What the Mobility Fee can do for Downtown Jacksonville
February 20, 2013 40 comments
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According to the recently released JAX 2025 survey, a better downtown is at the top of the wish list of its 14,016 respondents. However, Councilman Richard Clark's proposed three year moratorium of the mobility fee could stunt the redevelopment of downtown Jacksonville and leave the average taxpayer carrying the financial burden it leaves behind.
2. The Mobility Fee funds mass transit projects that connect adjacent neighborhoods with downtown and stimulate Transit Oriented Development
Mobility fee funds generated by new development are utilized on transportation projects that will alleviate the negative impacts those developments place on the existing public infrastructure system. In the suburban areas of the city, mobility fees generated will fund context sensitive street projects that are multimodal friendly. In the urban core, where higher densities are encouraged, mobility fees will be used to fund alternative forms of mobility. Included, are mass transit systems such as commuter rail lines between downtown and Jacksonville's suburbs and streetcar lines tying downtown with adjacent neighborhoods.
For example, Mobility Zone 7's priority project, which is funded 100% by the mobility fee, is a $36 million streetcar line connecting the Northbank and JTA Skyway with Brooklyn and Riveride's Five Points and eventually Park & King district. A side benefit of this project is that it encourages market rate mixed use transit oriented development in LaVilla and Brooklyn. It also effectively connects Riverside's population with downtown.
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