THE EYE'S HAVE IT

Ha Ha! We see who you are and know what you are doing!

• Apollo Video Technology obtained a contract from the Jacksonville Transportation Authority to provide a state-of-the-art command center for viewing and monitoring video. The command center will serve JTA's Skyway operations in Jacksonville, Fla., and provide access to real-time and historical video of Skyway trains and stations. Skyway's 10 trains will be equipped with Apollo Video Technology's RoadRunner™ digital video recorders (DVRs) and four surveillance cameras, which will monitor riders entering and exiting trains. Stations will be equipped with a RoadRunner DVR designed for facilities and four to eight surveillance cameras.

(Progressive Railroading)

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VITAL MAYPORT FERRY DOWN FOR THE COUNT?

I'm Your Captain

Everybody, listen to me,

And return me, my ship.

Im your captain, Im your captain,

Although Im feeling mighty sick.

Ive been lost now, days uncounted,

And its months since Ive seen home.

Can you hear me, can you hear me,

Or am I all alone.

If you return me, to my home port,

I will kiss you mother earth.

Take me back now, take me back now,

To the port of my birth.

Am I in my cabin dreaming,

or are you really scheming,

To take my ship away from me?

Youd better think about it,

I just cant live without it.

So, please dont take my ship from me.

(Grand Funk Railroad)

Starting tomorrow, Thursday, February 5th, and for 19 long days The JEAN RIBAULT, St. Johns River Ferry at Mayport will be closed for routine dry-dock maintenance. The ferry should resume service on Tuesday February 24th at 6 a.m.

JAXPORT regrets any inconvenience posed by this planned outage. Next month's required maintenance on the Jean Ribault will help ensure safe and efficient ferry service in the future.

Drivers will need to use Heckscher Dr., Broward Bridge/SR 9-A Eastern Beltway, or I-95 as alternate routes.

For more information call JAXPORT at 904-357-3006 or Hornblower Marine Services at 904-241-9969.

Let's hope this isn't a sign of things to come, through a test of service demand. "Let' Em Have It Mates!" Call JAXPORT TODAY and tell em we love um, and will float Em in rum when they give us back our ship.

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Florida Chamber Supports Massive Commuter/Regional Rail build-up

North Carolina Supported Regional and Commuter Train, "The Piedmont".

IS PASSENGER RAIL OUT OF THE CLOSET IN FLORIDA?

Incredible, fantastic and nearly unbelievable news has just rolled out of the Florida Chamber of Commerce in Tallahassee. Bottom line? The Chamber is loudly supporting Commuter Rail in Jacksonville (by name), SunRail (Orlando) and Tampa (implied). Continued pressure on the powers that be are pushing our state in a bit of a different direction then pure Chicago or New York style Commuter Rail. Being narrow and long, Florida, without even realizing it seems to have all of the ducks in a row for Tampa - Orlando - Jacksonville to launch a massive regional rail system. Certainly many of the trains would be limited to each market, but with the systems connecting or nearly connecting end to end, it's just a matter of time until we follow California into ordering our own bi-level "Florida Cars". Coaches and lounges will connect the North and Central Florida metros with increasing speed, comfort and safety, in a sunshine regional bullet network. Lead on CofC, and if in your quest you desire to talk to the old railroad guy, send me a note.

California Pacific Surfliner took the worlds most auto centric society out of their cars!

Florida Chamber of Commerce Breaks Silence on Rail:

