What in the hell is going on with transportation policies in Jacksonville? How long are we willing to be in the top tier of pedestrian deaths nation-wide and see serious bicycle injuries on a monthly basis such as the one today at Mayport? Where is the public outrage, the mayor who is going to make a difference, the new council members, the planners, the agencies who should put safety and health at the top of the list?
As far as I can see, you guys at Metro Jacksonville are the only ones talking to everyone who will listen trying to get changes made for this town.
Here's another report below with policies that could make a difference. Will anyone read it and make it a priority for Jacksonville this year?
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New Report Highlights Transportation Policies that Improve the Nation’s Health
New report released today by Partnership for Prevention.
A report titled Transportation and Health: Policy Interventions for Safer, Healthier People and Communities was released today by Partnership for Prevention (Partnership). This report highlights existing scientific evidence on the health effects of nearly 40 transportation policies that can further multiple health and transportation goals.
Partnership collaborated with the Safe Transportation Research and Education Center (SafeTREC) at the University of California, Berkeley; Booz Allen Hamilton; and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The report examines the effects of transportation policies on health in three key areas â€" environment and environmental public health, community design and active transportation, and motor vehicle-related injuries and fatalities.
The Report is available on the Partnership for Prevention web site at: www.prevent.org/transportation
The direct link to the PDF file is: http://www.prevent.org/data/files/transportation/transportationandhealthpolicycomplete.pdf
Aside from MJ, the City of Jacksonville Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) could be your best option right now.
Our next meeting will be on Thursday August 4 at 5:30 p.m. in the Lynwood Roberts Room of City Hall.
Yeah, our policies are catered towards automobile and truck movement. Pedestrians and cyclists are an afterthought. For example, I overheard a FDOT guy at a WTS Airport event last night basically say that FDOT builds roads and that's what they should focus on because they do it good. Also, several transportation professionals on the Mayor's recent transition team transportation committee had to learn what concepts like Complete and Context Sensitive Streets mean during our meetings a few weeks back. Jax is behind the curve but there are several working to make sure we get on track. Hopefully, we'll see a lot of progress in terms of pedestrian and bicycle facilities over the next four years.
The transportation transition team did a very good job. Let's see what happens next.
Our bridges are a great case-in-point, you can cross the Acosta if you can find the walkway ramps, and you can cross the um, Main Street Bridge... then theres the Acosta, and also the Main Street Bridge, if your going to Arlington there is the um, Acosta and the Main Street Bridge. If your going from Orange Park to Mandarin, theres the Acosta and the Main Street Bridge. If your going from the port to Town Center, there is the Acosta and the Main Street Bridge. If your going from Flemming Island to Ock's house... Don't you dare try the Shands Bridge.
We need to find a way to cantilever walks from some of our OTHER bridges. Also Lakelanders Pottsburg-Julington Creek Trail idea running from Beach Boulevard to Old St. Augustine Road in Mandarin is rich. IMAGINE EVEN NOONE could love that project because with very little work it could also handle canoes from the St. Johns to the St. Johns via the creeks.
OCKLAWAHA
The BPAC is working on the bridge issue.
I'll go back to the Dangerous by Design thread and post the notes from our last meeting.