Guest Series: Carmen Godwin

[Metro Jacksonville]

Guest Series: Carmen Godwin



In a new series, Metro Jacksonville takes a step back to listen to, promote, and discuss the editorials, personal accounts, and vocal opinions of some of the key players in the preservation and progression of our community. This week, Riverside Avondale Preservation Executive Director Carmen Godwin tells what one year without a car is like.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2011-dec-guest-series-carmen-godwin

[Noone]

Nice article. I've got concerns as it relates to the zones in the Waterways. Carmen, would you like to go kayaking and tell me when we get out on land what zone are we in? or keep paddling till we find our own zone. Especially Downtown. I'm serious.

[dougskiles]

Great article.  I'm anxious to read more about your experiences of car-free living.

[simms3]

While I am not a planner or traffic engineer, I believe we can start by encouraging the adaptive reuse of historic structures, and promoting small-scale development that limits commercial intensity, especially when near residential areas.  The Overlay does this; It also requires that if a business wants to develop new construction that intensifies or is out of scale with the surrounding area, then it has to either scale it back or figure out a solution. We can't give them a pass from the requirements - it forces residents to bear the negative results and rely upon the City or the JTA to fix the problem. Growth has to be responsible and considerate of both businesses and residents.

I like the article, but I believe increasing intensity along commercial corridors is the way to go.  Not sure if this was a shot at the Kickbacks expansion.

[Jumpinjack]

Carmen, you have inspired me to try more car free existence. Your kids must be proud to have a mom who "walks the talk" or "pedals the principle."  Plus, once they get over the shock of the change it's more fun for them. 

We cut back to one car for our family and that hasn't been hard. Now, planning on taking the bus and trolley more to downtown for shopping and dinner.  Carmen, you rock.

[NoCarMan]

Jumpinjack -- thanks for the encouragement. It is really inspiring to know that your family has gone to one car too. It isn't as painful as most would think.

[Noone]

Carmen, I've got a bike. Just think about a kayak paddle and when we get out on land we can ride somewhere. Remember doing this with Howard Soloman.

[Timkin]

Great article and a great lady!! 

[thelakelander]

While I am not a planner or traffic engineer, I believe we can start by encouraging the adaptive reuse of historic structures, and promoting small-scale development that limits commercial intensity, especially when near residential areas.  The Overlay does this; It also requires that if a business wants to develop new construction that intensifies or is out of scale with the surrounding area, then it has to either scale it back or figure out a solution. We can't give them a pass from the requirements - it forces residents to bear the negative results and rely upon the City or the JTA to fix the problem. Growth has to be responsible and considerate of both businesses and residents.

I like the article, but I believe increasing intensity along commercial corridors is the way to go.  Not sure if this was a shot at the Kickbacks expansion.

Looking at the overlay, the scenes below can definitely develop along Riverside's commercial corridors and they certainly fall within the scale of the some of the neighborhood's commercial districts.  All of these places are significantly denser as well.  Just something to keep in mind as the parking situation continues to be a heated issue in the community.

N Clark St - Chicago


Orange Ave - Coronado, CA


Melrose Ave - Los Angeles





Hollywood Boulevard - Hollywood, FL



Shadyside - Pittsburgh



Highlands - Louisville






Just wait to that bank site, the Panda House parcel, etc. end up being redeveloped along King Street.  Those sites have 45' high mixed-use structures written all over them.  Accommodating the overlay parking requirements will help drive the increase in their height.  With that said, there will be increased density and intensity along the commercial corridors as the neighborhood becomes more popular.

[fieldafm]

Is that Lincoln Park or Lakeview?

I always think King Street could compare favorably with Lakeview's commercial corridor, or probably more apt Williamsburg(especially with the light industrial area to the North-just like where Brooklyn Brewery is now).

Just wait to that bank site

I have to believe, at some point Centra will find someone who is willing to develop that empty space and subdivide that parcel

[thelakelander]

^That's Lakeview.  I snapped that pic at the intersection of Clark & Diversey.

[fieldafm]

To keep the thread on track

I have been riding my bike two-three times a week for quite awhile... but since Carmen has started this endeavour, I have been starting to ride more often-especially in the evening hours.  I actually just bought a new bike that is more accomodating to daily use.

It's made me realize though, how difficult it is to ride a bike without dedicated lanes and a driving population that is EXTREMELY hostile towards cyclists.  At the Monday Night game a few weeks ago, actually had a guy almost run into me(b/c he didn't look before he turned, as I clearly had right of way and he had a stop sign to inconveniently adhere to) and then start yelling at me for being a menance to society.  Also had an old man yell at me for being a hoodlum terrorizing motorists on Grand Ave while riding to my dad's house.  Notwithstanding the fact that I was riding as close to the shoulder as is humanly possible and have the right to use the thoroughfare, nor that I hardly look like a hoodlum coming to rob the vulnerable residents of Ortega.

[fieldafm]

^That's Lakeview.  I snapped that pic at the intersection of Clark & Diversey.

Cool pic, especially since you captured those nice bike lanes they have everywhere in those urban neighborhoods through Chicago.  I have some pictures of parking meters in Lakeview and Wicker Park that have been replaced with bike storage facilities.

Further still, here is a nice idea from the surronding DC area:

[thelakelander]

To keep the thread on track

I have been riding my bike two-three times a week for quite awhile... but since Carmen has started this endeavour, I have been starting to ride more often-especially in the evening hours.  I actually just bought a new bike that is more accomodating to daily use.

It's made me realize though, how difficult it is to ride a bike without dedicated lanes and a driving population that is EXTREMELY hostile towards cyclists.  At the Monday Night game a few weeks ago, actually had a guy almost run into me(b/c he didn't look before he turned, as I clearly had right of way and he had a stop sign to inconveniently adhere to) and then start yelling at me for being a menance to society.  Also had an old man yell at me for being a hoodlum terrorizing motorists on Grand Ave while riding to my dad's house.  Notwithstanding the fact that I was riding as close to the shoulder as is humanly possible and have the right to use the thoroughfare, nor that I hardly look like a hoodlum coming to rob the vulnerable residents of Ortega.

^This is why it will be important for the city to implement context sensitive streets and complete streets policies for future roadway design.  They should also be implemented with routine roadway resurfacing and reconstruction projects.  Working downtown, you realize the lack of respect drivers have for pedestrians as well.  On several occasions, I've held people back from being mowed over by drivers making right turns while pedestrians are crossing the street.  I've had to explain to people that this is Jacksonville, just because the walk now light is on, its still a bad ideal to assume the drivers are going to allow you to cross.

[fieldafm]

The JTA gave us a test, a trial run, to see if we could increase ridership, and we failed â€" our community just didn’t support it.

Would like to add to this... unfortunately JTA did not give this trial a fair playing field that would be useful in attracting choice riders.  The reasons have been discussed ad nauseum here, but I refuse to go so far as to say that the community WOULD not support the trolley... if the trolley was a halfway VIABLE alternative.

I could walk to destinations (3-4 miles) quicker than taking the trolley off-peak hours and Saturdays. 

And it is no small coincidence that 3 of the 5 highest ridership days the route ever had was connected to EVENING hour Art Walk events. 

I think the efforts did in fact work in limited capacities, but those limited successes further proved the need to make the service more convenient to choice riders in order to grow the route... instead of vice versa.  Furthermore, the success of MetroJax's Pub Crawls further prove this point.

I refuse to give up advancing the conversation b/c of the death of the Riverside Trolley.  IMO, it's death adds fuel to the fire.