America is in a recession, and Floridians have not been spared. Florida's unemployment rate is 8.1 percent, higher than the national rate of 7.2 percent.Florida has lost 255,000 jobs over the past 12 months.The full attention of our elected leaders should be given to economic recovery, transition and job growth. While Florida is faced with the same economic challenges as the rest of the nation, we are fortunate to have a governor who understands the need to invest in long-term transportation solutions even in these tough times.Last year, Gov. Charlie Crist announced his Accelerate Florida program to advance investment in infrastructure projects that will create jobs and encourage economic growth.The wisdom of the governor's initiative is evidenced by the strong return on investment generated by infrastructure projects. For example, for every dollar invested in transportation projects, $5.60 in economic benefit is gained. That is a smart investment.In addition to backing the Accelerate Florida initiative, the Florida Chamber of Commerce joined Crist in his call for national leaders to invest in our state's more than $7 billion in "shovel ready" transportation projects that can be started in less than four months, delivering a quick return on investment.In addition to those important projects, our state has even more work to do to prepare our transit infrastructure before we add another 7 million residents by the year 2030. Florida must continue to diversify and expand its mix of transit solutions to move goods and people.One significant transit solution Florida should build upon is the expansion of commuter rail. While commuter rail systems are being planned in several regions, the Central Florida region's proposed SunRail system provides the most immediate opportunity for construction activity that could leverage federal funding and quickly create thousands of jobs.The economic benefit of SunRail is not limited to Central Florida. As part of its agreement to purchase 61 miles of track for SunRail, the state will direct reinvestment of private money in roadways, railroads and other transportation facilities throughout Florida.In addition to an existing South Florida system, SunRail will also lay the foundation for passenger rail systems in Jacksonville and other Florida regions desperate for multi-modal transportation solutions.Expanding commuter rail in Florida is a great opportunity to leverage federal funding, create thousands of jobs, and gain economic benefits that accompany transportation improvements. Action this coming legislative session will enable the SunRail project to serve as a much-needed stimulus to our state's economy. The time to act on commuter rail is now. MARK WILSON, CEO. Florida Chamber of Commerce, Tallahassee.

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'luftschiff hoch!' Should be Magic Words to a Hungry Port.

'luftschiff hoch!' - UP SHIP!

What if ships could fly? What if passengers had roomettes? What if aircraft offered an observation lounge? What if cruise passengers could cross the Atlantic in 48 hours? What if the highest priority shipments could make the passage in 48 hours without breaking the bank on a charter 767? What if our flying ship could carry 250,000 pounds? Cargo? Passengers? Express? What if?

Would not the stateside ports that captured these magnificent ships rule the air and sea's for all of the foreseeable future? Certainly they would, but it would likewise take some very advanced, out of the box and visionary leadership to innate the first contact. The risk involved is limited to the old adage that "someone might laugh."

But this is no Westinghouse-Tenneco "Offshore Power Systems" fiasco. For Jacksonville in particular it offers the chance to lead the entire Atlantic and in the event that the new technology takes flight, lead the world.



SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

Californians float a plan: Return of the zeppelin
By TERENCE CHEA, Associated Press Writer

Saturday, October
(10-25) 19:10 PDT SAN FRANCISCO, (AP) --

Zeppelins, the giant floating airships used to carry passengers and drop bombs until the 1930s, haven't been seen in American skies for more than 70 years.

Now a California company is bringing the iconic aircraft back to the United States, with plans to offer aerial tours of the San Francisco Bay area in a newly built zeppelin. It's one of just three in the world — the others are in Germany and Japan.

Airship Ventures Inc.'s zeppelin arrived in the Bay Area on Saturday, passing over the Golden Gate Bridge en route to its new home at Moffett Field, a former naval air station in Mountain View, about 40 miles south of San Francisco.

Fifteen feet longer than a Boeing 747, the 246-foot Zeppelin NT (New Technology) was built in Hamburg, Germany, and transported by container ship to Beaumont, Texas, before a cross-country flight to California.

While they may look like blimps, zeppelins have rigid internal frames that are covered with a canvas hull.

Starting Friday, Airship Ventures will begin offering rides that provide a bird's-eye view of Napa and Sonoma wine country, the Big Sur coastline, San Francisco and other parts of the Bay Area. The cabin holds 12 passengers and two crew members, and tickets start at $495 per person for an one-hour ride.

"It's a way to see the world in a way that you haven't experienced it before," said Brian Hall, a software entrepreneur who started the company last year with his wife, Alexandra. "In a zeppelin, you're flying low and slow. You're going at a leisurely pace. You're seeing things that you wouldn't see from the road."

