Jacksonville on the clock for mobility plan

[thelakelander]

Something to keep your eyes on.  This is a multimodal plan that involves funding for roads, transit, pedestrian and bike facilities.  It will need all the support it can get as it moves forward in a community that doesn't totally understand the positive impact of having multiple transportation options.

by Joe Wilhelm Jr.
Staff Writer

The City of Jacksonville is charged by the State with the responsibility of developing a new plan to ensure the necessary public facilities are available to meet the needs of its growing city by July, 2011.

Senate Bill 360, passed in July, 2009, states, local municipalities “shall within 2 years after the designated area becomes exempt, adopt into its local comprehensive plan land use and transportation strategies to support and fund mobility within the exception area, including alternative modes of transportation. The same bill removed state-mandated transportation concurrency in areas designated as “Transportation Concurrency Exception Areas (TCEAs),” a term which Jacksonville was listed as. Concurrency is a growth management concept intended to ensure that the necessary public facilities are available concurrent with the impacts of development, according to the Center for Urban Transportation Research at the University of South Florida.

The City’s plan for compliance with this State mandate was discussed at the first meeting of the City Council’s Seaport-Airport Special Committee Tuesday. Bill Killingsworth, director of the City’s Planning and Development Department gave an outline of the City’s proposed 2030 Mobility Plan and explained that the next step in the process was to create a Mobility Planning Committee to review the plan and present it to City Council.

“I have suggested to the mayor that committee be similar to the model used for school concurrency. Four members selected by the mayor, four members selected by the City Council and one chosen jointly by both parties to serve as chair,” said Killingsworth. “The creation of this committee could be done by resolution or executive order by the mayor.”

The committee would tap the talents of the community to help the City meet the 2011 deadline for compliance.

“To get the best product available (the plan) needs to be vetted by a great many people who have different interests and different eyes,” said Bill Killingsworth, City Planning Department Director. “I’ve read this thing so many times, and it’s been through so many changes, I can’t remember what has been taken out and put in at some places.”

Under the 2030 Mobility Plan, Jacksonville would be broken down into development areas, Urban Priority Area, Urban Area, Suburban Area and Rural Area. These areas would be used in the equation to assess a mobility fee on new development. The equation would multiply cost per vehicle mile traveled (VMT) by the VMT per zone by average daily trips.

The plan also includes a five-year schedule of improvements and would differ from how the

Fair Share program utilizes the money.

“We would not collect a little money and spread it out to a lot of projects,” said Killingsworth. “We would collect a pocket of money and use that for a priority project and get that project finished before moving on to the next project.”

Killingsworth was limited on time for his presentation because a “shade” meeting was schedule for the City Council meeting on Tuesday, but Committee Chair Daniel Davis felt it wouldn’t be the last time the director would be called to speak.

“We are going to have a lot of discussion about this on all levels coming up,” said Davis.

The Committee also received a brief report from Bob Simpson, senior director of Cecil Field, regarding the status of Alenia, North America.

“Great trip to meet with the CEO of Alenia North America,” said Simpson. “If they get funding from the government, they committed that they would be located in Jacksonville.”

This was in response to Davis’ comments that there had been rumors that a North Carolina site had “gotten its foot in the door.”

“One of the last questions we asked was, ‘Are you committed to Jacksonville,’” said Davis. “They looked us in the eye and told us that they were committed to Jacksonville and that was pretty strong.”

http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=530236

[Charles Hunter]

Didn't the TPO just complete a transportation plan going out to 2035?  A plan that includes Commuter Rail, BRT (light), and Street Cars?  Wonder if the City will pay any attention to it?  http://www.northfloridatpo.com/envision2035/

[thelakelander]

It would make sense for the city too.  This stuff will have to eventually go before the DCA.  Let's just hope a few of those mass transit projects end up in the 5 year priority list.  After all, this is supposed to be a multimodal plan and we can't pave our way out of congestion or into sustainability.

[tufsu1]

The City (and its consultants) did include many of the projects from the TPO LRTP

[CS Foltz]

Well keep JTA & FDOT out of the consulting end and maybe......just maybe something will happen! I don't cound on the City to do much of anything other than waste Millions just one more time! Lip service to the masses is real cheap but when it comes time to do something or maybe plan or maybe actually form a plan or a vision........forget it!

