Jacksonville Excluded From Funded Transit List

[thebrokenforum]

Good luck! Been in Jax almost 10 years and it hasn't changed one bit - not even a little.

The proverbial "they" do not want change here And that sucks because Jax could be an amazing city.

Maybe that can be the new slogan - Jacksonville: the city that could have been.

[Coolyfett]

Hold them accountable how? Many in Jax are not really aware of whats going on in the world outside of Jax. Its no surprise Jax is left off of another list.....The Big Small Minded Engine that Cant.

[Coolyfett]

It's funny the question of which comes first is never asked about constructing a highway. JTB is the perfect example. There was nothing out there until JTB was built.

Thats a really great point.

[thelakelander]

Good luck! Been in Jax almost 10 years and it hasn't changed one bit - not even a little.

The proverbial "they" do not want change here And that sucks because Jax could be an amazing city.

Maybe that can be the new slogan - Jacksonville: the city that could have been.

I've been here since 2003 and I've seen a lot of change.  However, I do understand that these things don't happen overnight.  I've always expected this fight to be a good 10 year process.  Anyway, here are some important changes that have occurred since 2003.

1. In 2003, there was no rail talk on the radar.  There was a billion dollar BRT plan or bust.

2. Now we've completed a commuter rail feasibility study and a streetcar prefeasibility study.

3. The billion dollar dedicated busway plan has been scrapped in favor of a cheaper option using existing streets.

4. The plan to convert the Bay Street entertainment district and Adams Street into a bus mall has been taken off the table.

5. We now have a mobility plan being developed that includes money for multimodal transportation improvements.

6. COJ is now looking at modifying the comp plan to make it easier to develop sustainable ped friendly development.

7. Washington's stance on mass transit has done a complete 180 since Obama took office last year, setting us up in the perfect position to push a rail oriented agenda.

8. Peyton's term ends next year, meaning we have the perfect opportunity to get a new leader in place that understands the economics of whats at play and their impact on the future of Jacksonville.

9. The Amtrak/FEC project was dead in 2003 but now its alive and kicking.

10. FDOT appears to be jumping on the rail bandwagon, thanks to wanting federal money from a government that values rail.

This stuff may not seem like much but the foundation is being layed and the stars are aligning right before our eyes.  Opportunity is knocking again, we just have to open the door this time.

[thelakelander]

Hold them accountable how? Many in Jax are not really aware of whats going on in the world outside of Jax. Its no surprise Jax is left off of another list.....The Big Small Minded Engine that Cant.

Get educated on the issues and vote smart in 2011!

[Stephanie Kellum]

Funny how the decision was made after this announcement:

"Walking in Jacksonville is dangerous everywhere, according to a national study released Monday. It found that Jacksonville is the fourth most dangerous metropolitan area in the country for pedestrians.

The rest of Florida isn’t so safe, either: The three most dangerous areas were Orlando-Kissimmee, Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, and Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach."

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2009-11-09/story/jacksonville_is_fourth_most_deadly_city_for_pedestrians

Guess Jacksonville will be on that list for a while to come. It already has been. I found an article from 2002 stating the same 4th position.

[thebrokenforum]

This stuff may not seem like much but the foundation is being layed and the stars are aligning right before our eyes.  Opportunity is knocking again, we just have to open the door this time.

I hear what you're saying and while there has been a lot of planning over the years I'm talking about major changes. Things that change a city's landscape and or its impact in the region. It always seems to get talked about here but it's never really implemented. There's a reason for that.

The biggest change I've seen? The Town Center...which is great but in 10 years - that's it?

I hail from Denver and I know that's not exactly a fair comparison but wow...in the time I've been here Denver has changed greatly. For one thing, their light rail system is a huge success and goes all over the city and suburbs - and it's still being added to. That wasn't like that when I was there 10 years ago. 10 Years ago it did pretty much what the rail does here in Jax.

I'm talking about major things that either attract people/tourism to the city or benefit the population that already lives there. This has been discussed to death regarding what could be in Jax...

Jax is a fantastic city and has a lot to offer. However, it just seems like it's a broken record spinning around and around. "They" don't want to change. That's very frustrating for people here that do want it to change and change drastically.

I will say this: for Denver, it all started with a single mayor.

[Coolyfett]

The Skyway is a disaster because we have a DEAD downtown! plain and simple.

 

Why call it a disaster they never finished it. 2.5 miles of rail is nothing. They built a nothing that goes nowhere. Nowhere = Convention Center, King Ave & fccj......Even when the 5uperbowl came there was no hustle to finish at least one of the three legs. Notice everytime rail talk in Jax comes the Jta Skyway comes up??? It is the rail face of Jax. Like it or not that train represents what Jacksonville actually is. It represents, neglect, carelessness & lack of vision. Three things that COJ and its 1.3 million minds excel at. Why do the turtles keep winning the race?

