11 November, 2008

BRT EVERYONE CAN LOVE!



FINALLY SOME COMMON SENSE

Bus Rapid Transit is on it's way, not the $26 Million Dollar a mile version either, rather a system called Light-Rail-Lite. Please understand that this whole project has been something short of a local war.



Initial route alignment had JTA building a "super-bus" freeway right along Interstate 95 (the main N-S route on the East Coast) from downtown to the Gateway Mall. At Gateway, the BRT line would meet regular city buses for the Northwest side of town. Northwest Jacksonville is by far the most transit dependent segment of the City. Yet NOBODY lives on I-95. So with all the money, concrete, steel and time involved, we were looking at one short leg of a 4 legged - BILLION DOLLAR BUS.

After thousands of articles, here and elsewhere, after explaining our need for rail as our primary trunk system, and BRT as our primary feeder, it would seem the message is finally sinking in. The system now proposed is a much less involved build. No 30 year wait to ride the buses either. Using surface streets - and better yet a main artery that is little used but connects the whole city, JTA has hit on the formula for BRT success. HOV lanes, Lem Turner Road, Shand's hospital and future commuter rail all out of the box on about the same date. Run Jacksonville RUN! Scott, Suraya, Please take a bow.

Here's the news:

JACKSONVILLE DAILY RECORD

11/11/2008
by Joe Wilhelm Jr.
Staff Writer


A vision for the future of Downtown transit including city buses feeding trolley routes to reduce congestion on city streets has moved another step closer to reality.
The Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) and Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) are planning improvements to the local public system and Phase One of the Jacksonville Rapid Transit System has received approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. JTA will soon be requesting bids for the design of the improvements.
“It’s an important first step to get this rapid transit system started,” said Scott Clem, director of strategic planning for JTA. “It’s also a step toward having a multi-modal transportation system in Jacksonville and Northeast Florida.”
The JTA plans to have the final design for Phase One by the end of 2009 and complete construction by the end of 2010.
“Our goal is to have this phase and the Jacksonville Regional Transit Center (JRTC) opened at the same time,” said Clem.
The JRTC is planned to be built across the street from the Osborn Center on the north side of the exisitng Skyway terminal. The center will include Greyhound and JTA bus terminals, Skyway access and an Amtrak terminal.
The $15.5 million Phase One project will include dedicated bus lanes along Broad and Jefferson streets, installation of transit signal priority equipment on bus routes and real-time bus schedule information supplied through GPS systems.
Transit signal priority systems utilize equipment on buses and traffic signals that will detect when a bus is at a stop near a traffic signal and, if the light is green, will prolong the green light to allow the bus to get through the intersection. The GPS equipment will provide transit customers with arrival and departure times for buses at each stop.
Phase One moved into the design phase after receiving approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency after the project underwent an environmental assessment, which is required by the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. Factors analyzed during the assessment include social, economic, environmental and transportation issues.
Each analyzed factor was then further broken down. The social and economic factors considered included neighborhood/community impacts, cultural resources, economic impacts, environmental justice and property impacts. Environmental factors included air quality, noise and vibration, hazardous material sites, water resources, parks and historical sites.
Traffic, parking, transit operations and ridership and construction impacts were the transportation factors analyzed.
After all factors were reviewed, a finding of no significant impact was submitted to the EPA, reviewed and approved.
Just like the trolleys rolling through Downtown, the Jacksonville Rapid Transit System is moving right along and the next phase of the project is underway.
As the design phase on the Downtown project begins, a public hearing will be held to discuss the North Corridor project. An environmental assessment is being conducted by JTA to determine the type of transportation improvements needed north of Downtown.
The 10.5-mile corridor stretches from Downtown along Boulevard Street to Gateway Mall and continues north along Norwood Avenue/Lem Turner Road, ending south of Armsdale Road near I-295.
The first public meeting to discuss the project was held Monday. Another public meeting will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. on Nov. 17 at Florida Community College at Jacksonville North Campus in the room C-126 auditorium. The public meetings have helped JTA find out what the public thinks about the planned improvements.
“We’ve had a mixed response to the rapid transit system project,” said Suraya Teeple, JTA transportation planning manager. “Some people are concerned that some of the connections won’t be made, but this is the first phase, so right now we are working on educating the public on what they can expect from the new system.”



INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING GIANT LANDS AT JACKSONVILLE

Today we have more then one reason to celebrate in Jacksonville. FIRST HAPPY VETERANS DAY TO ALL COMPATRIOTS. Secondly, there is the new shipping line. Nothing big mind you, just one of the largest companies on earth! JAXPORT and the City of Jacksonville have inked the deal this morning. Hanjin with 50 worldwide terminals is building their first "home" in the USA in Jacksonville. Following right behind them will be COSCO, K-LINE, YING MING.


Here's the news release:

Hanjin Deal Done
By
Rich Jones, News Director

November 11, 2008 9:11 AM

An International company has sealed a deal with Jaxport today.
The board of directors at Hanjin approved the terms and conditions of the deal at their quarterly meeting today.

Here is the statement from Jaxport and Mayor John Peyton:
Mayor John Peyton and Jacksonville Port Authority officials are pleased to announce that the Board of Directors of Hanjin Shipping Company of Seoul, Korea today approved a 30-year lease agreement with JAXPORT. The lease calls for Hanjin to build an approximately 90-acre container facility at the Dames Point Marine Terminal in North Jacksonville with the option for further expansion. The $300 million Hanjin Container Terminal at Dames Point is expected to open for business in late 2011 and will be a key hub operation for Hanjin's east coast port activity. JAXPORT's Board of Directors approved the lease offer earlier this month.The new agreement is expected to create more than 5,600 new private sector jobs in Jacksonville and support operations such as trucking, distribution and related services. The new terminal will generate nearly $1 billion in annual economic impact."In this difficult economic time, I am tremendously proud that we are able to bring these well-paying jobs to our community," said Mayor Peyton. "As the United States continues to see increases in container traffic from Asia, Jacksonville is poised to play an even greater role in the global trade market. This commitment from Hanjin, one of the largest shipping companies in the world, illustrates Jacksonville's growing importance in the international marketplace. Companies such as Hanjin are taking note of the benefits of doing business at JAXPORT which will translate into even more job opportunities for our residents."Construction of JAXPORT's Hanjin Container Terminal is expected take approximately 24 months, following the permitting process. The new terminal will be located adjacent to the nearly completed TraPac Container Terminal at Dames Point being built for Tokyo-based Mitsui OSK Lines. The TraPac Container Terminal will open for business in January 2009."This is the one-two punch we have been working toward," said JAXPORT's Executive Director Rick Ferrin. "TraPac put us on the map. Hanjin makes JAXPORT a major player in Asian and European trade and together the new terminals help fulfill our mission of bringing jobs and opportunity to the region."Hanjin is Korea's largest, and one of the world's largest, container carriers, moving more than 100 million tons of cargo annually and operating in more than 50 countries. In the U.S., Hanjin's subsidiary, Total Terminal International, presently runs dedicated terminal operations in Seattle, Long Beach and Oakland. The proposed Hanjin Container Terminal will be Hanjin's first dedicated U.S. operation outside the west coast, a strategic move meant to capitalize on the expansion of the Panama Canal and the anticipated increase in container traffic along the east coast.


TAKE A FREE TOUR OF THE JACKSONVILLE SKYWAY

The arguments rage to this date, "Should have never been built," "waste of taxpayer money," "Doesn't go anywhere," "Nobody rides it..." etc. Bottom line is we have it, and it is finally showing signs of life. Simple extensions to the Stadium, San Marco, and the area of Blue Cross in North Riverside would turn this little train around. Addition of Park and Ride garages and multimodal transit terminals at the end points would bring on the crowds. The video must have been shot on a Sunday Morning, as downtown is certainly as packed with life as any other major City on weekdays. Jacksonville is a city of Bikes, joggers, walkers, buses and cars, one almost wonders how the photographer managed to find this quiet moment.


Support the Skyway? Join the Monorail Society Today!

Subscribe to monorailsociety
Powered by groups.yahoo.com

WELCOME ABOARD

Sign by Danasoft - For Backgrounds and Layouts