Is this segment right? Unless I'm missing something, Kernan (already four lanes) between UNF and Butler seems to flow pretty well, when viewed in comparison with some of the city's truly congested corridors. So is this about the segment between Atlantic and Monument? If not, that's $7.7 million that could be better used plugging some other underfunded hole in our budget.
QuoteThe council also agreed to authorize an additional $7.7 million in spending to widen Kernan Boulevard from two lanes to six between the University of North Florida and Butler Boulevard. That money won't be needed in 2014, but Councilman Richard Clark said it's important to get the roadwork, which was envisioned in the 2000 Better Jacksonville Plan, in the pipeline.
"The voters expect to see it finished," Clark said, stressing it would have "zero dollar effect on this year's budget."
Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2013-09-25/story/jacksonville-council-leaves-tax-rate-air-recesses-early-wednesday-until#ixzz2fuCskrIc
QuoteSo is this about the segment between Atlantic and Monument?
I believe he must be misquoted b/c Kernan between Atlantic and Monument has been waiting on money for road widening for years.
Quote from: fieldafm on September 25, 2013, 09:36:40 AM
QuoteSo is this about the segment between Atlantic and Monument?
I believe he must be misquoted b/c Kernan between Atlantic and Monument has been waiting on money for road widening for years.
Is that area of Kernan congested at rush hour? I feel like I've been teleported out into the country every time I drive there. I wouldn't even think the people that live in those neighborhoods (East Arlington?) would want the road widened.
I don't suppose there will be room for any bike lanes after they build 6 luxury lanes for vehicular traffic in an area that needs only 2-3. Even better, widen the sidewalks that are already significantly offset from the road surface and stripe separate uses on there.
QuoteI don't suppose there will be room for any bike lanes after they build 6 luxury lanes for vehicular traffic in an area that needs only 2-3.
There is already a great (protected) multi-use trail that lines Kernan and links up to the (unprotected) striped bike lanes on Monument.
You can take a sidewalk from any subdivision on Kernan and stay on a sidewalk all the way up to the Wonderwood Bridge or the Cobblestone Publix (or Sleiman's Publix shoping center at Beach/Kernan for that matter).
Altantic Station (Kernan/Atlantic) is about to get three new developments moving in. One will be multifamily. A hospital will also be going in across the street from Atlantic Station next to where the hotel recently went up.
^There's ample room for bike lanes, multi-use trails, etc. on the stretch between Atlantic and Monument. The ROW is certainly there. The Kernan widening between Atlantic and UNF is probably the best suburban example of a context sensitive street in Jacksonville.
I drive this everyday. I don't really think it gets that congested, even during rush hour. Not sure why this is needed. I know UNF wanted to re route the street around the outside of the campus.
Quote from: fieldafm on September 25, 2013, 09:57:12 AM
There is already a great (protected) multi-use trail that lines Kernan and links up to the (unprotected) striped bike lanes on Monument.
You can take a sidewalk from any subdivision on Kernan and stay on a sidewalk all the way up to the Wonderwood Bridge or the Cobblestone Publix (or Sleiman's Publix shoping center at Beach/Kernan for that matter).
Altantic Station (Kernan/Atlantic) is about to get three new developments moving in. One will be multifamily.
Okay. It looked that way on Google Maps, but I didn't think it was much wider than a sidewalk from the road driving by. Good to know.
I watched some of it at home last nigth and Richard Clark has a lot of nerve. When it came to keeping the downtown library open and Shands hospital he lectured everyone about them not being thankful for what they have and how they are just coming with their hands out. But he did not spin it that way when he wanted his special projects!
Of course he didn't. The the library or Shands would have been in his district his argument would have been completely different. That's just politics as usual.
The Kernan widening at UNF is actually a rerouting to move Kernan to what's now First Coast Tech Parkway. This has been the plan for years; as it is now, Kernan is unfinished as the improved section (with the multi-use path) abruptly ends as it gets to UNF - before it gets to JTB. The article isn't clear; the Parkway is the part that's currently two lanes; that current stretch of Kernan is four.
The former First Coast Tech Parkway property is already part of UNF; this project would reroute Kernan so that it no longer cuts through the campus. It would also mean UNF can finally work on connecting the campus pedestrian/bike infrastructure to Kernan. This was supposed to be part of the BJP and UNF has already given millions of dollars for our portion of it. The Kernan/JTB interchange is a disaster at rush hour, especially if you're going east, and that won't change until this gets done.
Quote from: Tacachale on September 25, 2013, 11:12:44 AM
The Kernan widening at UNF is actually a rerouting to move Kernan to what's now First Coast Tech Parkway. This has been the plan for years; as it is now, Kernan is unfinished as the improved section (with the multi-use path) abruptly ends as it gets to UNF - before it gets to JTB. The article isn't clear; the Parkway is the part that's currently two lanes; that current stretch of Kernan is four.
The former First Coast Tech Parkway property is already part of UNF; this project would reroute Kernan so that it no longer cuts through the campus. It would also mean UNF can finally work on connecting the campus pedestrian/bike infrastructure to Kernan. This was supposed to be part of the BJP and UNF has already given millions of dollars for our portion of it. The Kernan/JTB interchange is a disaster at rush hour, especially if you're going east, and that won't change until this gets done.
