City Re-Paves Bay Street, but Why?

[TheProfessor]

I think this is a good traffic control installation.  Now if only JTA had light rail from downtown to the sports complex on Bay.  The corridor would really thrive. 

[Bewler]

One question, do we know specifically how much of the 3.5 million this repaving portion of the work cost? As well as how long it took? Just to give them the benefit of the doubt, maybe they did this only because the conditions were so that it was easy for them to quickly slap down this new pavement and at a minor expense.

[tufsu1]

the resurfacing probably cost around $500,000.....and it was done over 4 nights last week

[CS Foltz]

500K that could have been spent where it was really needed! Those streets could have been Microfinished. Same process used on airport runways at about 1/2 the cost or less..............Johnny's team is just busy wasting money again and again and again..........for this we get our taxes raised?

[Lunican]

btw....this entire project, which includes all the new mast arm signals, new sidewalks, and the resurfacing/restriping cost around $3 million....that's pretty good for a one mile (+/-) stretch, especially when you consider that mas arms like that often cost $100,000 each!

There were 16 mast arms installed. 16 x 100,000 = $1.6 million.

Total project cost was $3.5 million and was funded by the city’s capital improvement plan.

[zoo]

Does anyone have the details of when, where and what type of police units are scheduled on game days (Jags, FL/Ga, otherwise)?

This "cattle chute" issue is one that downtown merchants, many game goers and nearby neighborhood residents have been smarting about for more than 3 years. Yet, the City and JSO do not listen.

Maybe if we had the details, and proposed an alternative plan that maximized public safety AND urban exploration/vibrancy, we could get someone to make a modification? Tho I expect they would use seasonal contracts, Wayne Weaver told us not to, or some other such change-aversion, we-don't-want-to-have-to-lift-a-finger lingo, as an excuse not to implement until at least next fall.

[Lunican]

Joey Marchy from www.urbanjacksonville.info reported that the giant hole of Jefferson St is being filled in today. It has been there since the beginning of summer.

[JeffreyS]

I heard the mayor on the radio today say that it was part of game day improvements made for the FL/GA game. They had big traffic issues last year and both schools requested something be done. He also said it would save the city money over putting up cones and barricades for events. I am guessing you would also need less police directing traffic.

[ac]

^
But that (the improvements stemming primarily from the '08 FL/GA game debacle) won't stop people from blaming the Jaguars, as we see a couple posts up.  It also gives yet another built-in excuse for DT businesses.  I'm not saying the city doesn't make it hard for them to operate, but there has to be a point where  one stops expecting the city to funnel people right to their doorstep and individually, aggressively, goes after those people they want to stay downtown after events. 

Will the people who'll be "funneled out" after these events be actual lost patrons, or patrons the businesses never had to begin with?  Did they even want these people in their establishments to begin with?  If so, how aggressively did they go after them before?  Are they willing to step it up and fight even harder to get these simultaneously desired yet reviled suburban patrons (and their dollars), or are we just going to hear incessant griping and watch doors close?

Somehow I think it'll be more of the former and much less of the latter.

[JeffreyS]

I have wondered a few times if people find it easy to get home will they lose that panic that if they don't rush home they will be stuck all night. They might stop leaving games early and may stay to eat or party because traffic clears out quickly.

[ac]

Know you have an easy way home, and you might stick around.  That would be the argument for adding reliable, fixed-route transit along the corridor as well. 

Incidentally, lots of folks stick around in the lots after the games to wait for traffic to clear.  Find a way to draw those folks to establishments to get dinner, watch the late games, etc. and draw them away from the tailgate lots.

[Keith-N-Jax]

Anyone go to the Landing after a Jag game whats it like. It appears that only after the Fla/Ga do people stay downtown and thats because they are probably from out of town. People here dont see downtown as a place to linger. I never take Bay street  after an event at the stadium or V-center.

[tufsu1]

actually The Landfing gets reasonably crowded for about 2 hours following games...after that, it empties out

[Keith-N-Jax]

I guess 2 hrs is good,,best you could expect for Jax.

[thelakelander]

I'd like to see how the Landing pans out if Ale House (rumored in this forum) takes the old South End Brewery spot.  Along with Chicago Pizza, that would provide the center with strong dining/night time entertainment anchors on each end.