The Jacksonville Transportation Authority’s board of directors is feeling so blessed and highly favored this holiday season, they decided to give us a present.
“It is certainly very timely for us to be giving,” Board Member Elaine Brown told the Times-Union, “and I’m going to say this word – but I consider it a gift. This is a gift to Jacksonville.”
Free NAVI rides and $.75 off certain bus fares.
Well joy to the world.
The gesture was announced during the December board meeting and of course has absolutely nothing to do with JTA’s recent string of bad press.
JTA’s CEO, Nat Ford, seems to suggest the fare reduction is a simple way board members can show they care without actually addressing customers’ concerns.
Ford told reporters his team is graciously trying to help “our community navigate through life’s challenges and not be part of those challenges.”
And wonders of his love.
JTA’s announcement comes just days after Mayor Donna Deegan fussed at another caller during her monthly Ask the Mayor segment on WJCT’s First Coast Connect public radio show. Last month she scoffed at Jennifer for having the nerve to say NAVI should be cancelled. This month she took it out on Richard for pointing out the obvious.
Richard began, “I’m calling about mass transit and I’m not talking about NAVI or whatever that thing is called now, which is a failure. But five years ago…”
Deegan interrupted, “It just started. How can it be a failure?”
“Uh… Okay…,” Richard stammered.
“Okay. I’m just, I’m gonna… I’m not going to accept that as a premise. Let’s put it that way. We start… this, this just started. So, I’m uh, not of, of the belief that it is a failure, but please go ahead. I shouldn’t have interrupted you,” Deegan said.
The mayor went on to invalidate all of Richard’s concerns while admitting JTA’s leadership is “aware” of criticism.
Local media is starting to notice the public’s mood souring as well. The newspaper printed the comment I left on JTA’s social media page.
“We paid $65 million for this, and how JTA wants us to believe rides are ‘free.’ The ‘future of mobility’ is looking pretty bleak.”
Another social media user commented, “This nursing home van is not what I pictured when they said autonomous vehicles.”
JTA is going to do a study next year to figure out how to expand NAVI downtown. Apparently, they didn’t do that before spending $65 million. Part of the study will include input from the public.
Ford isn’t worried about any of this because innovation, “frankly, it’s damn hard.”
In a media statement, JTA reminds us how that hard work has paid off in these unprecedented times, “We continue to see increases year over year, in ridership, post-pandemic. This reduction is an opportunity to give back to our community in this New Year.”
And that’s what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown.
