Therein lies the problem. Jacksonville Mayor Peyton is tied to big oil and asphalt (an oil product). He knows that any successful transit system is going to cut the number of automobiles on the highway. He also knows that cutting automobiles on the highway will effect the family bottom line at Gate. Thus, he and his administration have no interest in seeing a REAL alternative to the freeway in Jacksonville, it's bad for business. Sad that these "public servants" value their own dollars more then the lives of the people they effect with their bad decisions.
How good an alternative is Light Rail? Well look at some overly simple math:
JTA operates over 1,476 miles of bus routes, and carrys right at 10 million passengers a year, (which is quite poor for a City of our size and population). That comes out to generating about 6,775 passengers per route mile, per year. On the other hand, Memphis Tennessee, operates 6.5 miles of Light Rail with heritage trolleys.
Memphis carried 1 million passengers on 6.5 miles for a total of 153,841 passengers per route mile, per year.
Do the math JTA... 6775 with a bus or 153,846 with a trolley...
For JTA and Peyton the answer is simple
You build the Bus!
Time for a Jacksonville Transit Revolution!
POWER TO THE PEOPLE!
Ocklawaha