JTA and FSCJ partner for autonomous vehicle project

[marcuscnelson]

The program will begin at the college’s Cecil Center driver training facility, then expand.

https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/article/jta-and-fscj-partner-for-autonomous-vehicle-project

[marcuscnelson]

This by itself actually makes a lot of sense. AVs for getting around a college campus or circulating through a small neighborhood sounds pretty reasonable. AVs to replace a fixed transit system does not. I still don't understand what makes JTA think developers will want to invest in TOD when routes and stations can just be moved on a whim.

[bl8jaxnative]

This by itself actually makes a lot of sense. AVs for getting around a college campus or circulating through a small neighborhood sounds pretty reasonable. AVs to replace a fixed transit system does not. I still don't understand what makes JTA think developers will want to invest in TOD when routes and stations can just be moved on a whim.

Because most TOD development occurs because:

a) It's one of the rare places in a city developers can build a 200 unit building
b) Most TOD has TIFFs adn other incentives to mitigate costs ( and hence, risk )

Developers know that the appeal is not the permance of transit, but the existance of the amenity.  kinda like a swimming pool.  a lot of folk like to have it there even though they never used it.

[thelakelander]

If Spandrel builds stick frame apartments at the old courthouse site, are we really going to call that TOD? Are we really calling Vestcor's townhouse project adjacent to the JRTC, TOD?

I really have a hard time believing the U2C will stimulate any type of TOD. Development in most of these downtown locations will take place for a variety of reasons. Not because a driverless minivan happens to running down Bay Street at a max speed of 12mph.

[jaxlongtimer]

I really have a hard time believing the U2C will stimulate any type of TOD. Development in most of these downtown locations will take place for a variety of reasons. Not because a driverless minivan happens to running down Bay Street at a max speed of 12mph.

I hope we can all agree the Skyway certainly didn't promote TOD.  The U2C is just another flavor that tastes even more sour.  Why would anyone expect a different result?  More wasted taxpayer dollars on a go-nowhere project and another black eye joke for downtown.

[thelakelander]

The only way to really stimulate TOD is to integrate land use with transit infrastructure. That means you build the arena and ballpark next to a Skyway station and limit the amount of surface parking, as opposed to building them a mile away and then having blocks and blocks of parking to support them. Or you connect your transit system with anchor destinations where parking is at a premium....ex. Five Points, UF Health Jax, Baptist Health, etc. and allow additional incremental infill as opposed to more parking. The Skyway in and of itself is fine. It, like downtown, suffers from us having no idea of what were doing when it comes to coordinated revitalization efforts. The U2C doesn't resolve these types of issues.