FDOT Secretary to provide update on Outer Beltway

[Metro Jacksonville]

FDOT Secretary to provide update on Outer Beltway



Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Ananth Prasad will be in Jacksonville this Thursday to provide the community with an update on the status of the First Coast Outer Beltway.  Metro Jacksonville encourages the general public to attend and express your concerns about the pending implementation of Jacksonville's latest superhighway.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2012-aug-fdot-secretary-to-provide-update-on-outer-beltway

[avonjax]

We love our roads no matter the cost. And I haven't heard anyone scream about tolls.
I wonder if the people of the counties involved would have voted in favor of this?

[finehoe]

Talk about a waste of money...

[Ocklawaha]

I love the way this thing angles northwest from Middleburg to Cecil, then they claim it will help 'residents' get from Middleburg into downtown Jacksonville! BRILLIANT. I always go half way to Lake City to get downtown.

[Captain Zissou]

This whole thing feels like watching a slow train crash.

[Gators312]

Kopelousos got the County Manager job for a reason....this is it.

[gedo3]

But, folks, we have solved all our other problems.  And there's nothing else to spend taxes on.  So this is wonderful...another fun spending spree!

[If_I_Loved_you]

"And I haven't heard anyone scream about tolls" OK I'M SCREAMING TOLLS ARE STUPID! I find it so sad that everyone seems to get so upset if we raise the sales tax for everybody half of a cent. I was so glad when tolls were removed here in Jacksonville, Fl. It was a happy day. Oh sure you had some people say I don't use the bridges to get across the river why should I pay more in taxes? Well you can't please everybody can you? Now I believe this project is a waste of money with or without a toll. But the fdot and I get paid 0.06 cents governor Rick Scott believe its the best way to pay for this road for some to bypass Jacksonville Fl. and don't think for a second people won't. Sit near state road 301 in Baldwin for an hour and watch all the out of state traffic that bypasses Jacksonville all the time. I'm surprised that fdot hasn't decided to put "tolls" on 301 between Baldwin and Yulee to make money for this new road project?

[urbanlibertarian]

If they added a multi-use path what would the toll be on it?

[John P]

The train has left the station on this massive waste. Isnt the mobility fee issue going to come up before the cioty council soon? That should a BIG focus for advocates of smart planning, evironmentalists, the elderly, bicycle groups, predestrain safety groups, downtown revitalization groups and hell property owners in general because the more inventory there is with unused exisiting homes and commercial space the less everything is worth. There goes tax base.

[Egodriver71]

Map shows toll free to New World, article indicates toll free to 103rd St?

Conflicting information.

Oh, and it was only a matter of time for tolls to come back here.  Politicians can't keep from not doing some sort of money grab on us citizens!!!

[thelakelander]

The map showing toll free to New World is right. Oh, and the road is toll because there is no other way to fund it. Roads like these are huge money losers, which is why the private sector won't touch it with a ten foot pole. Making these toll means they won't burn as much money. However, if we were really concerned about the financial burden placed on the taxpayer, this particular project would have died years ago.

[tufsu1]

heck, the new I-275 from Westshore to downtown Tampa will have a trail...if they can fit one in there, surely they can on this behemoth

[cityimrov]

When this road fails, will Jacksonville be liable for it?  Can the city ask for future rail money and not be burdened or even asked any questions about the $300 million newly built road system the state built? 

[thelakelander]

The better question is when rural Old Middleburg Road fails, due to increased local traffic trying to avoid paying tolls to get to and from home everyday, will the state be willing to pay for its widening?  Also, we've dumped a ton of money into Collins Road already.  However, a large portion of it and the new extension to Old Middleburg are only two lanes.  Will proceeds from tolls help with the upkeep of these local roads, which will begin to play a more important role than they currently do today?  If not, is there a funding mechanism or plan in place at the local level to mitigate the future results?