How's this for encouraging walkability? Hopefully this won't happen in Jax.
QuoteGAINESVILLE -- Restaurant and bar owners along some of Gainesville's busiest state roads could soon have to pay more money just to keep their outdoor seating.
The Gainesville Community Development Committee approved a new set of regulations on Wednesday that had been adopted earlier this year by the Florida Department of Transportation.
According to the new regulations, businesses with sidewalk cafes along state roads will have to pay an extra $2 per square foot every year on top of existing licensing fees imposed by the city.
Those businesses also will be required to increase their general liability insurance, something many in the business community say could hurt job growth.
full article: http://www.wcjb.com/local-news-state-news/2013/11/sidewalk-cafe-owners-along-state-roads-pay-more-or-lose-outdoor
Typical DOT garbage. They ran out of money to build roads so they have to put the squeeze on the alternative. After all, they are not FDOW (Florida Department of Walkability). The national movement to higher density walkable neighborhoods scares the bejeebers out of traffic engineers.
Believe me....they are nowhere close to out of money to build roads....this year, for the first time in a long time, they git full funding from the transportation trust fund.
I am sure there is more going on here than a money grab by FDOT. Unfortunately the news clip only covers the action, but says nothing of the causes.
The increase in liability insurance is a bit of a tip off.
If FDOT maintains the ROW which includes a portion of the sidewalks along the highway and the cafe owners are expanding their tables into the ROW, FDOT would be held responsible for any liability. Under the $2 agreement, the owners will continue to have access to the ROW with their tables, but have to have adequate liability insurance to cover for any mishaps, otherwise FDOT would be the sole, primary responsible party for any liability, which they don't want.
So I don't think this is an "anti-walkability" effort. It appears to be a response to some previous legal event that FDOT has been forced to respond to. The "rent" is the compromise.
Some towns limit sidewalk tables to no more than 5 feet from the external wall of the establishment.