Expressways to Boulevards

tufsu1 · July 17, 2009, 08:54:23 AM

This article talks about I-10 in new Orleans....are there any expressways in Jax. that should be removed?

http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009/07/photos_for_iten.html

thelakelander · July 17, 2009, 09:04:57 AM

How about the Hart Bridge ramps (near JMS), Main Street (Southbank) and Matthews Bridge ramps (west of MLK)?

copperfiend · July 17, 2009, 09:13:28 AM

The removal of those 500 houses and those beautiful trees was a sad but familiar story.

Wacca Pilatka · July 17, 2009, 09:42:46 AM

Seconded on Lakelander's suggestions.

In Syracuse, NY, where my sister lives, there is a public debate going on about converting I-81 through the heart of the city into a boulevard. 81 is an elevated highway whose construction led to destruction of neighborhoods, and also separates one of the city's best assets, Syracuse University, from downtown. 81 is dilapidated and much thought is given to tearing down the elevated highway and leaving through travelers to use 481, an already-existing bypass. This is going to be an interesting situation to watch, possibly with lessons for other cities.

copperfiend · July 17, 2009, 09:51:18 AM

The repair costs for alot of these elevated highways is going to be ridiculous. Tearing them down is a cheaper alternative.

hanjin1 · July 17, 2009, 10:02:06 AM

i would also like to see the hart bridge ramps taken away. it would open up the river to that area quite nicely.

Ocklawaha · July 17, 2009, 10:51:19 AM

GUESS WHO? I'm baaaaaack!

Wouldn't a landmark "parkway" program look good where those ugly ramps are today. If we dismantle the Hart Bridge north ramp, can I push the plunger?

OCKLAWAHA

cline · July 17, 2009, 10:53:13 AM

QuoteHow about the Hart Bridge ramps (near JMS),

Ditto that.

On a related note, I was looking online at an old report done in 1962 (for the Jacksonville Expressway Authority) looking at the traffic and economic impacts of the proposed (at that time) Hart Bridge aka Commordore Point Expressway. The study found that the most noticeable positive effect will be on the land use and economics in the area east of Main Street. Unfortunately, the study pretty much ignored the Fairfield neighborhood and the areas around JMS that would be adversely affected by the building of the ramps.

reednavy · July 17, 2009, 11:43:29 AM

If anything needs to go first, it is the Main Street ramp from I-95N, and as mentioned before, bring it down to street grade.

tufsu1 · July 17, 2009, 07:16:48 PM

I heard that at one time the Commodore Point Expwy (Hart Expwy) was supposed to go all the wa out to UNF...but opposition stopped it at Beach

mtraininjax · July 17, 2009, 08:10:53 PM

Remove them all, but first, find a way to pay for them.

Lunican · July 18, 2009, 05:15:02 PM

I think extending the Skyway to the stadium via the Hart Bridge ramps is an interesting idea.

Ocklawaha · July 18, 2009, 06:19:54 PM

Great idea but I bet JTA and Gate Concrete could come up with 10,000 reasons not to do it. Doesn't this city have an engineer willing to get creative and rock the boat? I'd last about 20 minutes in their employ, things would either change, or I'd be hanging from an open window in the old Barnett Building.

OCKLAWAHA

Ocklawaha · July 18, 2009, 08:32:59 PM

Quote from: tufsu1 on July 17, 2009, 07:16:48 PM
I heard that at one time the Commodore Point Expwy (Hart Expwy) was supposed to go all the wa out to UNF...but opposition stopped it at Beach

Tufsu1, If memory serves me right I believe it wasn't Gate Parkway or UNF, in fact I don't even think UNF was on the radar at the time and neither was Gate. It was to swing into the JTB alignment at roughly Town Center's ultimate location. I believe they fancied it to go all the way to the Beaches and come back and fill in the JTB as a cut-off.
Frankly it would have done wonders for downtown and what has become our satellite downtown out at the Parkway, Deerwood, Bay Meadows etc. Such a link would be incredibly valuable today in keeping the downtown core offices linked to the newer offices in the Southside. A transit link, BRT, LRT or most anything else we could dream up would be totally possible, but as with many great ideas here, we allowed some special interests to kill it.

Today, we still have the option of completing it as far as Southside Blvd, using Beach and frontage or service roads for business access.

OCKLAWAHA

thelakelander · July 18, 2009, 10:18:43 PM

Quote from: Lunican on July 18, 2009, 05:15:02 PM
I think extending the Skyway to the stadium via the Hart Bridge ramps is an interesting idea.

This is an interesting idea. Even with the street still open, it could be feasible.