Acosta Bridge goes dark, and will stay that way.

[coredumped]

FCN looks like the only news source to pick up on this:

http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?&width=880&height=495&flashID=myExperience2&bgcolor=%23FFFFFF&playerID=2857356515001&autoStart=false&isVid=true&isUI=true&wmode=transparent&htmlFallback=true&dynamicStreaming=true&includeAPI=true&usat_hasEmbed=true&templateReadyHandler=brightcove%5B%22templateReadyHandlermyExperience2%22%5D&templateErrorHandler=BCCallbacks.myExperience2.onTemplateError&adServerURL=http%3A%2F%2Fpubads.g.doubleclick.net%2Fgampad%2Fads%3Fenv%3Dvp%26gdfp_req%3D1%26impl%3Ds%26output%3Dxml_vast2%26iu%3D7103%2Ffl-jacksonville-WTLV-B3319%2Fpreroll_video%2Fnews%2Ftraffic%26sz%3D920x508%26unviewed_position_start%3D1%26cust_params%3Dcontentid%253D23275373%2526aam%253D%2526u%253Dundefined%26cmsid%3D12768%26url%3D%22%22&usat_linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.firstcoastnews.com%2Fvideos%2Fnews%2Ftraffic%2F2015%2F02%2F11%2F23275373%2F&SSTSCode=news%2Ftraffic%2F&usat_shareFunction=function()%7BsetTimeout(BCCallbacks.myExperience2.onClickShareButton()%2C%201)%7D&%40videoPlayer=ref%3A23275373&debuggerID=&originalTemplateReadyHandler=BCCallbacks.myExperience2.onTemplateReady&startTime=1424274612742

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The blue lights that for more than a decade have lined the Acosta Bridge in downtown Jacksonville are out.

"I think it's part of Jacksonville. When you go to Facebook and pull up Jacksonville, it coincides just like The Landing," said Michelle Shipman who rides the Skyway Express across the bridge on her way home from work.

By day it would be easy to miss the change. But at night, against the neon blue of the Main Street bridge, it's easy to notice the lights are no more.

"Sometimes I'm here and I leave late at night and you want to see it," Shipman said. "We want to see what represents Jacksonville."

The lights were installed back in 1999 and match the blue lights on the Main Street bridge.

"It seems to have been a theme that the city was developing to enhance the city," said Tom Skinner who also works downtown.

JTA says the lights are off because the system was not operating properly.

"The safety concerns for our employees, the public and the environment coupled with the cost of repairing the system warrant a shut down," said JTA Spokeswoman Leigh Ann Rassler.

"Myself, personally, I admire a government that, if they have a spending problem, or if they have a budget problem to try and live within their means," Skinner said.

JTA estimates it will cost between $1.6 and $2.1 million to fix the system. They say they don't have funding right now to get the lights back on.

"That's who we are. That's why people remember us," Shipman said. "For The Landing, for downtown, for the skyline. They need to have that back."

As far as when the lights could come back on, JTA tells us they'll be off indefinitely with no return date on the books.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/story/news/traffic/2015/02/11/neon-blue-lights-out-on-acosta-bridge/23273557/


$1.6 million seems a bit high to fix some lights, IMO.

[benfranklinbof]

I've also noticed while driving home from work. The bridge just has small orange lights that are boring. Downtown skyline is very dark compared to Brooklyn lol. I miss those blue lights.

[Downtown Osprey]

sad

[Bridges]

Haha.  Oh man, this city.  Bridges falling in the water, lights permanently shut off, infrastructure failing. 

And we wonder why we can't have nice things.

[vicupstate]

Sad indeed. The nighttime skyline was one thing that set JAX apart from most cities. Admittedly, that price tag does seem really high.

How am I suppose to believe a city that can't keep the lights on, literally, is going to build the latest incarnation of the Shipyards.   

[jaxjaguar]

In all seriousness whoever thinks that it would cost $1.5-2 MILLION to repair this must be out of their minds... I could string up some quality LED lights and connect them to a nice solar panel for about $1,000 - $2,000 and it wouldn't cost the city a dime in electrical charges. Seriously, someone pay me and I'll go do it. I could have it hooked up in 2 weeks, unlike any of the contractors they'd hire which would take months. Just leave the old system up and don't worry about spending the money to remove it if it's not hurting anything.

[marksjax]

Two words: Rope Light

Not everything has to cost a million dollars.

It's just the way we are programmed as citizens which is to expect and accept overpriced and overstuffed bids which are approved because it's not their (JEA in this case) dollars they are spending. Then the repairs are equally outrageous so we just shutter the damn thing and say oh well...

