Five innovations in public transportation…that you wont find in Jacksonville
05/30/07 • Posted in: Eco, Transit by Joey Marchy 7 Comments »
image courtesy of Good Magazine
Gas prices are nearing an all time high and everyone is thinking about alternate forms of transportation. Luckily for me, I work from home two days a week and live close enough to bike the other three days. If my wife and I drove to work, it would be a burden managing the financial reality of paying for gas for two cars on a weekly basis.
I only assume the average Jacksonvillian is also feeling a gas price pinch. I know I’d be sick of shilling out hundreds of dollars a month for gas, not to mentioned the added insult of doing so just to sit in traffic. Ouch. Bigger cities are investing large amounts in public transportation improvements and taxpayers are gladly footing the bill.
In the May/July issue of Good Magazine they list 5 urban transportation innovations you won’t find in America. The author, Josh Jackson, might know a little about transportation as he coordinated transportation planning for New York’s 2012 Olympic bid.
- Bus Rapid Transit (Brazil)
- Naked Streets (Netherlands)
- Bicycle Planning and Complete Streets (Denmark)
- Congestion Pricing (England)
- Intermodal Systems (Denmark)
Jacksonville has it’s own public transportation project in the works and it’s called BRT or bus rapid transit. If you want to learn more about BRT in Jacksonville you can read all about it at Metro Jacksonville. They have dedicated countless hours to chronicling the progress of the future BRT system. I’m not sure if Metro Jacksonville would call the BRT “progress”, but some people say BRT is exactly that, progressive. I’m sure the progressive thing is the implementation, not the fact that they are using buses to move bodies.
Just because you spend money to build BRT or rail, doesn’t mean its “progressive” or makes sense. The skyway is innovative, but in Jax’s context and environment, it was the wrong type of system to construct, for the costs/mile.
Also, there’s nothing wrong with the concept of bus rapid transit, when its done right.
However, when you propose a 29 mile BRT system and three of the four routes parallel existing rail lines (commuter rail being cheaper is a well known universally accepted fact), none of them reach our rapidly growing suburbs, it takes over 20 years to implement and will cost taxpayers upwards of $1 billion dollars, there’s a problem. A part of BRT’s selling points is it’s affordability. There’s nothing cheap about a bus system proposal that rivals light rail in costs/square mile.
So before anyone jumps hook, line and sinker on the kool aid being sold as innovative BRT locally, each individual should at least take a serious look at details, effects and alternative mass transit options out there and compare with what’s currently on JTA’s plate.
the city really needs to get behind the bike movement. it is such a simple, efficient way to get around. sadly, there is no awareness about bikers downtown. people don’t realize that bikes are to be treated just like any other vehicle. it’s amazing how many scary close calls i’ve had from people turning left when i’m passing through an intersection, or changing lanes when i’m in the lane. i was actually hit two weeks ago. luckily, the lady in the minivan saw the at the last minute and braked, so i was basically just tapped and only suffered some ripped dress pants.
Joey this is an awesome post.
The city should be thinking (starting the freaking minute we went over and started blowing up all the places that produce oil) about alternative transit.
The BRT sucks (at least Jacksonville’s version of it) mostly because it is a method for the big money in Jacksonville to make even bigger money…..the whole 750 million dollar project is actually a new road construction project to create flying expressways for the buses.
And who is in the road building business?
hmmmm…….
But to your point there are all kinds of alternatives to our transit.
Electric cars, public scooters, and of course, better design of the neighborhoods and new urbanists guidelines for all new construction.
Weve been discussing alternative transportation over at metjax this past week and it seems like there is a lot more enthusiasm whenever you arent talking about the JTA.
Great post.
Living in Avondale I commute on bike usually two days a week to work downtown. When I don’t ride I try and carpool. The downside to cycling to work is that there is only ONE bike lane leading to downtown and it only goes a short distance on Riverside Ave.
The city should think of multiple ways people might want to commute besides just the bus system.
also, it’s impossible to avoid a big uphill going from riverside to downtown and back. i usually take the riverwalk, and go on the elevated sidewalk, because the only other option seems to be going from jefferson to riverside, and that overpass is killer!
Jefferson to Riverside isn’t that bad Adam. C’mon! Pump those legs baby. Try going Northbound over the Main Street in a strong wind, now thats some work! Ha ha ha!
you forget. i’m an incredible woose. have you seen my legs in my capri jeans? super skinny.