[tufsu1]

yes CS...once again you are right.....the City's mobility plan is another example of "no plan, no vision"!

[CS Foltz]

tufsu............"City's mobility Plan" has no rail integrated does it? There is no full comprehensive mix of transportation options to select from is there? There has been nothing discussed nor planned for in regarding funding for said plan and before you say it............no more taxes unless expenditures are cut back! Stop the waste and I would at least consider it but not before! It is past time for the taxpayers to actually take control of their government back period! Silly workshops for the Budget, the City has pushed,really nice but no one seems to have picked up on Johnny can add or delete any item ........saddled us with "Fee's" which end run the voters will and approval and I am not forgetting that........so like I said ....no vision, no plan and no cents! I am going to add........"no rail" to that rant also I think............JTA has no concept of anything other than more concrete, dummy's!

[tufsu1]

tufsu............"City's mobility Plan" has no rail integrated does it? There is no full comprehensive mix of transportation options to select from is there? There has been nothing discussed nor planned for in regarding funding for said plan and before you say it............no more taxes unless expenditures are cut back! Stop the waste and I would at least consider it but not before! It is past time for the taxpayers to actually take control of their government back period! Silly workshops for the Budget, the City has pushed,really nice but no one seems to have picked up on Johnny can add or delete any item ........saddled us with "Fee's" which end run the voters will and approval and I am not forgetting that........so like I said ....no vision, no plan and no cents! I am going to add........"no rail" to that rant also I think............JTA has no concept of anything other than more concrete, dummy's!

let me help inform you (because apparently you need it)

1. There is rail in the plan...quite a bit actually
2. There is a full range of mobility options (including sidewalks, bike lanes, roads, and transit)
3. Projects will be partially funded through developer's fair share fees (concurrency)
4. No new taxes are assumed

[Dog Walker]

TU, I thought the concurrency requirement had been eliminated in the State....or was that just a proposal?

[Ocklawaha]

let me help inform you (because apparently you need it)

1. There is rail in the plan...quite a bit actually
2. There is a full range of mobility options (including sidewalks, bike lanes, roads, and transit)
3. Projects will be partially funded through developer's fair share fees (concurrency)
4. No new taxes are assumed

This is the one with something like 90 miles of commuter rail, 5 miles of streetcar, expanded water taxi's, and bike trails etc. isn't it?

Didn't they pull the skyway off of the plan? Why?

OCKLAWAHA

[tufsu1]

TU, I thought the concurrency requirement had been eliminated in the State....or was that just a proposal?

The state requirement for transportation concurrency has been eliminated in what are known as dense urban land areas (the definition of these areas is a whole other discussion)....however, any local ordinance implementing transportation concurrency is still in effect until the local government repeals or modifies it....Jax has not done so.

Interestingly, this interpretation is not shared by many in the Legislature...their intent in passing the 2009 version of SB 360 was to eliminate transportation concurrency in these areas completely...but a little thing called home rule (state sets minimum standards, locals can be more strict) got in the way....although there is grumbling that the Legislature will try to fix that this year and Senator Bennet has pre-filed a bill (SB 1742) doing just that.

[tufsu1]

This is the one with something like 90 miles of commuter rail, 5 miles of streetcar, expanded water taxi's, and bike trails etc. isn't it?

Didn't they pull the skyway off of the plan? Why?

OCKLAWAHA

I don't know how much rail exactly is in the Mobility Plan, but it is realistic...you may be confusing it with the Vision Plans, which are purely a wish list...Lakelander may have more information on this.

[thelakelander]

The 2030 Mobility Plan currently includes 38 miles of commuter rail (all within Jax's boundaries), about 4 miles of streetcar and a 1/2 mile extension of the skyway to Atlantic Blvd.  It will be vetted this year by council so if the public really wants mass transit, we'll need to speak up and support the things that can help get us there.

[Ocklawaha]

Damn these gringo's, y'all have more plans then Carter has pills! Sometimes I REALLY miss Colombia! Hey, but don't sweat it, I shall return shortly, if but for a whiff of orchard.

Thank's guys.

OCKLAWAHA

[Dog Walker]

Hey, Ock!  Don't forget that in Colombia you are a Yankee!