JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Action News Jax is investigating bus lane confusion in downtown Jacksonville.
Our photographer caught car after car driving in the newly designated bus and bike lanes that are going up across Jacksonville. We told you in February that the lanes are meant to keep buses from stopping traffic.
Numerous motorists were caught on camera traveling in the wrong lane. The lanes we first told you about last month, which were put in by the Jacksonville Transportation Authority, are meant for buses and bikes only. But during peak hours Monday afternoon, we caught more than a dozen cars using the lanes on Broad Street by the courthouse.
Isaac Sternes got off one of the buses and said he has seen some close calls.
"I've seen where buses come so close where they slammed on their brakes," Sternes said.
We started asking questions about the problem after the court administrator sent an email saying they were seeing too many close calls. Their concerns include cars stopping in the middle of the bus lane to drop people off, which our cameras captured. That's why signs went up.
We even saw cars swerving in and out of the lanes after realizing they were in bus lanes. So we took a drive ourselves, turning left onto Broad from West Monroe downtown. If you don't know the special lane is there, it's very easy to turn into it, as we saw more than a half-dozen cars do.
It's not just happening downtown. We saw the same thing in the new bus bike lanes on the Southbank on Kings Avenue.
The JTA released this full statement:
"As part of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority's (JTA) First Coast Flyer (Bus Rapid Transit) downtown enhancement project, new bus-only lanes have been added along Bay, Jefferson, Broad and Forsyth Streets in Downtown and Kings Avenue on the Southbank. In addition, a queue jump was placed on Forsyth Street.
"Bus lanes keep buses from getting stuck in traffic, making travel for customers fast and reliable, while improving the overall traffic flow.
"JTA curbside bus lanes are only in effect during peak hours of the day and can be used by regular traffic during other times. Peak hours are Monday through Friday between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.
"JTA implemented a comprehensive education and awareness strategy that included brochures, information packets, face-to-face meetings, social media updates, a 'bus lanes' landing page on JTA's website and a 'How to Ride' video. The information was also shared with City partners.
"Bus pullouts also known as bus turnouts are not required for curbside bus lanes. A bus pullout on Broad Street was never included in any plans for the First Coast Flyer program and was never agreed to by the JTA.
"Broad Street drainage issues existed prior to JTA's project. The project was built according to the approved permits and plans."