JTA fails to win grant for Butler & I95 interchange

[CityLife]

I can't belive they even submitted that project. How stupid. The feds are not funding those types of projects. Speechless. This is why a management change is needed at JTA. They could have easily submitted a grant for streetcar just based on the study they did a few years ago. The problem is there are no local funds set aside to assist in engineering and construction.

You may or may not be able to answer this, but who is "they"? Who has discretion on what is or isn't applied for?

Nobody at JTA was able to tell the leadership that this didn't fit the type of project that the DOT is looking for? Is this Jacksonville, Florida or Jacksonville, Texas?

[fsujax]

Well, the ED has to approve any grant request that is submitted. I am sure the director of engineering had a heavy hand in this as well.

[thelakelander]

I can't belive they even submitted that project. How stupid. The feds are not funding those types of projects. Speechless. This is why a management change is needed at JTA. They could have easily submitted a grant for streetcar just based on the study they did a few years ago. The problem is there are no local funds set aside to assist in engineering and construction.

The necessary funds would be generating if there wasn't a mobility fee moratorium....

[thelakelander]

Of course the process is also political so it helps to have advocates in high places.

Mentioned this in the Ft. Lauderdale streetcar thread, but Corrine Brown is on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. TIGER just so happens to be funded by Congress. So I'm pretty sure she has some pull in the process....

Gee JTA you think she might be more supportive of a streetcar in the urban core or an I-95/JTB interchange?

Congresswoman Brown has been trying to get funding for BRT and the JRTC.  I'm sure if priorities of the entities lobbying for her help changed, she'd try and get funding for whatever replaced them.

[Ocklawaha]

This comes as a blessing as the whole interchange is terribly designed around NOTHING but AUTOMOBILES... If you'll recall, and unless they did major revision of their plan, they didn't include so much as a sidewalk leading from Philips to Southpoint. This whole thing needed a serious redesign with a 'complete street's' makeover. A bike trail and a sidewalk, as well as TUFSU1's toll lanes and BRT on JTB.

This isn't the first grant they have bungled lately. Who is writing these things? Lake didn't you discover they were applying for grants with incredible lines like: "we need money," and "we want to build a road...?" LOL.

Actually like TUFSU1, I'd completely support the new interchange with the above mentioned changes. The reason to support this interchange isn't auto-centric, it's safety. JTA/FDOT have so screwed the pooch on the design of JTB from Belfort Road to Philips, that they have created a death trap.

Of course if we had a functioning 'Mobility Plan' they would be able to address this...

[thelakelander]

Winning 2012 TIGER grant projects:



http://www.dot.gov/tiger/fy2012tiger.pdf

[simms3]

This comes as a blessing as the whole interchange is terribly designed around NOTHING but AUTOMOBILES... If you'll recall, and unless they did major revision of their plan, they didn't include so much as a sidewalk leading from Philips to Southpoint. This whole thing needed a serious redesign with a 'complete street's' makeover. A bike trail and a sidewalk, as well as TUFSU1's toll lanes and BRT on JTB.

Why spend any resources on sidewalks and bike lanes for that area?  Seriously?  It won't transform that highway area into a walkable/bikable place and resources could potentially be diverted/wasted.

[cline]

Corrine Brown was front and center during the announcement of the 10MM TIGER award to the Port back in December.  I'm sure if JTA had a valid project and asked for her help should could do something.  Of course that would mean Jacksonville would have been awarded two grants in consecutive rounds. I would imagine USDOT probably attempts to spread the wealth.

Well, the ED has to approve any grant request that is submitted. I am sure the director of engineering had a heavy hand in this as well.

And we all know the ED and lead engineers at JTA don't give a crap about anything but road building.  (On a side note, I just saw that John Davis wasn't listed as one of the final 3 candidates for the OOCEA director position.  I guess that means he'll be staying at JTA to build more roads)

Why spend any resources on sidewalks and bike lanes for that area?  Seriously?  It won't transform that highway area into a walkable/bikable place and resources could potentially be diverted/wasted.

At this point you're probably right.  And like Ock mentioned, the new plan doesn't appear to address anything but moving cars.  I think that is a shame since Philips and JTB could make for a viable commuter rail stop.  Of course that's not going to work if people can't get from the station to their jobs in Southpoint.

[Ocklawaha]

This comes as a blessing as the whole interchange is terribly designed around NOTHING but AUTOMOBILES... If you'll recall, and unless they did major revision of their plan, they didn't include so much as a sidewalk leading from Philips to Southpoint. This whole thing needed a serious redesign with a 'complete street's' makeover. A bike trail and a sidewalk, as well as TUFSU1's toll lanes and BRT on JTB.

Why spend any resources on sidewalks and bike lanes for that area?  Seriously?  It won't transform that highway area into a walkable/bikable place and resources could potentially be diverted/wasted.

Bogota

Why build an interchange since it won't transform the area into a connected, sustainable, commercial or residential district? It's the old chicken and the egg question Simms, if there were never an egg, there could be NO CHICKENS. I-95 might as well be the great wall of China as it slices through town forever dividing neighborhoods into little pockets accessible only by car. If we can't find it in ourselves to correct these mistakes and lay the foundation for a future generation to build on, with bikeways and sidewalks, then we shouldn't do it at all. Even though today most of our streets are without any facilities for the bike rider and pedestrian, putting those in place today at JTB/95 would allow us to avoid a future costly retrofit which like the Matthews or Buckman Bridge bike lanes, will probably never happen. In Colombia we dug tunnels BEFORE the roads reached the portals.