So then these monies would be used to widen FCTP that runs in front of the old AOL Building and effectively rename this stretch of roadway as Kernan? Will the current 'Kernan' be closed to vehicular traffic b/w the UNF entrance and the signalized intersection now? Do you have any renderings of what that plan looks like? How much did UNF contribute?
So this is for the southern segment? How will the widening of Kernan impact eastbound traffic flow on JTB?
Quote from: thelakelander on September 25, 2013, 11:20:54 AM
So this is for the southern segment? How will the widening of Kernan impact eastbound traffic flow on JTB?
I don't honestly see it being that beneficial. The slowdown on the exit to Kernan from what I can see is that you have people heading east on JTB and people exiting off 9A duking it out for position. From about 1700-1830, that stretch is a disaster. I am surprised there are not more accidents to be honest.
And the real losers are anybody trying to get from Kernan south on to JTB east. They have a stop sign and those exiting JTB do not. And it is a pretty constant flow. It seems like you basically have to wait for someone who is a little slow on the gas. Or maybe a big truck. Otherwise it's "YOLO" when you have a small gap between cars and just hope for the best.
http://www.coj.net/departments/better-jacksonville-plan/road-details.aspx#KernanP6
QuoteKernan Blvd. Phase 6 (JTB to Glen Kernan)
Reconstruct/realign to a six-lane divided roadway with landscaped median(s), bike lanes, sidewalks and curb & gutter on both sides.
Project Estimate: $6.5 million
That is what the official BJP record says for the project. What that actually means can be up to interpretation.
http://www.unf.edu/uploadedImages/anf/masterplan/2005-2015_Master_Plan/2005-2015_Master_Plan_Figure.jpg
The above link does show UNF re-routing Kernan down the 1st Coast Parkway. I am looking further into the UNF Master Plan to get more info. As an UNF student this topic is particularly interesting.
From a 2007 Daily Record article...
QuoteThe City of Jacksonville plans to realign Kernan Boulevard by widening First Coast Technology Parkway to six lanes and reconfiguring portions of First Coast Technology Parkway to permit is substitution as Kernan Boulevard.
First Coast Technology Parkway will remain where it is now, but it will be widened and will serve as the new Kernan Boulevard once the project is complete. The current Kernan Boulevard will then become an internal road on UNF's campus.
http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=48778 (http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=48778)
Expanding on the topic just a little bit, I recently saw a transportation map that showed Kernan extending south of JTB and meeting up with the Gate & Baymeadows intersection just east of 9A/295. Anyone know when (or if) this is expected to occur?
Quote from: fieldafm on September 25, 2013, 11:16:43 AM
Quote from: Tacachale on September 25, 2013, 11:12:44 AM
The Kernan widening at UNF is actually a rerouting to move Kernan to what's now First Coast Tech Parkway. This has been the plan for years; as it is now, Kernan is unfinished as the improved section (with the multi-use path) abruptly ends as it gets to UNF - before it gets to JTB. The article isn't clear; the Parkway is the part that's currently two lanes; that current stretch of Kernan is four.
The former First Coast Tech Parkway property is already part of UNF; this project would reroute Kernan so that it no longer cuts through the campus. It would also mean UNF can finally work on connecting the campus pedestrian/bike infrastructure to Kernan. This was supposed to be part of the BJP and UNF has already given millions of dollars for our portion of it. The Kernan/JTB interchange is a disaster at rush hour, especially if you're going east, and that won't change until this gets done.
So then these monies would be used to widen FCTP that runs in front of the old AOL Building and effectively rename this stretch of roadway as Kernan? Will the current 'Kernan' be closed to vehicular traffic b/w the UNF entrance and the signalized intersection now? Do you have any renderings of what that plan looks like? How much did UNF contribute?
Yes, the $7.7 million project between UNF and JTB referenced in the article is presumably the rerouting. As part of it the intersection would be reworked, FCTP would be widened to six lanes with a multi-use path (as with the rest of Kernan) and "Current Kernan" (the existing 4-lane segment) would essentially be a campus road. There's a drawing of it in the 2010-2020 master plan The planned road drawing on p. 67here (http://www.unf.edu/uploadedFiles/anf/masterplan/2010_-_2020_Master_Plan/SMALL%20REDUCED110110_UNF_Final%20Report_v10.pdf), but my understanding is it's had to be reworked again. UNF has contributed at least $3 million dollars last I heard.
Lake, the Kernan/JTB interchange is being reworked as part of the completion of Kernan. Traveller, I don't think Kernan is supposed to be extended south as the Hodges land won't be developed.
At one point there was a proposal to connect Kernan with Baymeadows. It was supposed to be done as a part of a development that was proposed during the boom years of the last decade. That development never materialized so the connection didn't as well.
from what I understand, they added $7.7 muillion last night for the project....the total quoted by CM Clark was closer to $13 million....includes re-routing the road all the way down to JTB
Hmm. Glad we aren't already in debt or cutting funding from other sources. I've read Tacachale's explanation of this project's history and what it does for UNF but I don't know if I'd rank it as a higher priority than several of the other things being tossed around right now. Seriously, they were considering closing the main library on Saturdays but shifting nearly $8 million to a road relocation project?
