Metro Jacksonville

While criticism of Jacksonville's maligned transportation efforts over the years here is valid, perhaps it overlooks two other huge areas of the future that Jacksonville is poised to be national and international leaders in. To quote Doc Emmit Brown "Roads? Where we're going we don't need any roads"...

1. CECIL FIELD COMMERCE/SPACEPORT
10 years of upgrading the facilities to attract high-tech businesses, achieving the spaceport designation status (8th in the country) is huge. Boeing has increased it's presence, but they still need to attract a viable space tourism company, perferably one that would also build an attraction type space visitors center. Flight technology, logistics, education (FSCJ) - fast forward 25 years and this could be the place where you can hop on a space plane to Europe.

2. MAYPORT CARRIER
The most advanced nuclear carrier in the world, stationed in Jax, pumping construction jobs, new families, repair and maintenance companies, etc. and making Jacksonville one of the most well defended cities in the entire US.
And it would carry the 2nd most advanced fighters in the world, the f-35. They could also add the LCS later on. Remember all the talk about getting a museum ship for downtown?? Leave the past alone, and do one better by homebasing the most advanced ships in the world!

3. F-35 Fighter WING
Considerations are being made to give the National Guard Wing usage of the f-35 out of JIA. Again, the top of line tech, and associated civilian contractor companies, basing in Jacksonville.

4. Mitsui/Hanjin Terminal
Even though receiving cheap Chinese exports is the purpose instead of the other way around, it's a significant development on the international scene that will continue to lure jobs and companies to the area to take advantage of being a logistics hub.

While I'd agree that you or the good doctor are correct, I wonder what we'll do for "roads" if we don't need any? Logic would say railroads will fill that gap, not only here but nationally.

The trouble with our city is no one in City Hall since Mayor Sebring (don't even look) has understood anything about rail. Likewise considering the nifty fifty as a sort of modern City Commission, no one since St. Elmo Acosta has understood it over there either.

First off a huge mistake was made in not showing up for the HIGH SPEED RAIL meetings, and it was noted by every railroad, state dot, and Amtrak official in the South. Next came the stupid move by City Council of not putting a resolution of support for the new Amtrak FEC RY service because, "Amtrak is a wasteful, heavily subsidized burden on the taxpayers." God Jax. GW himself couldn't have done more damage.

Along the same lines, and one ANYONE that speaks rail could plainly see was the error of allowing CSX to abandon the "S" line from Kingsland to Savannah (area). At 39 miles shorter then any other route from the Northeast to Florida, this was a move that two states, two big cities and a railbank program could have stopped. SOUTHEAST HIGH SPEED RAIL? WHERE THE HELL DO YOU THINK IT WILL GO? Clue? It won't be Waycross.  


If we think the market forces alone will fix up our rail system, I've got a bridge to sell you. We need some very serious study of CITY OWNED trackage from and including JACKSONVILLE TERMINAL north all the way to the Blount Island Branchline north of Busch. The St. Johns River Terminal Railroad running from the port through Springfield to Grand Crossing, as well as another CSX branchline from Panama Park to the area of Beaver and I-295, should be studied to come into the City's possession.

Once the ownership question is solved, the city would be free to open access to the entire port to all 3 major railroads and 3 shortlines.  Freight traffic, either by direct operation, contract operation or by trackage rights lease back to the railroad's could then generate the profit to better the infrastructure and subsidize the Commuter Rail projects in NE Florida.

Either we do it or? http://www.miamitodaynews.com/news/100729/story1.shtml


Don't need roads?  While I'd agree that roads such as the outer beltway are completely useless to the citizens of Jacksonville, there are certain connections to the existing Jacksonville highway system that would pay off big in dividends. Imagine Jacksonville being the Atlantic Coast Port for ALL of the midwest grange country? Yeah!

With highway projects, consider the once announced Florida-Georgia Parkway, and I-22 which was once upon a time proposed as a multi-modal corridor, interstate-railroad-pipeline-utility. While we have slept and completely forgotten this commercial floodway, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama have completed large segments of it. It's still pointed right at Jacksonville, and up in Georgia some of the missing gaps in country limited access four lane highways are being expanded to fill in the gaps from Columbus to Albany and perhaps Valdosta. Guess where the project is to be anchored today? SAVANNAH!


Navy Carriers require shore based facilities and for that we shot ourselves in the foot by chasing the Navy out of Cecil field.  Let's hope a new mayor works with residents and developers to lure that master jet base back to our area. 30,000 guaranteed jobs and how many did Peyton get us by letting it slip away?  It will be a century before Bridgestone, Boeing or the Battery Plant employ half that many.  

We do have CAMP BLANDING, WHITEHOUSE, LAKE CITY and LEE FIELD at Green Cove Springs, which are all former Navy bases, auxiliary bases or active Army-Marine bases. Green Cove's old base is still complete with unused hangers and a concrete tarmac that would handle half the planes in the Navy. While the runways would have to be rebuilt, all of the approaches are over water or virgin forest. In fact the only thing between that base and the nearest house to the south is some 30,000 acres of the Bayard (Clay County) Wildlife Preserve.
So where are our salesmen? What are we doing?


OCKLAWAHA

There seems to be so much resistance to rail as you have explained. It's obviously going to be a long and stubborn fight on our part. What I'm saying is, fortunately, we still have the air and sea to take real, visionary leadership in.

F-35's (whenever finished!!) will be based in Jax - either on the carrier and/or with the National Guard Fighter wing. That is leading edge world class technology - and associated support/maintenance companies. A space tourism/suborbital company will eventually base at Cecil. Rocket tech companies, maintenance, etc.