Monster Truck Show means DT traffic problems Sat

[urbanlibertarian]

From TU:

http://jacksonville.com/news/2010-02-26/story/monster_trucks_will_create_traffic_headaches_in_jacksonville

The Monster Jam will create a monster traffic jam in downtown Jacksonville Saturday afternoon and evening.

But police want the estimated 72,000 fans who come to Jacksonville Municipal Stadium to know there are ways to ease the pain.

While the popular event officially starts at 7:30 p.m., parking lots open at 9 a.m., monster truck rides start at noon and the “Pit Party” in Lot D starts at 2 p.m. So come early but expect the worst, with “extremely heavy” traffic coming in on Interstates 10 and 95, plus Bay, Forsyth and Union streets.

“We are asking the public to take an alternate route â€" Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway,” said Sgt. Leonard Propper of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.  “You can exit on Jessie or Eighth streets and get to Talleyrand and it brings you right up to a lot of parking, and its very close to the stadium.”

Sixteen of the 1,500- to 2,000-horse power racing trucks are expected to speed up and over the dirt laid atop the Jacksonville Jaguars’ field. Included will be motorcycle jumps and Democross racing.

Despite the ongoing state repaint job, the Hart Bridge will be open for incoming and outgoing traffic. Signs to point drivers to parking areas have been posted in 15 spots around downtown on the interstates. As with football games, Bay Street will be westbound only after the show, all lanes coned off.

On top of the $10 to $30 ticket prices, expect to pay an average $20 per vehicle to park in the city lots around the stadium and the private lots nearby. That’s cash only. There is no shuttle service from satellite parking areas this year.

As for safety with a crowd larger than most football games, Propper said to “keep your kids close to you” and have a designated driver if you plan to partake of alcohol.

Jacksonville.com will publish traffic updates during the afternoon and evening, while the Sheriff’s Office’s Twitter site at “JSOPIO”-#monstertruck” will do the same.

[urbanlibertarian]

Does this event help or hurt DT businesses?

[Keith-N-Jax]

Should help. I am sure some will linger. Never hurts when an event draws that many people DT.

[reednavy]

Anyone want to guesstimate the amount of confederate flag crap downtown tomorrow?

[urbanlibertarian]

I would think Maverick's would be having an after party.

[Charles Hunter]

Throw into the mix about 3000 for the "Wizard of Oz" and around 1800 for the Symphony, both at the TU Center, and parking and eating DT will be a real challenge.

[reednavy]

Yet JTA has no shuttle buses for the truck show, damn shame.

[Keith-N-Jax]

Well half of the fans going to the truck show will be riding in the back of pick up trucks so it doesnt matter.

[Bostech]

Ok here is a plan,take two cars,drive one to DT day early and park it then next day have someone drop you off at event and when you are done take parked car back home.
Problem solved.

[Jerry Moran]

Does this event help or hurt DT businesses?

Media coverage like that from the T-U does nothing to assuage the public's fear of visiting downtown.  Based on my experience with the last Monster Truck production, traffic is not a problem west of Market St, but, the local media's sensational coverage puts the final nail in the coffin for other downtown businesses and activities.

It reminds me of the mid 1980's when I had a big restaurant on Wells Road in Orange Park.  Back then, the Buckman Bridge was 2 lanes both ways, with an inadequate emergency lane. A lot of our patronage came from the other side of the bridge.  During the spring and summer, and at minimum, 3 days out of the week, a "tornado warning" for the area around the bridge would be issued by local news services at 5:30 PM.  Minutes later, the phone would ring off the hook with reservation cancellations.  Of course, the sun was out and the tornado never arrived.  I took my old friend, Mike Crew to task, who at the time, was the news director for Channel 17.  His apology was that "The network has an obligation to report a severe weather warning, just to be safe."  Yeah, just like those damned bomb scares we have every few months, that turn out to be a bag full of some bum's crusty drawers.

Well, thanks for the warning, T-U.  After a pretty good week, La Cena does not currently have a single reservation booked for Saturday night.  We had a fair amount of Saturday bookings earlier in the week, but they were canceled one by one, which I'm sure is due to the Monster Truck Traffic Jam Hysteria.  Last week, we did almost 2 turns on Saturday night.  The reality is that on Saturday night, Laura Street, in spite of Monster Truck,  will be very accessible, and there is plenty of on street parking, as there is no parking enforcement after 5 PM.  

Storm season will be here in a few weeks, and so will come the flooding.  The media will begin to recite one of it's favorite mantras: downtown is flooded, downtown is flooded.  Well, my area of downtown does not flood, and as long as I've been here, has not lost electric service.  San Marco floods, but San Marco is not downtown, anymore than a murder that is committed at 33rd. and Pearl is a downtown crime.

This all goes on year after year, while Downtown Vision Incorporated applies promotional stickers on parking meters and "bubbles" on sidewalks and mostly empty storefront windows.

[Keith-N-Jax]

I would blame the people who cancelled. Bad weather doesnt stop them from going to work does it, besides a hurricane. What would happen if the tornado did arrive and people were not warned. I wouldnt worry though about the monster truck show. 77 thou, so that many people want to watch a truck with big wheels roll over dirt. And at 10 dollars a ticket even trailer trash can afford to go.Should be exciting.

[Coolyfett]

Another reason to expand the Skyway!

[Coolyfett]

Throw into the mix about 3000 for the "Wizard of Oz" and around 1800 for the Symphony, both at the TU Center, and parking and eating DT will be a real challenge.

Parking?  SUNDAY! SUNDAY! SUNDAY! Use the Skyway and BE THERE!

[tufsu1]

Another reason to expand the Skyway!

move on...it won't happen!

[urbanlibertarian]

Spoke to Kris at Northstar Substation and Pizza last nite and he expects very good business today related to Monster Jam.

Also, the stadium shuttle busses from Prime Osborne come right past my home on their way to the stadium and i watched one go by this afternoon.  So, there may be DT shuttle service for Monster Jam.