Jacksonville mayor comes out against new toll road

[thelakelander]

Wow!

Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown said Friday afternoon he opposes plans to turn the First Coast Outer Beltway from Interstate 10 to Blanding Boulevard into a toll road.

Brown said it was a mistake to pursue a toll road when the economy is in bad shape. He also disagrees with the state's plan to build and maintain the road itself.

"Private industry wasn't interested in doing this because they didn't think it would make money," Brown said. "And the state shouldn't be doing this on its own."

Brown has no ability to stop the project because the Outer Beltway, also called Florida 23, is a state road. But the mayor said he plans to talk to Gov. Rick Scott about the project and let him know that Jacksonville doesn't want any more toll roads.

Former Mayor Tommy Hazouri also said the decision is a slap in the face to taxpayers who approved a half-cent sales tax in the 1980s to get rid of previous tolls.

Hazouri was mayor when the previous toll system was abandoned.

http://jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/400669/larry-hannan/2011-08-19/jacksonville-mayor-comes-out-against-new-toll-road?cid=hp-lede

[tufsu1]

very impressive!

guess we now know why he didn't go to the event the other day

[Ocklawaha]

BRAVO, Mayor Brown! 

Lets think RAIL not ROADS.

OCKLAWAHA

[JeffreyS]

I will be waiting for the kudos from the local Tea Party.

There won't be any waiting to hear it from me. Kudos Mayor Brown.

[jcjohnpaint]

Very well done Mayor Brown. 

[tufsu1]

I want to take some of my kudos away....

I think my main concern is that the Mayor focused on the fact that it is a toll road and that we don't want those in Duval...and that is why he is opposed to it.

Fact is we raised the local sales tax 20+ years ago so we could take away tolls on existing roads and bridges that were built and/or maintained by the old expressway authority (now JTA).

That has nothing to do with having tolls on new roads....or even additional lanes on existig roads (like future special use lanes on interstates)....assuming they are funded by state/federal gas tax revenues.

Now, don't get me wrong....I'd rather we stop building new expressways and minimize the widening of existing ones....but if we're gonna do it, tolls are the way to go.

[thelakelander]

If a significant stretch of the Duval portion was funded by BJP, shouldn't FDOT return that money back to Duval County residents, if they plan to now toll it and keep all the revenue?  If not, that stretch (which has a higher traffic count) is being used to subsidize the expansion of the Clay County side at the expense of Duval taxpayers.

[Dashing Dan]

Wow!

very impressive!

The why of this - the toll issue - hardly matters at all.  What matters is that the Mayor of Jacksonville has taken a position against the lieutenant governor, FDOT, most of the elected leaders from outside of Jacksonville, and most of the self-appointed "leaders" from across the entire region.

The battleship SS Sprawl has just taken a big hit below the water line.  It's time for the rats to abandon ship.

Vacant lots in Springfield should be worth much more on Monday than what they were worth yesterday.

[thelakelander]

^Interesting outlook there.  Not that it matters but I would like to hear what the local media thinks about this position.  Especially, this quote:

"Private industry wasn't interested in doing this because they didn't think it would make money," Brown said. "And the state shouldn't be doing this on its own."

[Dashing Dan]

This is not the beginning of the end - this is much closer to the end itself.

[Dashing Dan]

... I would like to hear what the local media thinks about this position. 

Or what does Mica think? 

Given the timing in relation to the transportation re authorization bill, this could turn out to be an enormous story!

[dougskiles]

Thankfully, the opposition to this project locally seems to be universal - although most just oppose to the tolls.  It only really benefits the developers along the corridor and those in the road construction industry.  Could this be the boondoggle that finally raises awareness to the problem?

[Dashing Dan]

Former Mayor Tommy Hazouri also said the decision is a slap in the face to taxpayers who approved a half-cent sales tax in the 1980s to get rid of previous tolls.

Hazouri was mayor when the previous toll system was abandoned.

I am familiar with the old toll system, and I know that the yield from those tolls was sufficient to back the bonds for building the Dame Point Bridge (i.e. well over $100M).

So why is it that the proceeds from the half-cent sales tax are not high enough to pay for any new roads?  Where is that money going?

[tufsu1]

Thankfully, the opposition to this project locally seems to be universal

hard;ly....I virtually guarantee this road gets built

[tufsu1]

So why is it that the proceeds from the half-cent sales tax are not high enough to pay for any new roads?  Where is that money going?

I would assume maintenance...remember, as a road gets older, more $ needs to spent keeping it up.

Heck, they're about to spend $20+ million repainting the Mathews Bridge.

Plus, the tax is only local....so it shouldn't go to building state roads