QuoteI don't think Kernan is supposed to be extended south as the Hodges land won't be developed.
My impression was that they aren't interested in developing that land at this time. The last offer represented a very high premium on that land. I suspect you wouldn't get a DRI type deal viable on this site for another 5 years. There is already a large 3,000 home development that will break ground in the next 1-2 years on the opposite side of Atlantic. I just don't see demand for single family homes warranting another 4,000-5,000 home master planned community breaking ground so soon.
Is UNF fielding anymore offers for the land at the traffic signal? Seems that would be well positioned for another multi-family development before the financing for that starts to dry up (which it will relatively soon).
Quote from: thelakelander on September 25, 2013, 04:43:51 PM
Hmm. Glad we aren't already in debt or cutting funding from other sources. I've read Tacachale's explanation of this project's history and what it does for UNF but I don't know if I'd rank it as a higher priority than several of the other things being tossed around right now. Seriously, they were considering closing the main library on Saturdays but shifting nearly $8 million to a road relocation project?
It's definitely hard to argue with that. However, this is one that definitely needs to get done at some point. Beyond what the rerouting would do for UNF, the unimproved section of Kernan is a huge pain for anyone who has to take it. The improved section just ends before JTB and drops down 2 lanes. And the interchange is a total cluster at rush hour. It's even worse for cyclists, as that great multi-use path abruptly dumps you onto the roadway a good half mile before the UNF entrance.
Things are only going to get worse (especially for pedestrians and bikers, but drivers too) if UNF ends up going forward with developments in the old First Coast Tech Park property before the rerouting occurs.
Quote from: fieldafm on September 25, 2013, 04:49:29 PM
QuoteI don't think Kernan is supposed to be extended south as the Hodges land won't be developed.
My impression was that they aren't interested in developing that land at this time. The last offer represented a very high premium on that land. I suspect you wouldn't get a DRI type deal viable on this site for another 5 years. There is already a large 3,000 home development that will break ground in the next 1-2 years on the opposite side of Atlantic. I just don't see demand for single family homes warranting another 4,000-5,000 home master planned community breaking ground so soon.
Is UNF fielding anymore offers for the land at the traffic signal? Seems that would be well positioned for another multi-family development before the financing for that starts to dry up (which it will relatively soon).
Re the property south of JTB, that's my understanding too. As for the land at the traffic signal, which do you mean? The land west of the northern FCTP signal is owned by the university but there aren't specific development plans yet. As for the land at the southern signal, I don't know. I know UNF has looked into acquiring it but I don't know any details.
Quote from: Traveller on September 25, 2013, 01:19:10 PM
From a 2007 Daily Record article...
QuoteThe City of Jacksonville plans to realign Kernan Boulevard by widening First Coast Technology Parkway to six lanes and reconfiguring portions of First Coast Technology Parkway to permit is substitution as Kernan Boulevard.
First Coast Technology Parkway will remain where it is now, but it will be widened and will serve as the new Kernan Boulevard once the project is complete. The current Kernan Boulevard will then become an internal road on UNF's campus.
http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=48778 (http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=48778)
Expanding on the topic just a little bit, I recently saw a transportation map that showed Kernan extending south of JTB and meeting up with the Gate & Baymeadows intersection just east of 9A/295. Anyone know when (or if) this is expected to occur?
It was proposed when a regional mall developer was looking at doing a build out in Jacksonville on the SE corner of JTB/295. That died when Ben Carter came along on the NW corner.
DCPS looked at the same parcel when they were shopping land for a new high school. Atlantic Coast HS ended up farther south on 295.
The stretch of Kernan which did not get completed due to BJP running dry was between Atlantic and Wonderwood. Portions were done to support the new Atlantic overpass and when they built out Waterleaf Elementary farther north. But the rest is strictly 2 lane. There are a couple of lights, but there are 3 developments that exit/enter only through Kernan and the residents have long complained of the risky business in the morning to get out. In the evening its the opposite as it get bumper to bumper for people going north. (and why wouldn't it? 3 lanes each way to just one). Since Waterleaf is expanding behind the JEA Ridenour Water Plant, the pressure on Kernan north of Atlantic will only grow.
When they finished the 295 North to JTB East exit, they essentially crammed 2 lanes of merging traffic on top of people trying to reach Kernan. It should have been converted to a circular exit past the bridge to allow more time to merge and keep people from being blocked down on Kernan. Fortunately the Kernan ramp is quite long, since it used to be a toll booth ramp. But not as short as the Hodges ramp which spills back onto JTB during rush hour.
Kernan has no issues with ROW as it is aligned with a major JEA ROW north of Beach and has plenty of room. I look forward to them extending that multi-purpose paved pedestrian trail all the way to Wonderwood.
The property on Beach & Kernan is back for sale again.