New Sidewalks For Southside Boulevard

[Metro Jacksonville]

New Sidewalks For Southside Boulevard



Southside Boulevard, a Southside roadway traditionally known for being dangerous to pedestrians, is in the process of finally getting new sidewalks. Here's the latest from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) on their efforts to enhance this corridor.

Read More: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2015-jun-new-sidewalks-for-southside-boulevard

[spuwho]

For FDOT, whats under the sidewalks is probably more important. Connectivity of the signals to a TMS.

I drive this everyday, snd while I see more pedestrians roadside north of the 95 connector, the new traffic lights with timed pedestrian crossings will bring a new level of safety. There are slot of contingent workers who live in the apartments next to Home Depot who risk their lives trying to get to work at Bank of America.

[cline]

They're also putting up new signal mast arms at both Deercreek Club Road and the entrance to the BofA complex. Good to see the ped signals being installed as well. Like spuwho said, a lot of people cross the street from BofA. I'm disappointed they constructed the sidewalk all the way to Malabar but did not put a ped signal at that intersection (entrance to the mall). A lot of people cross at this intersection as well and would seem like a no-brainer to go ahead and install them while you're doing the other work.

[ProjectMaximus]

My parents live in DeerCreek. Have been seeing the work and figured sidewalks were part of the plan, nice to know more detail. I didnt realize two left-turn lanes were necessary into Deercreek, but I guess I haven't visited at peak times (after school or after work)

[wanderson91]

They're also putting up new signal mast arms at both Deercreek Club Road and the entrance to the BofA complex. Good to see the ped signals being installed as well. Like spuwho said, a lot of people cross the street from BofA. I'm disappointed they constructed the sidewalk all the way to Malabar but did not put a ped signal at that intersection (entrance to the mall). A lot of people cross at this intersection as well and would seem like a no-brainer to go ahead and install them while you're doing the other work.

Agreed! I work around Malabar and constantly see people crossing Southside to get to the mall. They definitely missed an opportunity to fix the whole corridor

[simms3]

This should be case in point for the City to work to increase density.  Let's be honest - while there are a lot of places to go around here, how many people on a daily basis actually use the sidewalk?  And how many of THEM are Duval County taxpayers?  And how much is this new sidewalk going to cost?

The city should be pushing super hard for this kind of infrastructure work closer in, and allow for the creation of Business Improvement Districts in the burbs so that local businesses can pay for these kind of wasteful infrastructure projects if they deem it worth it.

Like take BAML (aren't they the 800 lb tenant in that big office complex?).  If their workers are having difficulties crossing the street to get to Jimmy Johns or Bed Bath & Beyond, in a perfect world that rich company should pay for the intersection improvements to benefit its own employees.

Suburbia = one off projects that benefit 1-2 primary users.  City = projects that benefit all, in both direct and indirect ways.

[cline]

This should be case in point for the City to work to increase density.  Let's be honest - while there are a lot of places to go around here, how many people on a daily basis actually use the sidewalk?  And how many of THEM are Duval County taxpayers?  And how much is this new sidewalk going to cost?

The city should be pushing super hard for this kind of infrastructure work closer in, and allow for the creation of Business Improvement Districts in the burbs so that local businesses can pay for these kind of wasteful infrastructure projects if they deem it worth it.

Like take BAML (aren't they the 800 lb tenant in that big office complex?).  If their workers are having difficulties crossing the street to get to Jimmy Johns or Bed Bath & Beyond, in a perfect world that rich company should pay for the intersection improvements to benefit its own employees.

Suburbia = one off projects that benefit 1-2 primary users.  City = projects that benefit all, in both direct and indirect ways.

This isn't a City project. It is funded by FDOT so the state (all taxpayers) is paying for it. I really wouldn't consider this wasteful- I don't really consider any projects to help protect lives wasteful. I also think it is safe to say that there will be more than just 1-2 people using that sidewalk as there are many apartments and neighborhoods behind those stores and I see people walking in the grass on a regular basis. You can actually see the trails in the grass where people walk. It would be nice if BofA would have paid for it. Maybe Wells would pay for the downtown improvements you speak of- doubtful. To be fair, they are doing some improvements closer to the core- ADA/sidewalk improvements in RA as well as a pedestrian path across the St. Johns.

