Rail or More Roads in Jacksonville's Future?

[tufsu1]

Ock...its not a set-up....just a weird quirk of the survey....basically, you'll see on the tables that transit options have been identified for some of the 135 road projects (albeit there are some missing)....the survy was created based on that column.

Dog Walker...FDOT (and virtually every other DOT in the country) are generally thought to be not progressive....but this study isn't being done by FDOT....so that sould not be a limiting factor.

[Ocklawaha]

Well that's good news my friend. I'd like to be in on the next meetings and also like to see us do a planning Charette on streetcars. What do you think?

OCKLAWAHA

[tufsu1]

The next set of meetings start Monday (there are 6 overall throughout the region)...the downtown workshop is on 8/25 (unfortunately it appears to be at the same time as a JTA workshop)...come on out!

A streetcar charette is a good idea, but the LRTP process probably isn't the right place...I think people need to first figure out what transit projects are deemed cost feasible by 2035....and then we should progress from there. 

[coredumped]

The skyway extension doesn't include the stadium?

[charlestondxman]

I can't believe that they don't have that plan to go to the sports complex. Imagine that service, going all the way over there, and it would really help all of Northeast Florida, and perhaps save the Jaguars.

Also, Amtrak needs to re-add that service from New Orleans to Jacksonville.

[ralpho37]

Save the Jaguars?

[Charles Hunter]

I looked at the site, it looks like they have a streetcar line going to the Sports Complex instead of the Skyway.  Which has a better cost to peak capacity ratio?

[Ocklawaha]

I looked at the site, it looks like they have a streetcar line going to the Sports Complex instead of the Skyway.  Which has a better cost to peak capacity ratio?

While the streetcar could have a much greater load capacity - as it stands right now: Skyway -v- Streetcar, the Skyway would win out IF we expanded the cars per train, as well as the cars themselves. Also consider the whole Skyway system operates with just two people at the controls.

Streetcars could be en-trained but then it gets into traffic questions or private right-of-way, either of which send us back up the elevator to the Skyway. The way things are stacked around here, the Skyway could be represented by a cheap Sam's Cola, while the Streetcar is more like the most expensive Bourbon a 16 year old A. H. Hirsch Reserve.

I can't believe that they don't have that plan to go to the sports complex. Imagine that service, going all the way over there, and it would really help all of Northeast Florida, and perhaps save the Jaguars.

Also, Amtrak needs to re-add that service from New Orleans to Jacksonville.

Both the Gulf Wind Route JAX - NOL(MSY), as well as the Florida East Coast Railway, JAX - MIA are both well in the works and should roll by 2012.

OCKLAWAHA

[Dog Walker]

Both the Gulf Wind Route JAX - NOL(MSY), as well as the Florida East Coast Railway, JAX - MIA are both well in the works and should roll by 2012. - Ock

Fantastic!!  I rode the Gulf Wind for years going to New Orleans to visit cousins and have lots of fond memories.  FEC is supposed to have some of the best maintained tracks and beds in the country.  Should be a smooth ride south.

[mtraininjax]

JAX - MIA are both well in the works and should roll by 2012.

2012? Well, at least the JTA is sprucing up the current Amtrak station in Jax with some stimulus funds for today's travellers. No telling what will happen in 3 years.

[Traveller]

JAX - MIA are both well in the works and should roll by 2012

That would be terrific.  My in-laws live near Jupiter.  If a train could get us to Stuart (or them to Jax) in 5 hours or less, we (or they) would probably use it once a month.  Wait, maybe that's not so terrific. 

[thelakelander]

^If the Jax-Miami link ends up being funded, construction could begin as soon as April 2010.  Jax needs to get its act together and figure out how to get that Amtrak station back downtown, ASAP.

[lindab]

Handouts for public comments: 135 proposed projects; 26 transit (rail or BRT). 33 New roads or interchanges.
Hmm.

[hightowerlover]

http://www.jacksonville.com/news/metro/2009-08-17/story/north_florida_road_planners_look_for_feedback

SCHEDULE

All open house meetings are scheduled from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Today Nassau County Commission Chambers, 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097

Tuesday Bartram Trail branch library (northwest St. Johns County), 60 Davis Pond Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32259

Monday, Aug. 24 St. Johns County Main Library, 1960 N. Ponce de Leon Blvd., St. Augustine, FL 32084

Tuesday, Aug. 25 Main Library, 303 N. Laura St., Jacksonville, FL 32202

Wednesday, Aug. 26 Fleming Island High School Teacher Training Center, 2233 Village Square Parkway, Orange Park, FL 32003

Thursday, Aug. 27 Southeast Regional Library, 10599 Deerwood Park Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32256

North Florida Transportation Planning Organization


The possibility of Jacksonville having commuter rail or a streetcar sounds like something out of science fiction for many residents.

But officials with the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization are asking local residents to consider these possibilities and think about how they would like to see transportation evolve over the next 25 years.

The agency is having six open-house meetings in the next two weeks asking residents to opine on how the city's transportation infrastructure should evolve. Road projects will be discussed, but officials say the most important discussions will focus on getting people off the roads and onto some form of public transportation.

The Times-Union spoke with Transportation Planning Organization Executive Director Denise Bunnewith, spokeswoman Marci Larson and consultant project manager Wiatt Bowers about what they hoped to accomplish with these meetings.

Why should people come to the meetings?

With a large population increase expected over the next 20 years, roads will have to be widened. But some uncertainty exists over which roads those will be.

For example, to deal with congestion north of Jacksonville, Interstate 95 could be widened to eight lanes, or Main Street could be widened to six.

Only one of these projects needs to happen, and it would be helpful to the Transportation Planning Organization to find out which one residents prefer.

At some point widening roads will not be enough. The planning organization is considering a commuter rail network, a streetcar system that will involve installing tracks, extending the Skyway, a water ferry and bus rapid transit that would involve bus-only lanes.

At the moment it does not know which of these options residents like the best. If lots of people come out and indicate a preference for one option, the agency will look more seriously at the feasibility of it.

Realistically, how many of these public transportation options could happen?

Transportation officials say at least one needs to happen and believe that commuter rail and streetcars are probably the most realistic. The Jacksonville Transportation Authority is already moving ahead with bus rapid transit and plans to discuss the feasibility of commuter rail at its Aug. 27 meeting.

What if people have no idea how the transportation infrastructure should evolve?

Agency officials still encourage them to come out. The open-house meetings will be informal, with transportation officials showing people all the road and transit projects planned over the next 20 years. They'll ask which projects are important to them and which sound like a bad idea.

There are 135 road projects now in the potential-needs list and 25 proposals for public transportation.

What happens after these workshops occur?

The planning organization will work on putting together a needs plan that includes estimated cost for all the projects listed. Based on the feedback at these open-house meetings, officials might eliminate some projects and add others.

The plan will be called the Transportation Plan Envision 2035 because it plans out potential road projects until the year 2035.

After a tentative plan is drawn up, the planning organization will hold more public meetings in the fall to get feedback on that plan. A final draft will be approved by the end of 2009.

[tufsu1]

Handouts for public comments: 135 proposed projects; 26 transit (rail or BRT). 33 New roads or interchanges.
Hmm.

what are you trying to say?