City Seeks Public Input for Uses of $7.8 Million Federal Grant

[stephendare]

From the office of Mayor  Peyton
Jacksonville Will Receive $7.8 Million Federal Grant

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Oct. 8, 2009 â€" Through the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act, the City of Jacksonville will receive approximately $7.8 million from the Department of Energy under an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG).  The grant application was approved July 27, 2009 and includes opportunities for the city to gather ideas and input from the Jacksonville community.

The grant funds can be utilized for government or private programs and/or projects that must provide substantial, sustainable and measurable energy savings, job creation and economic stimulus effects on the First Coast. 

Eligible activities include:

·         Residential and commercial building energy audits

·         Financial incentive programs for energy efficiency

·         Energy efficiency retrofits for existing facilities

·         Energy efficiency and conservation programs for buildings and facilities

·         Development and implementation of transportation programs

·         Development and implementation of energy efficient building codes and inspections

·         Energy distribution through energy resource technologies

·         Material conservation programs

·         Reduction and capture of methane and greenhouse gases

·         Traffic signals and street lighting

·         Renewable energy technologies on government buildings

Decisions for use of the block grant funds will be based on the following criteria:  relationship of the project to the city’s goals, proposed number of jobs created or retained, proposed energy savings or renewable energy generated, amount of GHG and CO2 equivalent emissions reduced and the amount of funds that will be leveraged in conjunction with the grant.

The city has entered into a contract with Reynolds, Smith and Hills, Inc. (RS&H) to be the program manager.

To submit suggestions or ideas, contact RS&H by October 15 at either EECBG.Projects@rsandh.com or

(904)256-2239.

[jbroadglide]

Traffic signals gets my vote!! Please fix the timing on signals so I don't waste all my gas sitting at red light after red light after red light. Lights that change when there isn't a car on the side street and hasn't been one for hours. Lights that change on the same street one right after the other so you just go block to block to block..talk about energy in-efficient.

[stjr]

Traffic signals gets my vote!! Please fix the timing on signals so I don't waste all my gas sitting at red light after red light after red light. Lights that change when there isn't a car on the side street and hasn't been one for hours. Lights that change on the same street one right after the other so you just go block to block to block..talk about energy in-efficient.

Whatever happened to our "intelligent transportation system"?  Could this money make a dent in implementing that?

[ralpho37]

Out of those choices my vote goes to the traffic lights too.

[tufsu1]

Whatever happened to our "intelligent transportation system"?  Could this money make a dent in implementing that?

the regional ITS system is being implemented...they are about to install signal timing upgrades on Atlantic Blvd and Philips Hwy.

The main big ticket item is the Transportation Management Center, which would be housed at the transportation hub planned next to the Prime Osborn...but the entire transportation hub would likely cost $75 million or more

[stjr]

Whatever happened to our "intelligent transportation system"?  Could this money make a dent in implementing that?

the regional ITS system is being implemented...they are about to install signal timing upgrades on Atlantic Blvd and Philips Hwy.

The main big ticket item is the Transportation Management Center, which would be housed at the transportation hub planned next to the Prime Osborn...but the entire transportation hub would likely cost $75 million or more

I assume the TMC would be a much smaller element of the total $75 million.  Let's look at getting that done now and maybe putting it in the increasingly vacant Federal Reserve Building across the way from Prime Osborn.  That building is a fortress if there ever was one, perfect for such a hub system.  How many square feet do they need?  I am sure that building has state of the art technology given the current main occupant.

[tufsu1]

yes...but the TMC would probably still cost $10 million or so....fyi, the region has applied for stimulus funding theorugh the TIGER program for starting the hub.

If we can't get the grant, you'd rather build a TMC right now and then unplug it and move it into the hub 5-10 years later?

[thelakelander]

Perhaps some of this money should go to funding the next phase of the streetcar study.  We're going to screw ourselves if we don't have a viable plan ready to go before Obama leaves office.

[CS Foltz]

ITS is being implemented slowly right now. We are talking about 7.8 Million for "Developement of Transportation Programs" .....isn't this what we have been working towards? Could this be the door being opened? Guys and Gals this could be the in that we have needed!

[thelakelander]

Amtrak back downtown and a satellite station near the Avenues? 

Maybe a portion of these funds should go to making this happen in conjunction with the Amtrak/FEC project.  Both would promote the idea of transit oriented development (hint: a green initiative) around them and if the Amtrak line goes up to 6 round trips a day, it could be used as a peak hour commuter alternative to I-95/Philips between the Avenues and DT (hint: another green initiative). 

After all, I-95 will be a parking lot for 10-15 years once the Overland Bridge and JTB interchange projects get underway.

[stjr]

yes...but the TMC would probably still cost $10 million or so....fyi, the region has applied for stimulus funding theorugh the TIGER program for starting the hub.

If we can't get the grant, you'd rather build a TMC right now and then unplug it and move it into the hub 5-10 years later?

Why not get the TMC now and leave it where it's built?  I am not sure of its components, but if it's a control center, it seems it could be almost anywhere.  What is important is if it makes transportation modes more efficient.  Fill us in.  Thanks.

[thelakelander]

Is this green enough?  An Amtrak corridor service train in California.



It would be nice if Jax could set up "no-frills" Amtrak stations in DT and the Avenues to take advantage of the Amtrak/FEC project.

Here is an example of "no-frills."  An Amtrak Pacific Surfliner train station in suburban LA.

[DavidWilliams]

City officials..if you are reading...please fix the weird manhole cover situation that we have going on in this city. It freaks out our visitors (and it is killing the suspension on my truck-Riverside Ave near Publix in particular). Out of town visitors always ask....why can't they be counter-sunk and filled like "normal" cities? 


I will get back to what the rest of the 7.8 mil should be spent on shortly. 

[stjr]

City officials..if you are reading...please fix the weird manhole cover situation that we have going on in this city. It freaks out our visitors (and it is killing the suspension on my truck-Riverside Ave near Publix in particular). Out of town visitors always ask....why can't they be counter-sunk and filled like "normal" cities? 

David, I, too, have brought up manholes such as the NEWLY REBUILT Hendricks Avenue where they have been incorrectly installed (covers sit below the rims) and poorly built (crumbling concrete around the rims) since day one and falling apart ever since.  Driving Hendricks is like dodging land mines.  Impossible to stay in the traffic lane if you want to preserve your car's suspension.

Same all over town, especially the outer concrete rings.  It doesn't look like they use any reinforcing.  Regardless, there has to be a higher, more durable standard for these things.  Much of this is actually FDOT.  I don't know where their quality control is but we taxpayers should get our money back.  Just like the peeling paint on the traffic light posts (is that fixed yet, after several years?!)  Really, what is the problem getting what we pay for???!!!!

For manholes, please join our thread at http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,5490.0.html with your complaint and keep the attention on the subject.  I would like to see MJ do a photo essay on this and embarrass our city road keepers into action.

[CS Foltz]

Makes me wonder if Gate Concrete had something to do with that.......I mean after all they seem to get most of the Concrete based projects around here.........use that $7.8 Million for a no-frills station both north and south, tie it into the Amtrak/FEC system  or use to implement downtown rail system......talk about an option that could be beneficial for all....downtown need the boost and the masstransit system!