Revitalizing the Urban Core: Road Diets

[Metro Jacksonville]

Revitalizing the Urban Core: Road Diets



Metro Jacksonville looks at a successful revitalization concept that could make Jacksonville's urban core a better place to live.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2010-aug-revitalizing-the-urban-core-road-diets

[vicupstate]

Greenville has completed a number of road diets recently, to great reviews.  More are planned.

[tufsu1]

Keep in mind that Jax. has started doing some of these...Hendricks Avenue may be the best example

btw...the picture w/ #7 is of Market St (at Duval), not Liberty....that said, the same diet could occur on Market, although we'd need to make sure room is left for streetcar

[brainstormer]

I would have to go back and look at the maps of proposed streetcar routes but imagine this.  Road diets for Market [or Newnan  ], Water and Park Streets with dedicated streetcar lanes running from Springfield into the core, then along Water Street past all of the Northbank attractions, intersecting the new Union Terminal Transit Center, then up Park Street to 5 Points.  Think of all the surface parking lots and unused buildings/storefronts that would get a second thought from retailers and developers.  And this route would complement the Skyway, not duplicate it.  
Come on mayoral candidates, grow some balls and start talking!  You say you want to create jobs and help small businesses.  Here's your plan.  My vote is not yet cast.

[thelakelander]

#7 is Newnan at Duval.  The Liberty Street reference is wrong and should be Newnan, although lane diets would not be a bad idea for any of those streets.  It's the house that is adjacent to the Elena Flats building, which is across the street from the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church.  

[tufsu1]

yes....Newnan, Park, and Water are all streets along the potential streetcar routes...and all would be good as 2 lane roads with separate streetcar tracks (versus in purely mixed traffic)

[tufsu1]

#7 is Newnan at Duval.  The Liberty Street reference is wrong and should be Newnan, although lane diets would not be a bad idea for any of those streets.  It's the house that is adjacent to the Elena Flats building, which is across the street from the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. 

oops...yeah my fault...I meant Newnan, which is where the streetcar could go

[thelakelander]

Come on mayoral candidates, grow some balls and start talking!  You say you want to create jobs and help small businesses.  Here's your plan.  My vote is not yet cast.

By the way, such a project does not have to cost a lot more than money already being spent.  Eventually, all of these asphalt streets will have to be resurfaced.  As long as plans are coordinated with entities like FDOT, JTA and COJ Public Works, there's no reason such projects can't be implemented at the time of that specific street's resurfacing.

[brainstormer]

Come on mayoral candidates, grow some balls and start talking!  You say you want to create jobs and help small businesses.  Here's your plan.  My vote is not yet cast.

By the way, such a project does not have to cost a lot more than money already being spent.  Eventually, all of these asphalt streets will have to be resurfaced.  As long as plans are coordinated with entities like FDOT, JTA and COJ Public Works, there's no reason such projects can't be implemented at the time of that specific street's resurfacing.

I concur.  The lack of ability for entities to communicate and think beyond the present is frustrating.  We are currently spending hundreds of millions of dollars on Beach Blvd, with no thought to how we will tie the Beaches to Downtown via mass transit.  Whether it is light rail or Real BRT (not JTA's fake BRT) or whether it is on Atlantic or Beach; someday there is going to be a need for mass transit on one of this boulevards.  In fact there already is a need.  Have any of you tried to drive Atlantic from Downtown to the Beach at 5:30 on a Friday?  It would have been much cheaper in the long run to accommodate mass transit now during reconstruction of new bridges and overpasses.  I want a mayor who will not tolerate this lack of communication and foresight.  I want a mayor who will demand we do things more efficiently and who will take leadership.  A streetcar plan as outlined above is something that could easily happen with new leadership.  Again...who wants my support and vote for mayor?  Right now, none of ya really wow me. 

[Ocklawaha]

"The most beautiful streetcar line in the world!"

I M A G I N E  !

OCKLAWAHA

[urbanlibertarian]

#1 and #10 are U.S. highways.  Would JTA and COJ have to take jurisdiction and maintenance responsibilty for these?  And on Newnan St, would cars have to share the only north or southbound lane with busses or streetcar?

[stjr]

#1 and #10 are U.S. highways.  Would JTA and COJ have to take jurisdiction and maintenance responsibilty for these? 

Given the usual condition of these road sections, they couldn't do any worse.  FDOT clearly knows where its bread is buttered and, as a result, these areas don't seem to merit their attention.

It would appear that COJ is also transforming roads into "lane diet" equivalents when the roads are widened from two lanes.  McDuff and Loretto road come to mind.

[thelakelander]

#1 and #10 are U.S. highways.  Would JTA and COJ have to take jurisdiction and maintenance responsibilty for these?

It's hard to say without diving into the details.  However, the DOT is no stranger to lane diets.  For example, a lane diet job is planned for Tallulah Avenue (SR 111) in North Shore.
  

And on Newnan St, would cars have to share the only north or southbound lane with busses or streetcar?

Newnan is currently a four lane undivided facility.  A simple solution would be to limit automobile traffic to two lanes, convert one outside lane to a bi-directional streetcar line and split the width of the last into two bicycle lanes.  Such a solution would accommodate rail, cars, buses, pedestrians and cyclist within the existing right of way.

[CS Foltz]

This idea makes sense .......makes best use of what is there now and should be very very cost effeciant! Why oh why is JTA not taking this approach to managing roadway congestion? Particulary in the Historical Districts! This is tailor made to enhance viability and store acess.............it is cost effeciant, effective and makes sense, therefore forget it.......JTA could not plan their way out of a closet! We think they are incompetant, they are, but they spend more time taking care of their own than the public!

[tufsu1]

well, as I mentioned CS, Hendricks Avenue in San Marco went on a road diet a few years ago