Birth of a new livable city! A Blueprint for Jacksonville

[Metro Jacksonville]

Birth of a new livable city! A Blueprint for Jacksonville



Imagine the fastest growing port in the world, surrounded by 3 major railroads, 4 shortlines and 45 railroad headquarters, being captive to ONE carrier.  Imagine a solid middle tier International Airport, with highway only access.  How does one increase not only the air traffic but make the ground transportation more frequent and much more attractive?

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/view/1087

[zoo]

"Dukes of Hazzard" politics... so true, so true.

[billy]

Excellent report.

[Doctor_K]

John Peyton = poor man's Boss Hogg?  Can we call him Boss Peyton? 

[ralpho37]

Great report!  Not sure about the workability of some of it, but the vision of the plan is terrific.  We need to get these kinds of ideas underway!

[copperfiend]

John Peyton = poor man's Boss Hogg?  Can we call him Boss Peyton? 

I think Herb is Boss Hog. John Peyton is more like Piglet.

[Shwaz]

Some really good idea's here. My question is,what is a reasonable timeline for execution of a plan like this?

Can this be operational before 2017 when the major (current) road construction projects are to be completed?

[jeh1980]

John Peyton = poor man's Boss Hogg?  Can we call him Boss Peyton? 

I think Herb is Boss Hog. John Peyton is more like Piglet.

"John Peyton, poor man's Boss Hog?" "John Peyton is more like Piglet?" What if John Peyton finally realized the great potential of all of this for Jacksonville. I still can't believe we have no, if not little respect for our mayor. I think we have shown a lot of ignorance ever since he got reelected into office. That's awful, man! Pure awful! 

[Ocklawaha]

Some really good idea's here. My question is,what is a reasonable timeline for execution of a plan like this?

Can this be operational before 2017 when the major (current) road construction projects are to be completed?

Hello Shwaz, keeping in mind the simple speed of railroad construction we could see the "Electric 7"
up and running in time for the Christmas rush, THIS YEAR. Why?? Ever hear of an old railroad trestle catching fire and burning to the water line. Within a span of 7-30 days, the trains are rolling again I've seen it done both here and in Colombia. For this same reason is why a streetcar builder will work on 3 - 5 blocks at a time / 30 - 60 days completed. Easy and Commuter rail can be done sometimes within hours. When the Loma Preita earthquake struck Los Angeles through the San Gabriel Mountains it knocked down every "free"Way interchange around. In Los Angeles the undisturbed railroads were linked to emergency management. To keep the whole Pacific Coast of the USA from disaster within hours San Francisco had offered several sets of passenger equipment, so did Amtrak, and the railroads themselves took apart the official business trains and sent out coaches from those pools. Quickly drawn from groups like MetroJacksonville.com plans surfaced for a temporary rail solution under disaster relief. Within a week Toronto and Vancouver had forwarded a fleet of 2 story and gallery cars and locomotives. Los Angeles Terminal was the base station. Southern Pacific gave up part of their own local shops. Trains ran very quickly after that, they used highway crossings for platforms "BINGO" the earthquake answered the question. People flooded the operation and LA gladly gave up the freeways for a train ride. All within a week the miracle conversion swept through from the from the San Fernando Valley to Orange County... and that's the way METROLINK was born.

(Earthquakes do not generally have much effect deep down in tunnels, so while the freeways collapsed and the railroads won back the passengers, since they run in tunnels from valley to valley throughout the LA basin. The purpose for the tunnels so there is a consistent moderate grade.)

OCKLAWAHA

[Shwaz]

Ock, so you're saying it gonna take an earth quake for sufficient rail action in Jacksonville 

Kidding aside - your evaluation does make the plan seem more feasible.

[Ocklawaha]

Honest, track work is so basic that you, 7 lesbians with leprosy, an Amazon head hunter tribe, and the alto section of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and myself, could put it in blind folded.

Now this in no way reflects poorly on the mind blowing automation, inventions, engineering, and new toys and skills of the Gandy Dancers* of today. It simply says on one end, track is about as simple as taking a leak. Just as certain, if your looking for the all time land speed record (also held by a vehicle on rails at 7,000+ MPH) then your track might be a tad more high tech.

OCKLAWAHA

[JaxNole]

Ock, let's say we now have the 7 lesbians with leprosy who are more than able to complete the track work.

Do we engage Brown, Mica, et al first or finalize and polish plans before approaching them?

If you could not tell, I am becoming impatient with not capitalizing on so many opportunities.  We know the circuitous route any plan takes before visible signs of progress appear, so what is the strategy?

I have so much energy I think I posted 20% of my total posts this past week.  I have achieved Full Member status. 

Beavis and his counterpart (possibly David and Bewler) would appreciate this milestone.

[Ocklawaha]

As I see it, we fund our streetcar plan and build 100% in house, then we can leverage that finished investment into expansion. We have to wonder why we haven't already done that with the Skyway? Take it's dollar value to the bank in order to expand it.

A goodly number of people on this board seem to think fountains, parks, flex space and tinkling water is more important. I say their not worth a damn if the richest and poorest citizen of our city can't get to them without an automobile. Gate would probably say, "But Ock, our gas moves millions of people from point A to B over our freeway system every day." To which I'll answer, "Wrong, Gate nor highways move ANYBODY from point A to B, they only move automobiles, the freeway isn't free.

(From a little known recent encounter...?)

Stephen: "I suppose you think no one's going to notice Jacksonville disappeared?"

Peyton: "Who's got time to wonder what happened to some ridiculous transit starved city when you're driving past at 75 m.p.h.?"

Stephen: "What are you talking about? There's no 75 mile per hour road past Jacksonville."

Peyton: "Not yet!  Several months ago I had the good providence to stumble upon a plan of the city council and JTA. A construction plan of epic proportions. They're calling it, a Freeway."

Ocklawaha: "A Freeway? What the hell's a freeway?"

Peyton: "Eight lanes of shimmering cement running from Savannah to St. Augustine. Smooth, straight, fast. Traffic jams will be a thing of the past."

Ocklawaha: "So that's why you killed streetcars, the Amtrak Terminal and HSR? For this Freeway? You're kidding."

Peyton: "Of course not. You lack vision. I see a place where people get off and on the Freeway. On and off. Off and on. All day, all night. Soon where Jacksonville once stood will be a string of Gate stations. Inexpensive motels. Restaurants that serve rapidly prepared food. Tire salons. Automobile dealerships. And wonderful, wonderful bill boards reaching as far as the eye can see... My god, It'll be beautiful."

Ocklawaha: "Come on. Nobody's gonna drive this lousy Freeway when they can take the new rail system for a buck."

Peyton: "Oh, they'll drive. They'll have to. You see, I bought off the rail supporters and JTA so I could dismantle their plans."  (Apologies to Roger..)

OCKLAWAHA