Invented by Ferdinand von Zeppelin of Germany in the late 19th century, zeppelins were used for commercial passenger transport and military operations until the start of World War II.

The zeppelin's golden age ended in 1937 when the LZ-129 Hindenburg — the largest airship ever built — caught fire and burst into flames in front of thousands of spectators in Lakehurst, N.J., killing 35 of 97 people on board.

A German company, Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik, began building a new zeppelin about decade ago and has been offering passenger rides since 2001.

While the Hindenburg was fueled by flammable hydrogen, the modern version is kept aloft by nonflammable helium. More than 80,000 passengers have ridden without a safety problem, Hall said.

The Halls came up with the business plan for Airship Ventures about two years ago after Brian, 43, took his first zeppelin ride in Cologne, Germany.

The German company agreed to build another zeppelin so that Airship Ventures could start offering rides from its base at Moffett Field, which has three of the country's 13 remaining airship hangars.

Airship Ventures has ordered two more zeppelins, which take about 18 months to build, and plan to offer tours on the East Coast, most likely from New York and Florida, starting in 2010.

Despite the slumping economy, the company hopes to sell about 15,000 tickets a year in the Bay Area, aiming to attract passengers for special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries and even marriage proposals.

"In a time when you might feel troubled, it's something you can do that's quite uplifting," Hall said.


Dames Point-Broward Bridge Anyone?

MEANWHILE BACK IN JACKSONVILLE

By now you should know that it is no dream. The new class of Zeppelin is here, having already crossed the Atlantic and the United States to alight in San Francisco.

Airship Ventures, has one of the new test Zeppelins flying tourists over California for tickets that range as high as $500 dollars each. People are so thrilled that they line up to take photos which are then posted in any number of websites. The old Lighter Then Air LTA base a Moffet Field, makes for a ready made Zeppelin port.

In Jacksonville, we are likewise blessed. NS Mayport, NAS Jacksonville, the abandoned LTA base at Francis Field (World Golf Village), Craig Airport JAA,Cecil and Imeson Industrial Parks, all have either: active airship pads, open space to construct facilities or ruins of old airship landing facilities.

So what if JAA or JAXPORT/JPA, were to jump on this "cute" and "touristy" little band wagon? New York to Jacksonville? Amtrak and Cruise Ship tie in? First Coast?
Open your eye's to tomorrows news.

We would certainly have a one-of-a-kind attraction to compliment our new cruise port. Just the thought of seeing an active zeppelin cruising over the city would be enough to draw every aviation buff in the east to our doorsteps. Where else could they Sail the Zeppelin one day, Sail the St. Johns River the next, Sail a kite-board in the Atlantic surf the third, and Sail for Nassau on the fourth?

Then one has to wonder about the future FLORIDA plans. Zeppelin is not standing still on it's research. In fact about one dozen aircraft companies are all actively working on plans to bring back the great airships for both cargo and passenger purposes.

The military is shopping for an enormous radar loop in the sky, while another branch is playing with the Zeppelin as a short-take-off-and-landing (STOL) troop transport.

Okay, says the Port Director... Not a chance says the Aviation Director... We'd like to have Zeppelins, Someday, says the Transportation director... We'll be a zeppelin hub after we build more roads says the Mayor...

Ladies and gentlemen, in the here and now, this is simplistic rocket science such as the days before Wernher von Braun joined the club in the 1930's. Shall we wait until Port Canaveral grabs the gold ring? Or should we take the small gamble, pick up the phone and reach for the skies?



How about a little JACKSONVILLE TRANSIT kick start?

ZLT Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik GmbH & Co KG
Allmannsweilerstr. 132
88046 Friedrichshafen
Germany

Tel.:+49 7541 5900-extension number

Department Contact person Extension

number Fax E-mail

Administration/management office Ms Regina Schäfer 539 22539

r.schaefer@zeppelin-nt.de

Ms Manuela Zwisler 552 22552 m.zwisler@zeppelin-nt.de

Press Ms Kathrin Runge 547 22547 presse@zeppelin-nt.de

OR AIRSHIP VENTURES:
You can write to us at our postal address:Airship Ventures, Inc.NASA Research Park P O Box 345, Moffett Field, CA. 94035-0345 You can leave us a message at +1 650 969 8100 or send us a fax to +1 650 969 8101.

