Ambar Ramirez
How accessible and efficient is our public transportation system?
By Ambar Ramirez
I’ve had the privilege of having access to private means of transportation for most of my life. My parents always owned cars and I was lucky enough to have a used Cherokee jeep passed down to me when I got my license. Granted, I did have to take the school bus during my 7th and 8th-grade years of Middle School. And, if there were ever a moment when I was in need of a ride but did not have a car, I used Uber. But, needless to say, Uber isn’t cheap and if you own a car, you know that isn’t cheap either. Having to deal with constant repairs and high gas prices.
The reality is that public transit accounts for 2% of urban trips in the United States, compared to Canada and Western Europe where public transit accounts for 10-20% of urban trips.
Have we all just gotten too comfortable with our private means of transit or is it the overall underdeveloped modes of public transit?
I call this one, “Meditating at the Bus Stop” for we were worried that the bus was never gonna show up… it showed up shortly after this picture was taken. Also, noodle man makes a grand appearance.
About 10 minutes into the 1 hour and 20-minute bus ride to work, but I don’t mind when I get to look out the window and stare at palm trees without fear of crashing into the car in front of me.
It’s giving the school bus ride to Sky-High if you know what I mean.
“Taking Atlantic Blvd. Downtown” I hope the bus driver knows how important his job is to people that don’t have the means to own a car.
“Almost There” By this point, I was just ready to be at work (never thought I’d say that). While definitely accessible and cheap ($3.25 for the whole ride) you would think that by now we would have a faster form of public transit. Oh, wait… there is, we just don’t have one in Jacksonville. And yes, I know. Subways don’t have to be underground, I understand the whole “at sea level” issue.
While just one of many pathways that leads you straight into James Weldon Johnson Park, I like to think that this is the entrance to Jacksonville’s very own Narnia.
An hour and 20 minutes bus ride and 6-minute walk later, we made it to Folio HQ (AKA work)!
But of course, buses aren’t the only mode of public transportation in Jacksonville…
The Skyway ! While only located in downtown and the Southbank, the Skyway is free and makes getting around downtown much easier. Plus it goes over the water! How fun. Now we just need something like this all over Jacksonville and I won’t ever have to worry about high gas prices again.
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