Nothing new here, sad but true.

[spuwho]

Use some of the "found" $10 million. And I agree. Solar with an LED system should make this a no brainer. Perhaps 1 to 2 million to replace as is but lighting technology costs have come down since the 90s.  Dont rely on access from the water. That is probably what drives the expense.

[jaxjaguar]

The length of the formerly lit section is approximately 550'. So to be safe we'll buy 1200' of commercial grade, omnidirectional, LED rope lighting so both sides of the bridge are lit and beautiful. This comes out to around $1000 after tax. Next we'll need: a couple of solar panels, a few inverters, some wiring, silicone sealant, a couple relays, a timer, fasteners, zip ties, electrical tape, duct tape, insulated gloves, safety glasses, wire cutters, crimpers and a volt/amp meter. That'll run us about $2,000 more, but if we're lucky we might qualify for a tax credit which would drop that price a bit. Pay me about $2,000, give me some food, drinks and volunteers. Bada bing, bada boom, we got ourselves a nicely lit bridge for under $10k. Give me a little extra and I'll make the Matthews a pretty fiery red color too.


These lights are rated to last about 18 years if we ran them 15 hours a day, every single day of the year!

http://www.wholesalesolar.com/solar-panels.html
http://www.birddogdistributing.com/Blue-LED-Rope-Light/

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

The length of the formerly lit section is approximately 550'. So to be safe we'll buy 1200' of commercial grade, omnidirectional, LED rope lighting so both sides of the bridge are lit and beautiful. This comes out to around $1000 after tax. Next we'll need: a couple of solar panels, a few inverters, some wiring, silicone sealant, a couple relays, a timer, fasteners, zip ties, electrical tape, duct tape, insulated gloves, safety glasses, wire cutters, crimpers and a volt/amp meter. That'll run us about $2,000 more, but if we're lucky we might qualify for a tax credit which would drop that price a bit. Pay me about $2,000, give me some food, drinks and volunteers. Bada bing, bada boom, we got ourselves a nicely lit bridge for under $10k. Give me a little extra and I'll make the Matthews a pretty fiery red color too.


These lights are rated to last about 18 years if we ran them 15 hours a day, every single day of the year!

http://www.wholesalesolar.com/solar-panels.html
http://www.birddogdistributing.com/Blue-LED-Rope-Light/

Ah, but good sir, you are forgetting the $980k required in studies to make sure your plan is even feasible. 

[KenFSU]

^Before we make such a large commitment, I would humbly suggest a $500k study to make sure that your $900k feasibility study is itself feasible.   

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

^Before we make such a large commitment, I would humbly suggest a $500k study to make sure that your $900k feasibility study is itself feasible.

Now you're just being redundant. 

That being said, I'm sure there's a board you could chair to determine if the redundancy is actually necessary or if maybe more studies might be in order.  To assist you, you'll receive a staff of 8 with an average salary of $43k/yr and a general budget of $935k.  This will be a 3 year assignment and I appreciate all the hard work I know you're going to put into this.

[edjax]

Never seen a city spend so much money on decent things and then never ever upgrade and maintain the assets.  This is why we need someone like Khan pushing the stadium upgrades and maintenance.  Could only imagine if the city didn't have someone demanding continual upgrades to the stadium. 

[copperfiend]

^Before we make such a large commitment, I would humbly suggest a $500k study to make sure that your $900k feasibility study is itself feasible.   

Probably also need to take a council trip to another city where a similar study has taken place

[jaxjaguar]

The length of the formerly lit section is approximately 550'. So to be safe we'll buy 1200' of commercial grade, omnidirectional, LED rope lighting so both sides of the bridge are lit and beautiful. This comes out to around $1000 after tax. Next we'll need: a couple of solar panels, a few inverters, some wiring, silicone sealant, a couple relays, a timer, fasteners, zip ties, electrical tape, duct tape, insulated gloves, safety glasses, wire cutters, crimpers and a volt/amp meter. That'll run us about $2,000 more, but if we're lucky we might qualify for a tax credit which would drop that price a bit. Pay me about $2,000, give me some food, drinks and volunteers. Bada bing, bada boom, we got ourselves a nicely lit bridge for under $10k. Give me a little extra and I'll make the Matthews a pretty fiery red color too.


These lights are rated to last about 18 years if we ran them 15 hours a day, every single day of the year!

http://www.wholesalesolar.com/solar-panels.html
http://www.birddogdistributing.com/Blue-LED-Rope-Light/

Ah, but good sir, you are forgetting the $980k required in studies to make sure your plan is even feasible.

So does that mean my wallet is about to get a little fatter since I already did most of the "study"?