All photos credit Airship Ventures, Up Ship, and Zeppelin Aircraft Corp.

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Jaxport, Ferrys, Pirates or Patrons?

Hardly anyone will recall the days when National Airlines had it's hub out of Jacksonville, and known as the airline of the Buccaneer Trail. Few remember when Florida State Highway A-1-A which island hops from Fernandina Beach to Miami often hugging tight to the Atlantic Beaches, was christened "The Buccaneer Trail".

All of this pirate stuff was for good reason. Florida was home to the best of the worst in the buccaneer trade. The Spanish government of Florida, didn't mind if friendly buccaneers ducked into the Northeast Florida ports to resupply for attacks on British, French and Dutch shipping. Likewise, as Florida passed to British rule, there was little effort to stop the kings privateers from raiding the new US states.

Travel to San Andres Island of Captain Morgan fame, or the coastal inlets of Blackbeard in North Carolina, and you still won't get as close to these and other infamous raiders as you can along highway A-1-A.


Sail where the REAL pirates sailed, but you better come quickly...

For 50 years this route has crossed the mouth of the mighty St. Johns river East of Jacksonville, on a ferry operated by the State DOT. The ferry has been immensely popular as one can park his or her car, and sail the same waters where the pirates once played.

The along came the new governor Charlie Crist, Republican, budget cutter. Suddenly the famous sea route was cut from the state budget, forcing a 16 mile drive from Mayport to Ft. George Island, a ferry distance of perhaps 2/3 of a mile. The citizens of Jacksonville were rightly enraged at this callous attitude toward the loss, not only a vital transportation link, but a very historic attraction.

Then along came the saviour, Jacksonville Port Authority (JPA) as the City agreed to take over the ferry operations from the state and absorb the 1 Million dollar a year deficit.

Now after a couple of years of peaceful operation, the die may be cast to sink the grand old ferry for good. This article in Shorelines sounds pretty bleak.


"Ahoy Mate's, it's the Governor Christ, let em ave one cross the bow!"

By DrewDixon - Mon, 02/02/2009 - 1:39pm

The St. Johns River Ferry Service begins about a month-long shut down for maintenance beginning Thursday Feb. 5. It will be a real test for the long-term viability of the necessity of the service and the Jacksonville Port Authority's decision to get rid of a backup vessel.


The Jean Ribault goes into Atlantic Marine for the mechanical overhaul but motorists who use the service will be inconvenienced the most. From Ponte Vedra Beach to Fernandina Beach, the service has been used by motorists who prefer to use the extension of Florida A1A crossing the St. Johns River from Mayport to Fort George Island.


Not in anyone's memory that Shorelines spoke to could anyone point to a time when the Mayport ferry stopped running for an extended period of time. This shutdown will last about three weeks. Previously, the Jean Ribault was always backed up by the Blackbeard vessel. But the JPA ditched the second vessel in 2008 after purchasing the service from the city of Jacksonville in order to save funds.


If motorists get used to going westward to Florida 9-A and crossing the Dames Point bridge instead of using the ferry during its closure, there will be little demand for keeping the service running except for the civic advocates and hardcore ferry supporters. And this closure also comes during a dramatic drop in ferry ridership in the past year according the JPA's own figures.


The only way to tell if the ferry is in serious demand in these tenuous times of its 50 year history is to wait and see if ridership spikes when it returns to service in late February. If ridership drops off even more, it could prove the JPA took too many preventative measures in order to save money but ruin the novel mode of transportation. The ferry will likely not survive much longer if there is not a return to robust ridership.

The Blackbeard

Consider the facts my Jacksonville citizens or Florida visitors.

JPA took over the ailing ferry operation as a life-line for area businesses, commuters and beach goers.

To cut costs the JPA removed the back-up ferry ship "The Blackbeard", keeping only the "Jean Ribault" in service.

