Chief Executive Officer of the JTA accompanied by satisfactory documentation of costs incurred or to be incurred by JTA to keep public bus stops and bus shelters well-maintained and litter-free. At the end of each fiscal year, if the accrued and unexpended funds exceed three hundred percent of the preceding fiscal year’s cost for keeping public bus stops and public bus shelters well-maintained and litter-free, the excess funds over and above the three hundred percent shall be transferred to the subaccount created by subsection (b), below.

(b) Thirty percent of the fine monies, plus any funds transferred as provided in the last sentence of subsection (a), above, shall be utilized for the administration of the enforcement of Part III of Chapter 741 and to provide funds to conduct public awareness and education programs to advance zero-tolerance for litter. The funds shall be expended exclusively (1) to purchase materials for enforcement of the litter ordinances and for public awareness and education programs, (2) for paying employees hired to enforce those ordinances, and (3) for expenses incurred in such enforcement. Such employees shall be existing employees within the Municipal Code Compliance Division (or successor), or new employees hired on a temporary hours or special purpose employee contract basis, until such time as the Council may increase the employee cap by further ordinance to create permanent positions for them. The Director of Finance is authorized and directed to make disbursements from this Fund, upon Council appropriation, upon written request of the Director of the Environmental and Compliance Department for such purposes. To the extent that disbursements are made, the funds shall be considered a part of the budget of the Municipal Code Compliance Division (or successor). The Chief of Municipal Code Compliance Division (or successor) shall make a report annually to the Council concerning the utilization of these funds, including therein the nature of public awareness and education programs to advance zero-tolerance for litter that have been administered, the status of enforcement efforts, and staffing levels and needs.

And it keeps going. To much to list.

People who put Snipe Signs out now are not being fined. Instead the Code Enforcement picks them up and maintains a list of who they were.  Well I feel that they need to be fined and the money goes into a special account that will benefit the people of this city that needs temporary help with there light & water bills, rent, food and telephone.   What I mean is that Snipe signs on the city right of way and on telephone and light poles? Example:  House for Rent or Sale, Repair your Credit,  Yard Sale, We buy Junk Cars, Clearwire and so forth.   And these type of signs are left there and not maintained.

Will JTA maintain the signs on the bus shelters or will it be the people who goes to these bus shelters do it?

This city needs a major make over and I think it is time for the WOMEN OF THIS CITY to Stand Up and Take this City Over and show the Men who has messed this city funds up a lesson.