Why can't we expect to have sidewalks everywhere?

By the way, there is no Jimmy Johns in the vicinity of the area where they are building the sidewalks.

[thelakelander]

Yeah, I used to live in Timberlin Park. For years, there were people walking all in the grass, medians and around open ditches, due to no sidewalks. Althougth I wish it would have been coordinated with the community's visions for a shared use path (COJ Mobility Plan and JTA Southside Boulevard Study), it's good to see this happen.

[ProjectMaximus]

Yep I see pedestrians there all the time. Especially at night wearing all black...it's kinda insane.

[Buforddawg]

The sidewalks and pedestrian crossing signals were needed 25 years ago when the Barnett Bank (Now Bank of America) campus was built, and even more so after the Avenues Mall and Target were completed.  For years we (BOA Campus) have complained that you have to drive somewhere to lunch because it was not safe to cross Southside BLVD.  We have a mix of bad drivers and bad pedestrians (wearing black at night, crossing in the middle of the road because they are too stupid or lazy to walk to the nearest cross walk/corner).

At 50, I can say that my generation has done a TERRIBLE job in teaching kids the basics of crossing the street, among other things.

[simms3]

^^^Your generation has also killed the feasibility of having a more condensed, efficient, walkable city form where crosswalks, sidewalks, signals, and other infrastructure is available for people on foot.

Your generation is essentially responsible for sprawl.  Your generation is also now making it very difficult to crawl out of the rut that your generation, and to a degree, the generation above you, created for the generations behind you.  Your generation shouldn't complain about J-walkers period when your generation created the whole mess/clusterfuck that is that entire area we are talking about at the expense of entire other areas of the city that DO indeed have the necessary infrastructure.

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-most-entitled-generation-isnt-millennials-2015-1

I suppose YOUR generation never j-walked before and MY generation invented that?  Too bad YOUR generation increased the average block size from a few acres square to one that could be essentially square miles around...so yes, maybe MY generation doesn't feel like walking a whole quarter mile or half mile down a street with no sidewalks in an area developed by YOUR generation and we'll cut our chances and cross when we can at a convenient interval!

You literally just devoted your posting energy to mention bad drivers but complain for several sentences about "bad pedestrians", and then you have the gall to say that your generation didn't teach the younger generations behind it how to properly cross a street?!?!  WTF just no....

I imagine in 10-20-25 years when you start getting really old, you'll want your kids, who may be too stupid or lazy to walk to the nearest crosswalk/corner, to take care of you?  I just hope you and others in your generation don't rob your children of their finances/ability to take care of you.  I also hope wherever you are and they are isn't underwater due to your generation and those before it being "too stupid or lazy" to care for the environment.  LoL

[UNFurbanist]

Simms, although your points are accurate about the last three or four generations screwing up almost everything you don't need to be so harsh to the guy. Its not like he caused all of it. Millennials get called dumb, whatever, sticks and stones. J-walking is indeed dangerous so taking it personally and attacking someone like that doesn't exactly help our case for being the most tolerant and caring generation. Good article though.

[spuwho]

The sidewalks and pedestrian crossing signals were needed 25 years ago when the Barnett Bank (Now Bank of America) campus was built, and even more so after the Avenues Mall and Target were completed.  For years we (BOA Campus) have complained that you have to drive somewhere to lunch because it was not safe to cross Southside BLVD.  We have a mix of bad drivers and bad pedestrians (wearing black at night, crossing in the middle of the road because they are too stupid or lazy to walk to the nearest cross walk/corner).

At 50, I can say that my generation has done a TERRIBLE job in teaching kids the basics of crossing the street, among other things.

Doesnt Bank of America offer a full service cafeteria at that campus?

Also when I spoke to the manager of the CFA next door to BAC, he says he gets anywhere from 100- 200  walkins daily from the campus.

With Avenues Mall within walking distance as well with a food court, well, I would say there are lots of walkable options available.