BRT North Corridor Public Meeting Report

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Bus Rapid Transit North Corridor Environmental Assessment StudyPublic Meeting Report

Introduction

On Monday, November 17, a public scoping meeting was held at the FCCJ NorthCampus from 6 -7:30 p.m. The purpose of the meeting was to kick off the BusRapid Transit North Corridor Study, share project information, and seek publiccomments.

The meeting was an open house format with display boards, maps and acontinuous loop PowerPoint presentation explaining the study available forreview. JTA staff and consultants from Wilbur Smith & Associates were on handto answer questions from the public. A color, project information brochure,handout of frequently asked questions and comment form were presented to

each attendee of the meeting. Copies of the project scoping booklet were alsoavailable.

Seven (7) people signed in as attending the meeting. A scan of the sign-in sheetis included in the attachments. Post cards are being sent to all meetingattendees thanking them for their participation and providing the website addressfor additional project information.

Outreach and Notification Procedures

An 8.5 x 11 inch flier was prepared to invite the public and mailed toapproximately 3,000 residences and businesses in advance of the meeting.Notification was also sent to the Jacksonville City Council. The meeting wasadvertised on the JTA web site and meeting announcement ads were run asfollows:

Florida Administrative Weekly 10/17/08 Florida Times-Union 10/17/08 Free Press 11/05/08 Florida Star 11/07/08

Copies of the notification materials are included in the attachments.

Public Comments Summary

Comments were received from Mr. Thomas B. Waters at the JTA offices.


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Outreach and Notification Exhibits

Notification FlierCity Council NotificationMeeting Advertisement

JTA Web Notice


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From: Mike MillerSent: Monday, October 13, 2008 11:40 AMTo: 'Gaffney, Johnny'; 'Jones, Warren'; 'E. Denise Lee'; 'Johnson, Glorious'; '[email protected]';'[email protected]'; Suraya Teeple; Scott A. ClemCc: Mike Blaylock; Diane CunninghamSubject: Public meetings announcement

Importance: High

Attached are notices that are being published in area newspapers announcing a series of JTA PublicMeetings regarding a proposed North Bus Maintenance Facility and to share information on our NorthBus Corridor for our proposed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) program. We would invite you to attend any orall of these meetings. As always, if you desire a personal briefing on the subjects of these meetings,please contact my office to schedule a meeting involving the project managers for these projects. Thankyou.

Mike Miller

Dir. External AffairsJTA100 N. Myrtle Ave.Jacksonville, FL 32203(904) 630-3109www.jtafla.com

[email protected]


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PurposeThe purpose o the public hearing is to share

project inormation and seek comments

in a ormal setting (public hearing) or the

proposed North Bus Maintenance Facility

adjacent to the intersection o Golair Blvd.and Davis Street.

Monday, November 10

6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Gateway Mall-Stage

(Near bus transer site)

5258 Norwood Avenue

Jacksonville, FL 32208

Monday, November 17

6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

FCCJ North Campus

Auditorium, Room C-126

4501 Capper Road


100 North Myrtle Avenue,

Jacksonville Florida 32204

Tel (904) 630-3185

www.jtafa.com

AccessibilityAnyone requiring special accommodations should contact Winova Hart-Mayer at 630 3185 or

email [email protected] no later than seven days prior to the meeting. Public participation issolicited without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, or amilial status.

Please Note: On Monday, November 10, 2008,

two meetings will be held at the Gateway Mall

Stage the North Bus Maintenance Facility

Public Hearing ollowed by the BRT North Bus

Corridor Project Public Meeting to kick-o

the study.

Meeting Format (Open House)This open house will include materials on both projects. During the open house, there will be a

continuous looped slide show and other study materials available or review. Citizens are invited

to view the study materials, discuss the projects with sta, and provide comments. More

inormation can be obtained in the North Bus Maintenance Report and BRT North Bus Corridor

Scoping Booklet which will be available or review starting on October 20, 2008 on the JTA

website, www.jtafa.com, and at the locations listed below:

Jacksonville Transportation Authority

Administration Building

100 North Myrtle Avenue


Tax Collectors Ofce

Gateway Shopping Center

910 W. 44th Street


JTA is conducting the BRT North Bus Corridor study to evaluate and potentially implement

cost-easible options or bus rapid transit north o downtown Jacksonville. The study transit

corridor extends rom downtown Jacksonville north along Boulevard Street to Gateway Mall

continuing north along Norwood Avenue/ Lem Turner Road ending south o Armsdale Road

(near I-295).

