Next phase for Skyway will cost +$50 million — and decision will be made soon

[acme54321]

I wonder if they could work a deal with the state and feds to remove the DT portions of the elevated platform replace it with a streetcar system on grade, serving the same area DT plus extending out to other neighborhoods?  Those elevated platforms are an eyesore DT.  The elevated portions at the foot of the Acosta on the Northbank and San Marco could remain, and it brought to grade on the other side of the FEC tracks.

[thelakelander]

Are they an eyesore? Perhaps they could be painted with murals or allowed to be greened a bit. Having grade separated fixed transit infrastructure is an amenity in cities like Chicago, New York, Miami, Pittsburgh and Vancouver. If we had a vibrant downtown, grade separated infrastructure would be an important element in attracting transit riders to a mode that could fly past street level congestion.



Instead of ridding itself of elevated transit infrastructure, Miami is created a 10-mile linear park called the "Underline". We could literally do the same thing through the Southbank and the Northbank with our Skyway, with a little more creativity. Given our weather and the elevated infrastructure's ability to provide shade, it would certainly be a better option than the suggestion of turning the Skyway into a poor man's High Line.

[JeffreyS]

Convert to streetcar elevated on the current line at grade anywhere it is expanded.  Expand slowly but constantly.

[thelakelander]

Depending on how my day goes, I'll try to throw together a quick article showing what Tampa, Cleveland, Miami, Pittsburgh, Newark and Toronto did when their transit systems reached where we're at today. The variety and creativity displayed is very interesting.

[acme54321]

Are they an eyesore?

I guess eyesore was a bad choice or words, they in themselves look fine.  I do not like the way that they cover up the buildings downtown.  It's just a huge imposing concrete structure that ruins the streetscape and general aesthetics of the area IMO.

[fieldafm]

Are they an eyesore? Perhaps they could be painted with murals or allowed to be greened a bit. Having grade separated fixed transit infrastructure is an amenity in cities like Chicago, New York, Miami, Pittsburgh and Vancouver. If we had a vibrant downtown, grade separated infrastructure would be an important element in attracting transit riders to a mode that could fly past street level congestion.



Instead of ridding itself of elevated transit infrastructure, Miami is created a 10-mile linear park called the "Underline". We could literally do the same thing through the Southbank and the Northbank with our Skyway, with a little more creativity. Given our weather and the elevated infrastructure's ability to provide shade, it would certainly be a better option than the suggestion of turning the Skyway into a poor man's High Line.

This is particularly true along a street like Hogan Street which has a) wide sidewalks b) about a two block stretch of uninterrupted existing building stock with ground level retail and c) offers the kind shade that other sidewalks in downtown don't.  If you start to look at these areas of opportunity, you can easily enhance the strengths of the built infrastructure and create the kind of places where people want to spend time (and money).

Also, while its still being formulated, the Downtown Investment Authority has set aside money through the City's Art In Public Places program to enhance Skyway columns.   http://www.culturalcouncil.org/artinpublicplaces/diaurbanart/

With coordination and a dedicated focus to a specific area based on over-reaching principles of what makes successful urban environments tick... there is no reason why a few targeted blocks downtown couldn't be quickly transformed into great places.  (see: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2015-apr-parklets-of-san-francisco/page/3

[Captain Zissou]

I think a Brooklyn Station (at Brooklyn Station) and a San Marco extension should be next with the idea of connecting them to at grade systems in the near future.  I believe the Hart Bridge ramp along Bay should be removed and once that occurs an at grade extension towards the stadium should be completed at that time. 

As long as the next stage is well thought out and forward looking, I think $50M is money well spent.

[Andy]

Getting newer, more sustainable cars should be step 1, but I'm worried that in order to sell people on the this, they'd have to re-sell them on the skyway in general by expanding to Brooklyn Station and/or the Stadium. And the truth is that we DO need to connect it to a larger pool of daily use riders in order to make it's value obvious again. That or connect it to downtown's biggest draw: the stadium.

Insane pipe dreams ahoy:
How amazing would it be if there were a functioning elevated light rail downtown that reaches from Riverside to the Stadium to UNF and to the Airport? I know, I know, that scope is massive. But can you imagine how many commuters, tourists, sports fans and university students would be on a train and off of I-95?

Shit UNF owns property downtown and wants to invest in it further. Maybe they would invest some cash in a direct line from their campus to downtown. Maybe Khan can be convinced to do the same with the stadium. Maybe Rummell can encourage a strong connection between Healthy Town and it's nearby station. Who knows?

[thelakelander]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3087/2754533948_854b029747_o.jpg

^Perhaps there's a technology out there that could utilize the existing existing Skyway infrastructure as a base. IMO, if there is, this is the perfect opportunity to lay and implement the foundation for something that could eventually stretch all across town. This can't be achieved by simply demolishing the system (and replacing it with buses) or simply replacing the AGT vehicles.