by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Trolley service on the Southbank during lunchtime hours may not begin until next spring and City Council member Matt Carlucci is looking for answers.
“That’s what they [Jacksonville Transportation Authority] tell me and I have a real bone to pick with that,” said Carlucci. “This was supposed to be up last fall.”
The long-promised route may be delayed several months again, not for economic but logistical reasons.
Two weeks ago, the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission was prepared to give the JTA $50,000 from its Southbank Tax Increment Fund (the other half is being funded by the Florida Department of Transportation) to finance 50 percent of the one-year pilot program. The JEDC asked JTA to draw up an interlocal agreement that explained the basics of the Southbank service. As of Tuesday, the JEDC was still waiting for that document.
“Obviously, it will not be approved until we get an interlocal agreement for everyone to approve,” said Kirk Wendland, JEDC executive director.
Wendland said both the JEDC and City Council auditors would like to review the agreement before signing off on the funding. Once the agreement has been approved, it will then have to receive approval from a couple of Council standing committees as well as the full Council. That process can take the better part of a month to complete, setting back the start date of the trolley service.
“Until we get an interlocal agreement, it will continue to be deferred,” said Wendland. “If we get it today [Tuesday] or tomorrow, we can get it out of the Finance Committee next week. If we don’t get it until late this week or next week, it will have to be deferred again.”
The agreement may be high on the JEDC’s list of priorities, but Carlucci is more concerned with explaining the issue to his constituents, many of whom have been waiting for the trolley service for well over a year.
“That news greatly disappoints me,” said Carlucci. “They [JTA] told me they didn’t have enough money for the service, so I went out and got the money. A study was done and, as I understand it, they have bought the trolleys. To me, there is no reason for there not to be service this fall.”
Carlucci stressed the issue is not a personal crusade but rather an attempt to help San Marco area merchants who are experiencing serious parking problems during the peak lunch hours.
“It’s not important to me, but to the community of San Marco,” said Carlucci. “San Marco parking problems have been compounded by construction at the community center and the library. My constituents are calling me and asking me when the service will start. I don’t know what the problem is.”
One person Carlucci refuses to blame for the delay is JTA executive director Mike Blaylock who took over a couple of months ago for Derek Morse. Carlucci said he believes Blaylock, who is out of town this week, will do whatever is necessary to get the routes up and running long before next spring.
“I have great faith in Mike Blaylock,” he said. “Maybe they have fallen behind a little because they have gone from one executive director to another. He is my ray of hope. If there is any way possible, Mike Blaylock will make it happen.
“I’m not mad, I’m disappointed and I’m determined. It’s important for San Marco and the reason it’s important is this fall starts the holiday season and that’s important for the merchants in the area. I’ve been talking this up for a long time and I will be working on it. It’ll be getting some of my highest priorities.”
Carlucci also said, as he understands it, San Marco will be handled by two trolleys with routes that both originate and terminate on the Southbank.
“There are no plans to go over the bridges,” said Carlucci. “If they did, they would deplete what the people mover [Skyway] does.”