[thebrokenforum]

The Skyway is a disaster because we have a DEAD downtown! plain and simple.

 

Why call it a disaster they never finished it. 2.5 miles of rail is nothing. They built a nothing that goes nowhere. Nowhere = Convention Center, King Ave & fccj......Even when the 5uperbowl came there was no hustle to finish at least one of the three legs. Notice everytime rail talk in Jax comes the Jta Skyway comes up??? It is the rail face of Jax. Like it or not that train represents what Jacksonville actually is. It represents, neglect, carelessness & lack of vision. Three things that COJ and its 1.3 million minds excel at. Why do the turtles keep winning the race?

This is a great point.

Look, before anyone starts talking about connecting Jax to any other city, we need to talk about connecting Jax to it self! It needs to start there. The "skyway" should connect to the stadium, the beach, and the freakin' airport! It should have at least some use.

That's where all of this energy should be focused, imo. Start local and then worry about branching out.

[fsu813]

"It's funny the question of which comes first is never asked about constructing a highway. JTB is the perfect example. There was nothing out there until JTB was built."

- GREAT point fsujax.

[thelakelander]

I hear what you're saying and while there has been a lot of planning over the years I'm talking about major changes. Things that change a city's landscape and or its impact in the region. It always seems to get talked about here but it's never really implemented. There's a reason for that.

The biggest change I've seen? The Town Center...which is great but in 10 years - that's it?

You can't have a "major" change without laying a foundation for it.  Although it just popped up, SJTC was years in the making.  The same goes for River City Marketplace.  The reason you don't see major change in Jax on the urban front is because all we've heard was hot air.  However, laying the foundation had never been followed through.

I hail from Denver and I know that's not exactly a fair comparison but wow...in the time I've been here Denver has changed greatly. For one thing, their light rail system is a huge success and goes all over the city and suburbs - and it's still being added to. That wasn't like that when I was there 10 years ago. 10 Years ago it did pretty much what the rail does here in Jax.

The major difference is that there was "background" work being done in Denver over a decade ago.  A decade ago in Jax, we we're being sold that BRT was the best thing since the invention of sliced bread and too foolish to question the expiration date of the bad baloney being sold.  If we would have been having the discussions that are taking place locally today....in 2000, we would have a starter line already up and running today with some fed stimulus money paying for it's expansion.

I'm talking about major things that either attract people/tourism to the city or benefit the population that already lives there. This has been discussed to death regarding what could be in Jax...

Jax is a fantastic city and has a lot to offer. However, it just seems like it's a broken record spinning around and around. "They" don't want to change. That's very frustrating for people here that do want it to change and change drastically.

I will say this: for Denver, it all started with a single mayor.

Locally, I believe the tide has already started.  However, a good change in leadership could knock open the flood gates.

[Coolyfett]

well, that too Lake, but even when there are special events DT the platforms are usually packed. Even with FBC Pastors Conference, you should have seen the FCCJ station after the services....lines!!

That was nothing!!  Packed? Packed you say? build a station in Riverside, Springfield & San Marco where humans actual LIVE.....ill show you packed.

[stjr]

I place the most of the blame at the feet of poor leadership at JTA.  After all, they are supposed to be our "transportation experts" looking out for us.  JTA, to date, has only cared about building roads for developers, giving lip service to mass transit.  Another culprit, is JTA's partner in crime, FDOT, also a long time lover of road building to the exclusion of all else.

Coincidentally, just last night/early AM, before this article was posted, I noted JTA's propensity to chase dollars that are easy because they are associated with poor quality projects few others care to do (e.g. BRT, riderless $ky-high-way) while it fails miserably pursuing the much more competitive grants for great projects like commuter rail and street cars.  This article is just confirmation and validation of same.

Meanwhile, City leaders compound our misery from JTA by sitting silently on the sidelines, or worse, encouraging them to appease fat cat developers that contribute to their political campaigns.  Regardless, no leadership here either.

Between 9B, 9A, the JTB/9A interchange, I-95/I-295 North and South interchanges, I-95/I-10 interchange, the BJP overpasses, the newly proposed I-295/Blanding projects, widening JTB, Brannen-Chafee, I-10/Chafee, the Downtown I95 Overland Bridge, and added lanes at I-95/JTB with more to come, over a billion dollars easy has been, or is planned to be spent, on road projects essentially within just Duval County.  Yet, we can't even find a few hundred thousand dollars for bus shelters that should be an integral component of a decent bus system.  That says it all about JTA, FDOT, and the City regarding mass transit to date.

[Lunican]

You are right stjr, it's all about priorities. We drop $100 million on a useless overpass and no one even blinks.

[thelakelander]

We did have $100 million set aside for rapid transit.  That money should have been used to implement well before it disappeared.  You use it or lose it.