To further help with costs, hours were sliced and the fares were increased just in time for the latest fuel crisis.

Meanwhile the JPA has bought up all of the land from the Ferry Landing Westward along the South bank of the river at Mayport for a new cruise ship terminal.

The Cruise Ship Terminal Announcement was too much for many Mayport old timers and a near shooting war has taken place for months. Months of clearing the space for the new Bulkheads, surveys and design work.

Now suddenly the wonderful ferry has to go in for scheduled repairs, and we no longer have a back-up ship. 45 days without the ferry will probably do what the schedule cuts and fare hikes couldn't do, kill it for good.

Losing the ferry will have a great negative impact on the communities at the mouth of the river, on the beaches, on tourism. Ending this will kill perhaps our most marketable tour for cruise passengers willing to stay over a few days and spend some money locally.

Though this blog is a rabid supporter of JAXPORT and the JPA Cruise Terminal at Mayport, We will NOT support removing the ferry. JAXPORT needs to bring in some long-range consultants with tourism experience and allow them to experience this famous highway from Fernandina Beach, over the ferry to Mayport, the Jacksonville Beaches all the way to St. Augustine. Then ask the opinion of the real tourism experts if this isn't going to shoot ourselves in the foot. Once again shortsightedness may cause us to stumble. Just as we finally achieve a major tourist destination in the cruise port, we tear out the most interesting and historic reason to hang around and spend.

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Jacksonville and Florida Not Shovel Ready and Have Ignored the Transit Stimilus

How much more "Shovel Ready" could you want then this unfinished extension?

Sometimes one has to wonder at the completely blind eyes that lead in the State of Florida, Tallahassee, Florida Department of Transportation, City of Jacksonville and our own State Agency, The Jacksonville Transit Authority. At a time when the mayor is attempting to steal the dedicated rapid transit funds from JTA, as well as pull a sleight of hand with JTA's permanent funding, promising more and delivering less, you would think that JTA and FDOT would be in Washington, lobbying for the many great projects on the drawing boards.

Mayor Peyton has gone on record in the Florida Times Union newspaper with a very positive diatribe on rail, which, when boiled down lacks any substance what-so-ever. Outside of his family's Oil and Concrete business, the man seems helpless to grasp the most elementary concepts of transportation. He promises, to promise, to someday consider rapid transit or rail.

Peyton: Jacksonville could be rail center
Mayor says rail service could boost Jacksonville, but actions cast doubt on that notion.
By Larry Hannan
Story updated at 5:12 AM on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2009

A glorious future for train travel in Jacksonville sounded feasible...

Mayor John Peyton said with three interstate highways and three major railroad lines - CSX, FEC and Norfolk Southern - the Jacksonville area is poised to become a logistics center for rail in the Southeast. City Council President Ronnie Fussell said Jacksonville has been a key hub for rail since the 19Th century and would remain a major factor in the 21st.

But supporters of commuter rail, including two local members of Congress, are having trouble seeing that bright future. They see a city and state that aren't serious about passenger rail.

That frustration has intensified because of the stimulus package now working its way through Congress. A stimulus bill approved by the House of Representatives last week included $1.1 billion for rail, and the Senate is expected to vote on a stimulus package this week.

But none of the stimulus projects for which Jacksonville and the Florida Department of Transportation have requested funding includes a single rail project, essentially guaranteeing none of the money will be allocated for rail.

"The lack of leadership when it comes to transportation is stunning," said Robert Mann, a retired transportation consultant and longtime supporter of commuter rail in Jacksonville.

The Jacksonville Transportation Authority is now conducting a study into the feasibility of having commuter rail service from the suburbs into downtown Jacksonville. But the actions of city leaders suggest they are only giving lip service to rail, Mann said.

Brad Ashwell of the Florida Public Interest Research Group, a consumer watchdog organization in Tallahassee, said the state hasn't shown any interest in rail, and its actions with the stimulus show it doesn't take rail seriously.

State Transportation Department spokesman Dick Kane said there were no rail projects that are "shovel ready" within the next 60 to 90 days. The Obama administration wanted projects that are ready to go immediately.

