Laura Street Improvements unveiled

[BridgeTroll]

http://www.youtube.com/v/SXi-b77oRA8

[fsujax]

Not too worry we can engineer anything. A streetcar should be able naviagate the traffic circle.

[Lunican]

A streetcar can go through a traffic circle.

[blizz01]

Even with a statue in the center of it.

[thelakelander]

Tampa Streetcar

[Lunican]

I guess that issue is settled.

[brainstormer]

Another aspect of the design is narrowing Laura Street, possibly to minimum standards, in order to encourage pedestrian traffic and slow down vehicular traffic.

The sketches are great, and I am all for the improvements.  With our recent discussions about bike safety, is it too late to leave Laura street the width it already is and instead include bike lanes?  Including the bike lanes in the reconstruction sets a positive precedent for other street improvements downtown.  Anyone know Paul or the other planners?  Is this plan set in stone?

[thelakelander]

Brainstormer, I'm with you on that one.  I think our street widths are fine.  Just take some of that width to create a safe, wide bike lane/jogging path between the Landing and Springfield.  It would tie in perfectly with the proposed Hogans Creek Greenway.  This would also be cheaper than tearing up and laying new sidewalks.  Then they can take the extra money saved and apply it for some other needed improvement.

[thelakelander]

[brainstormer]

Imagine the "walkability" that would be created if the Landing was opened up, so that pedestrians could see the river from Hemming Plaza.  It would make Laura St. less of a dead end, allowing the river to invite people to continue walking all the way to it.  Opening up the Landing also easily connects Laura St. to the beautiful Northbank Riverwalk.  Looking down from the air you would have a "T shape" right thru the middle of downtown that was pedestrian and bicyclist friendly.  Once the streetcar is up and running, the Landing all of a sudden is a hub of activity with pedestrians, bicycles, the streetcar stop and water taxi!  No more need for another ugly parking ramp!!!

[tpot]

To me, this seems like it has a little more staying power than the hot dog carts of old.  It seems thought out, realistic, and just better than previous plans have been.  My only concern is that above a certain amount of usage, roundabouts can really cause traffic to stall.  I just hope sufficient planning will be done to prevent a bottleneck.

Isn't the idea of making a place more desirable to walk, make it less friendly to car traffic??? The roundabout would do this. The last thing I wan't to walk in is a bunch of cars and car exhaust......

[rjp2008]

I would like to see some kind of upscale visual attraction on a nearby street corner within close range of the landing that entices people to start walking up through this corridor.

Circular architecture, modern/metallic looking, lit up like a beacon, upstairs full glass windows so you can see young people mixing, socializing, dancing, etc. Perhaps right on that corner where the "Regions Bank" currently is.

Something like this but as a club/restaurant...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alesh/297261299/

Or a MUVICO with the Premier Bar Level on that corner - the downtown nightlife would absolutely explode.



(Inside) http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ddg-usa.com/projects/Muvico-Parisian_20/A.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.ddg-usa.com/projects/Muvico-Parisian_20/Project.html&h=400&w=400&sz=29&tbnid=Hg9q3EuhiwwJ::&tbnh=124&tbnw=124&prev=/images?q=muvico+west+palm+pic

[simms3]

yay!  is this a new trend?  the members of metrojacksonville should be the new city council lol!

[Captain Zissou]

Why do we need to transform another street corner into something to make this work?  Won't the opening up of the Landing be sufficient to entice suburbanites to walk another block?  Do we really need City Place-esque (the home of the theatre pictured above) lights and gimmicks?  Before you run off with visions of grandeur, lets work on getting this thing through and opening the landing.  We already know where all that flash and pizzazz got Cameron Kuhn. 

[urbanlibertarian]

At a roundabout cars only stop to yield to cars already in the roundabout.  How can pedestrians cross the intersecting streets if the cars aren't stopping?  Aren't traffic signals and the associated crossing signals more pedestrian friendly?