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Seraphs
September 14, 2007, 10:57:17 PMGood! I'm glad to see this project still on track.
Ocklawaha
September 15, 2007, 10:54:44 AMDarn shame that JTA couldn't figure out how to take the Skyway up and over I-95 at Kings Avenue Station, and have a station AT THE GARAGE.
Executive vacation, drive to Florida.................................. $2,000 dollars
Miami South Beach hotel room....................................... $6,000 dollars
Relocation Executive seeing the Monorail in Jacksonville..... priceless
The public relations benefit of thousands of travelers seeing a "COOL MONORAIL" in downtown Jacksonville, would have some positive fall-out. If we only had the vision to realize that we live with, and complain about, an aspect of EPCOT, everyday. Why not sell it?
Talk about vision:
Why did the potato-chip-truck-thinks-it's-a-trolley leave the road? (To San Marco)
It couldn't get to the other side... (the FEC trains blocked it)
So what is the solution? JTA just quit! Gee, Martha, could a Skyway go OVER those tracks? Uuuuh? Duuhh? ummmm? Daffy Man!
JTA? Pull your heads out!
Ocklawaha
avonjax
September 16, 2007, 04:43:47 PMIt woud have taken intelligence to hae the station at the garage.
I have been thinking the same thing for years. We do have an Epcot type ride right here in DT Jax.....
It's a fun ride the trip to San Marco is a great view of DT and the river
Jason
September 17, 2007, 08:45:22 AMStill, the Epcot ride actually connects points of interests along the way!
Finish the Skyway JTA and we might leave you alone for a little while!
gradco2004
April 09, 2008, 08:56:32 PMchipwich
April 09, 2008, 11:54:58 PMThis is an awesome project that will increase monorail rider-ship dramatically. The walkway to the monorail is not too long and I bet it will be seen as a very positive convenience by hotel patrons, especially during busy events like Florida/ Georgia, Jag games, concerts etc.
When projects like Brooklyn Park come up with hotels and restaurants, then the monorail will really come full circle and I imagine we will see how rider-ship explodes when you actually connect real points of interest.
Currently the monorail connects nothing! It is just there. however, when anchored with a hotel/ restaurant project on the Southbank and then anchor the other end in Brooklyn within more hotels and restaurants, then and only then will it finally prove its usefulness.
exnewsman
April 10, 2008, 02:36:57 PMI wouldn't exactly say it connects nothing. On the Southbank you now have three new residential towers that can take residents to downtown. You have four hotels in which to draw passengers and transport them to the Prime Osborne convention center or downtown.
JTA is also working on concepts to take the Skyway to the two new Hilton hotels and also to Atlantic Blvd. in San Marco (where there is new development - albiet somewhat stalled due to the current economic conditions).
The hotels are scheduled to open next spring. This fall - Mike Balanky's mixed-use development (retail and residential) will begin construction right next to the hotels.
Kings Avenue Station will be busy area come next year.
Beloki
April 10, 2008, 03:30:36 PMI agree that the skyrail needs more points to connect... we are really moving in the right direction compared to last year this time. Lets keep this ball rolling.....
Seraphs
April 11, 2008, 06:53:36 PMThere does seem to be light at the end of the tunnel for the skyway. I agree with more points of interest there will be an increase in ridership.
heights unknown
June 10, 2008, 09:54:20 AMAt least there is not a "build it and they will come" mentality with this project. There are numerous projects that have been built and that are in the planning or construction phase which will lend credence to this section of the skyway being justifiable; so I disagree that this portion of the skyway is connecting to "nothing."
I just wish they would go ahead and build the portion from downtown to the stadium; that makes more sense to me than the other arms they are building or planning to build.
Heights Unknown
Ocklawaha
June 10, 2008, 11:36:28 AMHeaded for the "cow pasture" of LaVilla, Valhalla or Oblivion?
While I agree that the new projects will enhance the ridership on the Skyway, it still has a lot of changes to make.
Brooklyn Park, Bay Street Station and Kings Avenue Station WILL do wonders if they are completed/built. But when someone boards, where do they go? You stay in Kings Avenue Hilton for a "Convention" at the Prime and you still go to Central Station, change trains and... Add Brooklyn Park trains and the wait will be longer.
So everyone goes to Central Station, but "WHAT IF" they want the Baseball Grounds? Hyatt? Berkman? Arena? Stadium? Then it becomes go to Central Station and wait for the Potato-Chip-Truck-thinks-its-a-trolley thing. Does Central Station even have a destination sign on the ends of the building? Trolley route maps and schedules? If the Skyway runs to midnight will the PCT also run late? What if the sound system is down? Oops missed my stop. No big deal PCT goes to Hemming Plaza too?
A talk to Steve Arrington just before I left town and he told me the current Beam is designed to hold a larger train, and that "we own the rights" to the center cars on the current train. So if traffic does spike, we should be able to just run the new stuff on the same track. (something I've been saying all along)
But we still have critical holes, and a lack of will. I hope that is changing. How about a Southbank Connector? San Marco Station to Aetna and Baptist? (9,000 employees that WALK!) WITHOUT a change at both Central Station AND San Marco Station.
This thing was sold to us as a sort of Personal Rapid Transit system - which it's NOT. But we could get closer to that concept with more routes running on the track we already have. It will take a few connecting links but it could be done. Not to mention Stadium, Atlantic, Blue Cross areas.
Ocklawaha
Coolyfett
November 04, 2008, 12:17:58 AMWhats the latest on this joint?? Is it completed?
jeh1980
November 04, 2008, 02:51:31 AMreednavy
November 04, 2008, 02:56:16 AMJason
November 04, 2008, 11:29:36 AMSuperstructure is finished. Now the interiors and exterior finishes are next.
jaxlore
November 05, 2008, 02:44:33 PMRoad the skyway today, i've been on cleaner subways in new york ugh.
I can't imagine what it would be like if ridership was up.
BigHache
November 17, 2008, 06:07:11 PMThey've started to close it up. Windows are being installed now. Exterior finishes should be applied within the coming weeks.
Coolyfett
November 17, 2008, 07:26:13 PMAny signs?
BigHache
November 30, 2008, 06:50:24 PMNo, I haven't seen any signage yet. If you want a pick I'll see if I can drop by there this week.
coredumped
January 07, 2009, 11:55:54 PMIs there an "official" website, with floor plans for the apartments? Are there condos in there? Where can one find out more info?
Thanks!
thelakelander
January 08, 2009, 12:02:16 AMThere are no apartments in the building under construction. It will be occupied by two Hilton hotels.
Charles Hunter
January 08, 2009, 12:08:45 AMThis JTA page doesn't have floor plans, but it does have a linked article about it. The first phase (what you see now) is two hotels in the Hilton chain. The article also talks about future retail and residential.
http://www.jtafla.com/RTS/showPage.aspx?Sel=110
The Hilton site doesn't have anything about future hotels.
Ocklawaha
January 08, 2009, 02:01:42 AMSomeone remind me why JTA didn't think to contract with Hilton for some sort of co-op on the Skyway and get that line to the hotel done BEFORE the guests arrive?
Oh I know, "We built a sidewalk..."
Just wait until we finally extend that thing past a full hotel! The excrement will strike the ventilating device.
OCKLAWAHA