One thing I think needs to enter the consciousness of the collective city, is that highly desireable cities are seldom if ever built 'on the cheap'. You can't expect mega-low taxes and top-notch quality of life too. I don't advocate throwing money at problems, or ignoring costs, but nothing is free in this world.
The funny thing is we're sitting on a ton of resources that can be used at our disposal.
1. 5 miles of already city owned rail right-of-way through the densest neighborhoods in the city. If track is relayed on the S-Line, it could also give FEC direct access to the Tallyrand port terminal and stimulate new industrial activity along its borders (stronger tax base, new jobs in blighted areas of town, less trucks on the streets and a dedicated source of income for annual O&M costs)
2. $100 million in cash set aside for rapid transit ROW purchase. There's few cities that have this laying around. Birmingham starter streetcar line = $33 million, Austin starter commuter rail line = $123 million, Nashville starter commuter rail line = $41 million. We could do something worthwhile right now with that $100 million instead of blowing it on BRT.
3. A CSX port deal to relocate port terminal traffic from the inner city core, thus freeing up rail capacity from Springfield all the way up to north of Dunn Avenue.
4. An Orlando commuter rail deal that relocates CSX rail traffic from the A-Line. Spend the $100 million on purchasing the CSX A between Downtown and Orange Park and you have your starter line already in place.
5. Developers are beginning to beg for it. You want a starter streetcar line in downtown? The developers of Bay Station do to. How hard would it be to get a starter up and running if destinations like Bay Street Station, Shands Jacksonville, Hyatt, Sleimen/Landing, etc. payed for the construction of stations at their sites, considering it would increase the value of the real estate holdings in return?
I could go on and on, but the idea is clear. We don't need new taxes to get off the bench and into the game. We just need to study the playbook and stop closing our eyes when its time to make contact with the ball.