Most state rail projects need to acquire environmental permits and purchase land. And it's not clear if the Obama administration wants to pay for planning instead of actual construction, said David Lee, administrator of policy planning for the Florida Department of Transportation.

Peyton admitted no rail projects are ready for construction. He insisted the city is looking seriously at commuter rail and hopes to move forward with a plan in the next few years.

U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Fla., blames the state government for the lack of rail projects.

An amendment to the Florida Constitution for high-speed rail was approved by voters in 2000, but it was later repealed, when then-Gov. Jeb Bush warned the amendment would cost taxpayers billions of dollars.

Florida is behind the times on rail, and supporters of train travel should express displeasure to state officials, Brown said.

She wanted $5 billion allocated to rail and is frustrated with the House stimulus bill, even though she voted for it.

U.S. Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., also is unhappy with the House bill. Like every other Republican in the House, Mica voted against it and hopes the Senate can improve on what the House did.

But it's difficult to push for local projects when Florida and Jacksonville don't ask for anything, Mica conceded.

Mica hopes to get another crack at rail later this year when Congress considers a new highway bill.

We currently have BRT, Commuter Rail and Streetcar plans in some form of completed study, or even advanced studies. We have the Skyway - our downtown Monorail system which we have allowed embarrassment and some mystical inferiority complex trickle down from network news story's to nip the system in the bud, dead in it's tracks.

So what are we doing with the huge stimulus package? How much of our Mass Transit set-aside from the Better Jacksonville Plan will actually reach mass transit? How much funding will we then provide for O&M costs on the finished systems? What challenges are facing our city today?

What are we doing at the City of State levels? Sadly, as Larry points out in the paper nothing but lip service. Don't look for any California, North Carolina, Oregon-Washington, Illinois type train service improvements with these bumbling, old school auto lovers.

Couldn't we use our Mass Transit set-aside money to self finance something like a streetcar system, or Skyway, going after stimulus grants in a later phase? We could but Peyton wants to reduce the transit set-aside to zero, invest some of the money in Port Access Roads and the rest through a long and convoluted trail will end up in that giant hole downtown we call "The Courthouse Site."*(see note below) So in short, no we probably won't see a cent of the money we voted for transit actually go to transit, even though with smoke and mirrors, we'll be told it does.

Equally sad, so determined to leave a legacy project from his fruitless administration of the City, Peyton even plans to betray the taxpayers and remove the dedicated O&M money from JTA, putting the bus system on a month to month retail sales tax subsidy. This is a subsidy that will look very much like the first 35 years of Amtrak, never predictable, never enough, impossible to plan for or with.

Yet they are all whining that "We don't have shovel ready plans... Obama wants shovel ready plans you know..."

"WE DON'T HAVE SHOVEL READY PLANS!"

CITIZENS OF JACKSONVILLE - THAT IS A PATENT LIE!

We have several projects that have been so thoroughly planned that a local group from the United Daughters of the Confederacy, and the Children's choir from the 1St A.M.E. church downtown could probably build them with a few dollars.

SKYWAY: The Skyway is already to go to the stadium, already engineered, already designed, right-of-way in City hands. There are similar plans to the Riverside-Blue Cross-Fidelity buildings, including exclusive right-of-way on Riverside Avenue. Further, the engineering and studies to take it north to Shand's Hospital or South toward San Marco were also underway at one time, though I know Shand's is pretty complete, the San Marco line is an unknown.

BRT: We are very close to having everything needed to tackle the Northwest BRT line up Boulevard to Gateway Mall and beyond to the I-295 belt-way.

"S" LINE: Needed for Commuter Rail, Light Rail and neutral access by rail freight carriers, this former Seaboard Mainline right-of-way continues to get a new bicycle trail on top of it courtesy of the Peyton Administrations Parks and Recreation Department. Recent estimates by railroad contractors place the cost of replacing that line at no more the $10 Million per mile.