PurposeThe purpose o the public meeting is to kick-o the BRT North Bus Corridor Study (public

meeting), share project inormation, seek public comments, and present a study overview.

Monday, November 10

4:30 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Formal Presentation will start at 5:30 p.m.

Gateway Mall-Stage

(Near Bus Transer Site)

5258 Norwood AvenueJacksonville, FL 32208

Deadline or CommentsYou may submit comments by November 20,

2008 to Ms. Winova Hart-Mayer,

Jacksonville Transportation Authority, Post

Oce Drawer O, Jacksonville, FL 32203

or [email protected]. All comments received

at the meeting and until the close

o the comment period will be included in the

nal documents.

Public MeetingBus Rapid Transit (BRT) North Bus Corridor

Public HearingNorth Maintenance Facility

22265

JACKSONVILLE TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY


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JTA Web site meeting notice


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Meeting Materials

PowerPoint PresentationHandouts


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Bus Rapid Transit North CorridorEnvironmental Assessment StudyScoping Meeting Open House


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Bus Rapid

Skyway

Local and CBus

Downtown

Roadways Potential C

and River T

Regional TransportationSystem Vision


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Major DifferencesBRT and Commuter Rail

Commute Long Dis

Must Kn

Operate

Freight

Platform

Custome

by Car, F

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Short or Medium Commutes

No Need for Schedule

Operates in Mixed Traffic or

Dedicated Lanes

Significant Stations

Customers Arrive/ Depart by

Various Modes (Walk, Bike,

Car, Bus, Ferry, and Rail)


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WaterbourneTransit

BRT SouthwestCorridor

BRT North Corridor

Trolleys Regio

TitleOneOne

SystemSystem

BRT Neighborhood

Circulators/FeedersSkyway

Inter/Intra-CountyMobility

Co

One Transit System


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Purpose of Tonights Meetin

To kick-off the Bus Rapid Transit NoStudy

Share project information

Seek your comments Bus Rapid Transit System Update

Description of North Corridor Stud

Proposed Improvements

Next Steps


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Enhanced Transit Stopswith Real-Time Information

Traffic Signal Priority

New Vehicles and CoordinatedNeighborhood Shuttles

SigStat

ReaArri

Traf

DistEas

Bus- 10

- 15Exclusive Transit Lanes

Features and Benefits


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What are the TransportationNeeds in the North Corridor?

Highest Number of People Using TranWork

High Concentration of TransportationDisadvantaged Including Seniors Ove

People Under 18

Connect People to Jobs, Schools, ShServices


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Whats Changed fromthe Last Study?

Near-Term Transit Needs

Route Along Existing Streets

No Separate Busway

Land For Station Areas/Park-Facilities


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Recommend Near-Term BRTImprovements

Determine Properties Needed

Address Social, Economic anEnvironmental Impacts

Study Purpose


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From Downtown Jacksonville:

North from Broad and State

Streets

Along Boulevard to Golfair

Boulevard

West along Golfair to North

along

Brentwood Avenue

North along Norwood Avenue to

Lem Turner Road ending south

of Armsdale Road

Where Does it Go?


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W. State and Broad Streets

Boulevard

8th Street

MLK Jr. Parkway

Golfair/Gateway

Lem Turner Road

W. Edgewood Avenue

Soutel Drive

Dunn Avenue

Armsdale Road

Others?

Potential Station Locations


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Striped-out Areas Re-designated as

Bus Lane Feature


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Existing Lanes

Existing Travel Lanes Maintained for Gene


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Intersections Analyzed For NeTechnologies

Queue Jumps Traffic Signal

Prioritization

Intersection ImprovementEvaluations

Tra


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What is an EnvironmentalAssessment?

A Federally Required Report to IdExamine the Following Types of


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Next Steps

Deadline for Comments

November 20, 2008

Public HearingEarly Spring 2009

Develop Alternatives

Public MeetingsWinter 2009

Draft Environmental Assessment

Final Environmental Assessment/

Finding of No Significant Impacts

Early Summer 2009


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THANK YOU


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Frequently Asked QuestionsBRT North Corridor

1. What is the BRT North Corridor Project?

The Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) North Corridor project is a transit project proposed by JTA that will

have modern, environmentally friendly buses using existing streets with 10-15 minutefrequencies. The service combines advanced traffic signal technologies, dedicated travel lanes,

new vehicles, pre-board ticketing machines and new stations with real time customer

information, and park and ride locations to improve transit mobility, operating cost and service

frequency.

