THE SKYWAY SHOULD BE...?? POLL

[Ocklawaha]

THE POLL ALLOWS YOU TO CHANGE YOUR VOTE AND IT ALSO ALLOWS YOU UP TO 7 VOTES/CHOICES SO YOU CAN PERSONALIZE YOUR ANSWERS.


"So whereto now St. Peter, tell me which road I'm on..."  (Elton John)











Like all good things you MUST register with METROJACKSONVILLE in order to vote or view the answers, but hey guess what? It's free and relatively painless, taking only a minute, after which it's great fun!

I think we all agree that the SKYWAY needs help, in some form or another it has become the city's proverbial rabid wolf. As we have it by the ear, we can neither hang on nor let it safely go.

Several of these proposals are being batted about city hall, planning offices and JTA. We can't recreate the 1980's-2002 but we can be heard infesting the city with our ideas.

OCKLAWAHA

[Mattius92]

Expanding the system seems the most logical way to make it more useful. Currently its scope of operation is very small. Expanding the system into nearby neighborhoods will help make the Skyway a lot better, and more used.

[Dog Walker]

Hey, my choice isn't on the list!

Abandon it AND tear the sucker down!  It is a blight on the town; ugly in itself and blocks any view of the neat buildings it passes in front of.  It's only redeeming feature is that it casts shade on some parking spaces in the hot weather.

Make it into an offshore reef and maybe we can pretend we were never dumb enough to build the thing.

[CS Foltz]

Dog Walker I agree with you! Tear that sucker down and use the $7 Million Dollars a year it takes to operate on a real rail system......either Light rail or Trolly that would cover downtown and the outlying areas! Map out a system based on what we used to have before "Bus's" took over! That was the biggest mistake ever made!

[stjr]

Hey, my choice isn't on the list!

Abandon it AND tear the sucker down!  It is a blight on the town; ugly in itself and blocks any view of the neat buildings it passes in front of.  It's only redeeming feature is that it casts shade on some parking spaces in the hot weather.

Make it into an offshore reef and maybe we can pretend we were never dumb enough to build the thing.

Dog, I was only offered the choice of "abandon" but it wouldn't hurt my feelings if we followed your advice.  It's definitely ugly, a blight, and a street killer.  Even Ock's $100 million in Monopoly money can't put lipstick on this pig.  

Of course, this poll isn't nearly as fun as the one I created in good humor (lost on more than a few responders though) a good while back.  Where is that poll anyway?...  Oh, here it is (no time limit on mine, vote anytime you want) for those who want to have differing options:

http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,4755.0.html

Ock, if we only have $100 million, why don't you tell us how far that would go in building a streetcar system so, just in case.... we only have a single $100 million to spend we can see which gives us more bang for the buck.

P.S. Ock, like your moving train graphic.  But, it looks like Disney's monorail more than our Skyway.  Couldn't tell, are the cars running full?  

[Jason]

1.  Add routes:  For the $100 million I predict a leg into Brooklyn, San Marco/Atlantic, and possibly the stadium district could be done with a "no frills" concrete beam.  This will connect the major nodes of activities and give the average person a reason to use it and also prevent pesky transfers.  Beyond those extensions (maybe a future leg to Shands) a complementing streetcar system should be used to fill in the minor activity area gaps.

2.  Add hours:  The system has to run suffecient hours to prevent people being stranded while trying to enjoy some shopping or nightlife.  Knowing the system will be running will boost the riders confidence in the system.

3.  Cut Fares:  Let's face it, fare boxes are a pain and slow down commutes.  Make it free to speed things up and entice riders.  The roads are free so why shouldn't the Skyway be free too?

4:  Funnel other modes into seemless transfer connections:  MUST MUST MUST!!!! Simple realignments of the bus system and integration of other modes of transit have to feed riders into the Skyway.


Here are some old images that show similar routes to what I would propose, along with other modes and their interaction:

Cyan/Teal: Skyway
Red & Blue: Streetcar
Yellow: Commuter Rail
Orage: BRT or future LRT










Possible Brooklyn Terminus at Annie Lyttle:

[tufsu1]

simple...expand the Skyway to Riverside/Brooklyn, into San Marco, and possibly to the stadium...then connect it into a larger regional system and expand the hours to match the rest of the system...once that has been done, fares could be raised (as people would likely have more incentive to ride it)....or it could be free w/ a transfer (like Miami's system).

[Jim]

Jason's post pretty much sums it up for me. 

While we can only guess what $100 million could buy, it think that's enough to put most of that into play.  Barring the intriguing Annie Lyttle transit hub that is.

[danno]

I agree with Jason

Expand to Riverside, San Marco and to Shands.

[buckethead]

simple...expand the Skyway to Riverside/Brooklyn, into San Marco, and possibly to the stadium...then connect it into a larger regional system and expand the hours to match the rest of the system...once that has been done, fares could be raised (as people would likely have more incentive to ride it)....or it could be free w/ a transfer (like Miami's system).

I did not conceive this strategy, but it makes sense to me.

Abandonment doesn't serve future fund raising very well.

"Dad!?  Can I have another twenty bucks?"

"Didn't I just give you twenty bucks?"

"Ya... but I decided to throw that twenty away. I only like crisp new bills."

[Keith-N-Jax]

I am with Jason also. Expansion to the stadium will also serve metropark and shipyard whenever it gets built out. When I lived in Atlanta I never drove into town for an event of course I didnt have to leave my neighborhood either. Marta station was only 3 miles away,,,sweet!!!

[Captain Zissou]

Expand to San Marco, Riverside and Springfield, where it would seamlessly connect with neighborhood streetcars.  Don't cut the fare.  If people are willing to pay now, just leave it in place.  People would be much more upset if you took it away and then brought it back, rather than just leaving it.  Extend hours and add a center car for increased traffic and capacity.  I think the skyway is beautiful and ads an urban feel to the core. 

[thelakelander]

One thing that is not mentioned is better utilizing existing skyway infrastructure to generate additional revenue.  This could include wrapping cars with advertisments or leasing out sections of stations for retail opportunities.  Both create additional revenue not currently being generated and the retail option creates more exposure for the system, which could lead to an increase in ridership.

Train Wrap Advertisment


Retail kiosk


Ground space at the skyway's more popular stations like Central, Hemming and Rosa Parks could be leased to small retail vendors to generate additional income to maintain the system.




Ground level space in Central Station where vendor space could be created.

[SightseerLounge]

I would expand it, but I would do it like Los Angeles has done with their system. The elevated parts of the the skyway that could be used would be the ones that could accomodate LRVs like many cities have. I don't know if that curve going toward FCCJ Downtown Campus, or the current Acosta Bridge layout would make it with the new system. More lines could be made using what is left of those sections. Where the "Skyway" portion ends, the lines could go to grade level, and they could connect to the existing rails--that we all know are there--to make things easier. Basically, I would take elements of everyone's plans, and I would combine them. Maybe, one day they could stretch out further to "the mean streets" of Argyle! I'm dreaming!

[Ocklawaha]

If you haven't opened up and commented on the Skyway Poll, this is big chance...

Lake, I sort of figured the pedestrian enhancements would count toward your Kiosks, yeah, you know I'm on board.



OCKLAWAHA