FLORIDA EAST COAST REGIONAL PASSENGER TRAINS: Yes, we should be the hub of rail passenger service to Florida. Our depot rivals the great stations in Los Angeles, or Washington, DC.. The state planned a major rail expansion back in the 1980's through the mid 1990's by bringing back the passenger train to the FEC. The studies consumed some $50 Million Dollars and the state even committed to capacity expansion. This happened right when Amtrak was prevented by the Bush Administration from adding any more trains or routes. So here we sit, with a 10 year old plan in our lap, trains curving through our west side neighborhoods, and no one is fighting to get them aimed south on The Speedway to America's Playground.

SUNSET LIMITED: Another project, this route was already funded, up and running, fully functional when hurricane Katrina pulled the plug on the many Gulf Coast Bridges. That is a problem fixed years ago and still no trains grace the line that we Floridians spent so many millions to upgrade for CSX. Tell me this isn't shovel ready.

So there you have it:

SKYWAY

BRT

AMTRAK REGIONAL

And not a chirp in a carload from our political arena. A slumbering giant, Jacksonville, sleeps while cities all around us jump for the golden ring of transportation excellence. Oh to be a "Charlotte", "Phoenix" or "Portland" just for a day, gentle reader, this is such blatant neglect, I'd even settle for being "Kenosha" or "Fort Smith".

*NOTE: (For out of town readers, this is another of "Peyton's Perils," as the new County Courthouse was fully funded under that BJP plan. Our fully funded Courthouse ran into Peyton's procrastinating mis-management team, lots were purchased, buildings leveled and studies started, then started again, then again, and now 6+ years later, we have a $200 Million dollar hole in the city).

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THEORY - WHY LRT-STREETCAR OUT PERFORMS THE BUS OR BRT

WHEN, "AS GOOD AS RAIL", NO LONGER EXPLAIN THE LOADS...

OVER THE RAINBOW TO AN ANSWER.

THEORY:

First your going to have to understand this whole exercise is based on the numbers that rail nearly always beats out bus in "all things equal" performance. Nobody knows why. Countless millions of dollars have been lost in study after study as to, "Why people prefer rail?" Some simply close their eyes and ears to this, but most will clear the throat and mutter, yes, rail does seem to have a slight edge. Again and again, WHY? WHY? WHY?

It's weird that we have spent so much energy on such a basic human tendency. Believe me when I say I don't believe it's some magic bus stigma. I don't believe it's really the "Transit For The Poor" or "Who rode the short bus in school", etc. that we struggle with here. There is a silly old theory that "Rail does well because people know where it's going." PISH! Anyone that can read or hear can figure out how to use smart transit. Real time information and electronic destination signs SHOULD be more then enough to reproduce rail performance.

Would more gimmick transit like PCT BUSES (Potato Chip Truck - Thinks it's a Trolley), express and non-stop services or restroom equipped-reclining, top of the line, seat-Silver Eagle's, with full bar and tables do the trick? Busway's, dedicated lanes, HOV, guide wires, bus trains, even "slot car buses". Comfort, low floors, que jumping, signal priority or freaking flying wing buses and they'll still come up short on ridership. In view of the ridership gap, are the millions spent on BRT really worth the investment when a clear rail alternative is available? There is a ton of talent and energy being invested in reinventing the wheel. Sell it however you want, but I want to take you over the rainbow on this one.

Look hard at the image at the top of this article.

If you see The Grand Canyon with a Gateway Arch type bridge perhaps 4 feet wide, 5 miles across and 7,000 feet straight down from the peak, then we're all on the same page.

We are going to cross it. Do you hug the beam or walk? Neither.

We are starting on the South end of the canyon in North Central Arizona. ALL THINGS ARE EQUAL in this and we will assume that the grades are no problem for either vehicle. Oh, you see where this is going?

Now on the starting line you have a scaled down BRT super bus, 3.9 feet wide and 10 feet long with but two seats. It's been driving over that giant arch with a professional driver for years. Our driver of record could thread the needle with a bus at 90 MPH, and this toy is no challenge to him. BUT, is it a challenge to you?