The service route extends north from State Street along Boulevard Street, to Golfair Boulevard,

then north along Brentwood Avenue continuing north along Norwood Avenue/Lem Turner Road

ending at Armsdale Road, just south of I-295.

2. How is BRT North Corridor linked into JTAs regional transportation vision?JTAs regional vision is to create a multi-modal system that addresses our regions diverse

transportation needs. The system will use established local bus, express bus, and expanded

community shuttles to feed into future BRT, commuter rail, and possibly waterborne transit

services. The BRT north corridor project, following the BRT Downtown Phase One project, is

the second long-range transit project to launch under JTAs regional vision. You can learn more

about JTAs regional vision by visiting www.jtafla.com click RTS.

3. What is the North Corridor Environmental Assessment (EA)?

The BRT North Corridor EA is the next level of environmental analysis that follows the Tier One

Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS). Previously referenced as the Tier Two,

the BRT North Corridor EA is a federally mandated process that allows JTA to obtain the

necessary approval to use federal funds to build the BRT over the next five to 10 years. During

the EA process social, economic and environmental impacts along the route, as well as,

mitigation of any impacts will be assessed.

4. Will this next level of environmental study be conducted in the other three Corridors?

Yes. JTA is tentatively planning to start the EA/Tier Two in the other corridors as follows:

Southeast in Spring 2009, Southwest in Fall 2009 and East in Winter 2009/2010. The North

Corridor is the first corridor under study because it has a high senior and transit dependent

population plus the highest number of people using transit. By implementing BRT in this area,

people will be able to connect to jobs, schools, entertainment and other services easier.

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http://www.jtafla.com/http://www.jtafla.com/


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5. Why has the route changed from I-95?

In the long-term, the JTA hopes to be able to operate transit service in/adjacent to managed

lanes along I-95. But with rising fuel prices, JTA sees the need for near-term transitimprovements for all the BRT corridors. To meet increasing demands in operating costs and

increased riders, JTA found it more beneficial to implement a near-term system that utilizes the

north corridor street arterials and can be operable within a five to 10 year period.

6. How will the new route affect the community homes, businesses and churches?

During the North Corridor Study, any impacts will be evaluated. JTA anticipates minimal

impacts since BRT will travel along the same streets utilized by existing local bus service. The

new route will give riders a more frequent, reliable service improving mobility within the

community.

7. Does this mean my property will no longer be purchased?

Each case varies depending on the location of the property. Now that JTA is focusing on

implementing BRT along existing streets as a part of the North Corridor Study, instead of

building an exclusive transitway along I-95 as presented in the Tier One study, the parcels

identified in the Tier One may no longer be of need. JTA will personally contact any individual

whose property is needed for the north corridor system development. Properties may be

needed in some locations along the new route for stations, queue jumps at traffic signals, and

for park and ride lots.

8. Will this affect our property values?

The JTA cannot predict impacts to property values. We are planning to build new stations and

shelters that are visually appealing, while providing a potential enhancement to the community.

9. Will streets be widened for bus lanes?

No. The system will use existing road infrastructure. Where additional road pavement is

available, such as the striped out lanes on Lem Turner Road between the Trout River and south

of Armsdale Road, restriping will allow for bus only lanes.

10. What will the stations look like?

At this time JTA is working with other agencies and community leaders to help us decided the

most suitable style of shelter to implement for the BRT system.

The new shelters are planned to offer security, lighting, real time information monitors, more

weather protection and other amenities.

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11. Why doesnt the system connect to the Airport?

The highest need for service improvements today exists along Lem Turner Road to downtownJacksonville. JTAs rail study will evaluate future transit connections between the rail lines and

the airport. Currently, JTA does offer direct express service to the airport with Air JTA (NS33).

12. When will there be service and how much will it cost?

The JTA is expecting to initiate the BRT service within the next five to ten years. The fare has

not yet been determined.

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Scans of Sign-in Sheet and Comments


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Documents

BRT North Corridor Public Meeting Report