Trimming the Fat: How to reduce the cost of JTA's BRT

[Metro Jacksonville]

Trimming the Fat: How to reduce the cost of JTA's BRT



Metro Jacksonville takes a closer look at JTA's $25 million plan for BRT on Philips Highway and presents an affordable non-federal funding assistance seeking alternative.


Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2010-sep-trimming-the-fat-how-to-reduce-the-cost-of-jtas-brt-

[JeffreyS]

I think you could trim the fat by firing anyone at the JTA that supports the current concept of damaging commuter rail with parallel BRT routes.

[DemocraticNole]

BRT is a freaking joke. I'm amazed the COJ would waste such valuable dollars in poor economic times on crap like this.

[Captain Zissou]

I doubt any JTA employee would ride BRT if the system was built.  That should be their first indicator that the system is a bad idea.  A chef wouldn't sell a meal that he wouldn't eat, so why should a transit official create a system that they wouldn't be willing to use?

[Actionville]

Are there even sidewalks on the majority of that route? Sounds too dangerous to even walk to the stops

[JeffreyS]

Are there even sidewalks on the majority of that route? Sounds too dangerous to even walk to the stops

It isn't that bad and good transit could really positively impact that area. I just am not much of a believer in BRT having that kind of impact.

[urbaknight]

Who the hell is going to use the stop at JTB? How could you even get there without being killed? JTB is as anti pedestrian as it could possibly get! Let's hope for this not to happen until after the election, Maybe we can thwart this awful plan with competent officials.

[urbaknight]

The few people that do vote in Duval are probably friends with those who run and win. Is there a way MJ could hold a voter registration drive to get more like minded people out there for election day? We could hole drives in areas like Springfield, riverside (five points in particular), Avendale, San marco and even Murray Hill. Sprawlling areas like baymeadows, Tinceltown, Argyle etc are too far gone. They love their cars way too much, no need to focus in these places. If anybody knows how to go about such a project, let me know. I need to fill my time with constructive activities.

[JeffreyS]

Stephendare touched on what I think is our big hurdle to killing the bad BRT plans in another thread.  The JTA at one point saw BRT as doable and fixed rail as a real crap-shoot in terms of being able to get it done.  So they invested money time and reputation into BRT. They are smart people and know if given the choice between fixed rail (commuter, light and streetcar) and Buses meant to imitate the fixed rail solutions that fixed rail is Superior.  Fixed rail will be more bang for the buck, spur infill, smart development, attract riders and enhance the quality of life in ways that are just in a diffrent league than BRT. So why you ask do they continue to push BRT? To justify the last 10 or 15 years they have dedicated to it. I am sure that the loss of the large system of bus only lanes they championed hurt pride and reputation.

I just wish they could say "you know fixed rail is possible now so we are going to change tact".  We need people in the JTA who are not responsible for the BRT mess and can move on with no baggage.  I am sure the current people at the JTA want to bring fixed rail here they are just carring the baggage of their old plan in hopes to have justified the time and resources they have already put into BRT.
We need to be great not second rate.  If it is risky and hard so be it.

[Ocklawaha]

Just bend the BRT away from the FEC RY and watch how quick I'll support it, whistles, bells and all!

San Jose anyone? Southside? JTB? Beach?

Trolley bus? On the 10 minute headways routes would cut our maintenance expense WAY DOWN! Matter of fact, electric is FAR cheaper to maintain over the long haul. Thousands, maybe Millions cheaper.


OCKLAWAHA

[JeffreyS]

Agree.

[buckethead]

Another well thought article (expose'?) from the great minds at MetroJacksonville!

I'm sure the fine folks at JTA are reading now, and reconsidering for the sake of doing that which is right.

[CS Foltz]

JTA can not plan their way out of a closet! Infact I wish they would come out of the closet and get in touch with reality! BRT on Philips is a waste of resources, Federal Funds are still our tax dollars .......and JTA is busy wasting it! The bovines just don't get it...........more interested in creating more concrete related transit when it has been shown over and over...........rail does more....period ......end of discussion! WTF?

[tufsu1]

here's a thought...and let me preface it by saying I'm not ncessarily supporting BRT....

It has been made abundantly clear to some of us and many leaders that there needs to be better transit service for the folks on the northside to get to the jobs on the southside.

The north-south BRT line (with 10-15 minute headways) serves this purpose....what other options are there?

[JeffreyS]

here's a thought...and let me preface it by saying I'm not ncessarily supporting BRT....

It has been made abundantly clear to some of us and many leaders that there needs to be better transit service for the folks on the northside to get to the jobs on the southside.

The north-south BRT line (with 10-15 minute headways) serves this purpose....what other options are there?

Rail it runs through the northside and runs through the southside.