There IS a catch to this study, just for incentive, if you don't ride, we're just going to shoot you, (mass transit, bad neighborhood, you'll understand). The "safe driver" is about to leave with our golf cart size bus and YES he will drive this bus over the arch and over the canyon. Will you WANT to jump aboard for the ride? What could we do to convince y0u? Perhaps if we added all those BRT toys? What if we added guide wires? What about? Could we?

FORGET IT BUBBA, I AIN'T GETTING ON YOUR SCALE MODEL BUS,

JUST SHOOT ME.

NEXT: Alright, now we reproduce the whole show, this time we have an identical vehicle to whatever you imagined your bus to be. The only change is THIS TIME IT'S ON RAILS. Stay on this side and we'll gladly have the our happy transit gangster shoot you.

ARE YA DEAD YET?

Not me, send a note to me in Saint George, Utah...

I'm gone on the mini-streetcar.

Did I have you thinking about it?

Did you notice a difference that two rails make? Imagine if you will, going over the circus giganticus Roller coaster with a Golf Cart? I don't think so.

The I-405 at 6:00 PM? A blow out on the I-40? A high speed collision on the I-95? Driver has a stroke? Heart attack?

Remember that in this, all-things-were-equal but the bus failed through NO FAULT OF IT'S OWN. The remotest chance of an accident on that narrow arch was enough to vote for rail. Humans vote with their instincts. No amount of dollars or engineering is going to prove that the bus was "As good as rail - only cheaper."

See you on the streetcar JACKSONVILLE, MIAMI, SARASOTA, FT. LAUDERDALE, TAMPA, CINCINNATI, COLUMBUS, COLORADO SPRINGS.

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THE JAXPORT FIX WITH MAPS

Current Rail Access to JAXPORT's Port Of Gold.

Investors paradise? Considering that some 2 Million Containers a year will start pouring from the Tri-Pac/Hanjin/MOL Line's new ship terminals within two years, JAXPORT might be one of the only bright spots in the economy. It does however, offer a huge opportunity for railroad investment or betterment to increase access to the port for all carriers. Rail, THIS is where the opportunity for a mega project lay just beneath the surface of the current maps of the Port.


On this map we see some of the lines have changed hands - some of this is coming with Commuter Rail anyway. Possible Neutral access for all rail carriers with State and Local purchase of all Terminal Trackage and the start of Jacksonville Commuter Rails North Line. With reconstruction of the old "S" line (Former Mainline of the Seaboard Railroad now owned by the City) Florida East Coast and Norfolk Southern would enjoin CSX with total access.

In this scene, we see what happens if Commuter Rail North becomes Light-Rail and CSX maintains a stranglehold on the booming North side Port Terminals. Call this scene OPPORTUNITY knocking. The immense warehouse districts on the West Side and Northwest side of Jacksonville being connected to the Booming northeast area Port via a ready made right-of-way, under Jacksonville Electric Authority Power lines. This northern "BELT RAILROAD" touching as it does (or could) the Southern boundary's of the International Airport would thus Perice the Free Trade Zone. With FEC as a partner, it gives Norfolk Southern access to the fastest growth area in Florida.

It could go either way, one thing is certain, change for the better is right around the bend and World Ports already know, Jacksonville is on stage. Someone grab a shovel.

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The Illusion Of A One Track Town - A SAGA OF CSX

"...As The Sun Pull's Away From The Pier, and Our Boat Sinks Slowly In The West..." (apologies to the Late Great Spike Jones)

CSX south florida, originally uploaded by bobissouthern.

Headquartered in Jacksonville, the largest railroad in the East has all of the newer terminals, in fact the entire Northside of the port locked in to their system.

If CSX is not willing to allow for City ownership and open access to the port for all roads, through the agency of a Terminal Company then the City has some work to do to provide that access for all railroads, giving our new shipping lines a choice.

If our port access is not shared then the question must be asked of CSX, why they left us out of their National Freight Corridor Plan which bypasses us for State Ports in Virginia and North Carolina?

We may be the new "Big Dog" on the block when it comes to international shipping, but no big dog is going to run for long on one leg.

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international shipping
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