10-95 Merger

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

I'm not calling 1800 ax Gary.

Ya'll know who this is.  This is Roz.

[simms3]

Used to make this drive (17-10-95S) everyday to school and have been following it.  It seems to me that the new configuration is simply wonderful

7 lanes across!  We are getting some wide highways, heh.  I still think that 95 needs to be widened to at least 4 continuous lanes from Phillips to Southside as 3 lanes is not cutting it on a fairly busy section of highway through a major city.

Lastly, people in Jax are simply not used to wide highways and really large interchanges.  Living in a bigger city like Atlanta or Houston for a while will make Jax driving seem like a breeze, but once the roadwork is complete, signs are up, and people are used to the new configuration, it will ultimately be one of the best interchanges anyone can ask for me thinks.

[Dog Walker]

For years now people coming East on I-10 who work at BCBS or Fidelity, St. Joe, etc. have exited at Stockton, turned left on Gilmore, Ernest, Dellwood or Myra to College Street, under I-95 and right on Roselle to Riverside Ave to get to work.

HEY FOLKS!  There is now an exit at Forrest Street that will take you right on to Riverside without cutting through our neighborhood.  Much faster and smoother.  Try it!

Same route coming to 5 Point from the west.  Get off at Forrest, turn right on Park.

[Seraphs]

My first trek form I-10 heading to I-95 north I ended up inadvertently going over the Fuller Warren. 
I knew about the change, but I didn't know they were going to close the other ramp.  I don't think people are stupid necessarily, but creatures of habit.  There were about fifty cars with me making the U-turn by Baptist to head back. I agree the signs are easy to read, and the interchange makes good sense.

[9a is my backyard]

I get on I-10 at the Stockton ramp and take I-95 S to the Southside.  Ever since the new traffic pattern, it has been incredibly slow going across the Fuller Warren.  Even at 7AM on Monday morning it was bad.  I've just been taking College St. under the interstate, hopping over the Acosta and joining up with 95 from there lately.  It might not save any time but it beats the stop-n-go traffic.  Anyone else noticing the same thing?  To me it doesn't look like something that's going to change, which sucks.  There are just too many merges when both of the I-10 to I-95 sections merge and people getting on I-95 at the Park St. ramp.  Damn transportation engineers...

[David]

When coming from the 17 expressway there's not much signage that indicates you need to stay right to get on 95 south.

I drove over it again tonight and paid extra close attention. You'll see one mobile d.o.t. sign "traffic pattern change ahead"  and another one of the  "pay attention to the sign" signs. Right after you come off Roosevelt expressway the first thing you see to your left is a massive 95 S sign.

You pass Stockton, then another large sign pointing to destinations downtown and THEN you finally see a small sign off to the right pointing towards 95 south. (the same one we've already been taking I thought)


So, how about more 95S signage for those on Roosevelt heading to the connector. Make one of those light-brights flash off some useful information.

[Timkin]

I'm not calling 1800 ax Gary.

Its NOT ax!  Its  Aks!  1-800-AKS-Gary!

[Dog Walker]

I get on I-10 at the Stockton ramp and take I-95 S to the Southside.  Ever since the new traffic pattern, it has been incredibly slow going across the Fuller Warren.  Even at 7AM on Monday morning it was bad.  I've just been taking College St. under the interstate, hopping over the Acosta and joining up with 95 from there lately.  It might not save any time but it beats the stop-n-go traffic.  Anyone else noticing the same thing?  To me it doesn't look like something that's going to change, which sucks.  There are just too many merges when both of the I-10 to I-95 sections merge and people getting on I-95 at the Park St. ramp.  Damn transportation engineers...

Agree that this is a pain especially since the two right lanes disappear into the San Marco exit at the bottom of the bridge.

However, I don't think they could have done any better without taking out major hunks of the neighborhoods on both sides of the river.  They had to work within the footprint that they had.

[stjr]

When coming from the 17 expressway there's not much signage that indicates you need to stay right to get on 95 south.

I drove over it again tonight and paid extra close attention. You'll see one mobile d.o.t. sign "traffic pattern change ahead"  and another one of the  "pay attention to the sign" signs.  Right after you come off of the 17 expressway the first thing you see to your left is a massive 95 SOUTH sign, about 6 lanes over to the left, with an oncoming barricade splitting 95 south and north.

You pass Stockton, then another large sign pointing to destinations downtown and THEN you finally see a small sign off to the right pointing towards 95 south. (the same one we've already been taking already I thought)


So, how about more 95 south signage for those on Roosevelt heading to the connector. Make one of those light-brights flash off some useful information.

Sometimes one wonders if FDOT engineers ever drive their own roads.  Their standards for contractors closing lanes are also often woefully inadequate with short advance notice and lane mergers for the "actual" speeds involved.

I am sure if FDOT worked harder at better, more, and further advanced signage on our roads, even more accidents could be avoided and traffic would flow far better.  I will say that road departments across the U.S. share this same affliction.  Engineers seem so wrapped up in their projects that they forget that many of the users of their inventions don't get where they are "coming from" as quickly as they do.  (It's the same flaw one sees in using lots of software written by entrenched programmers.)

[tufsu1]

stjr....while FDOT is far from perfect, suggesting they work harder at better, more, advanced signage is crazy....as it is, Department staff and consultants spend hundreds of hours working on signing and marking plans as well as Maintenance of Traffic (MOT) plans necessary during construction.

I would suggest that the majority of the fault here lies in an apathetic public that does not pay attention to the news (this was in the paper, on the radio, and on TV for several days before it happened)....and people that do everything else besides watching the road while driving.  

[stjr]

stjr....while FDOT is far from perfect, suggesting they work harder at better, more, advanced signage is crazy....as it is, Department staff and consultants spend hundreds of hours working on signing and marking plans as well as Maintenance of Traffic (MOT) plans necessary during construction.

I would suggest that the majority of the fault here lies in an apathetic public that does not pay attention to the news (this was in the paper, on the radio, and on TV for several days before it happened)....and people that do everything else besides watching the road while driving.  

Tufsu, from what I can tell, a significant portion of our population doesn't follow the news, at least regularly.  I think MJ posters are far more informed and engaged than most of the general public.  Maybe if FDOT posted traffic advisories on Facebook and Twitter, they would reach a lot more of that less informed public!    (Of course, I would miss those alerts being a non-social media user.)

As to the effort on signage, I am was intending to suggest they work "smarter", not "harder".  Sorry for the confusion.

[Dog Walker]

Three groups of professionals who are under-appreciated for the millions of lives they have saved (IMHO) are vaccine makers, plumbers and traffic engineers.  Especially the guy who invented the little reflector "eyes" that lanes are marked with.

[CS Foltz]

JTA wants advertising........who is going to read it? This is assuming people can read.....of course!

[Timkin]

* can read

[Jaxson]

stjr....while FDOT is far from perfect, suggesting they work harder at better, more, advanced signage is crazy....as it is, Department staff and consultants spend hundreds of hours working on signing and marking plans as well as Maintenance of Traffic (MOT) plans necessary during construction.

I would suggest that the majority of the fault here lies in an apathetic public that does not pay attention to the news (this was in the paper, on the radio, and on TV for several days before it happened)....and people that do everything else besides watching the road while driving. 

Tufsu, from what I can tell, a significant portion of our population doesn't follow the news, at least regularly.  I think MJ posters are far more informed and engaged than most of the general public.  Maybe if FDOT posted traffic advisories on Facebook and Twitter, they would reach a lot more of that less informed public!     (Of course, I would miss those alerts being a non-social media user.)

As to the effort on signage, I am was intending to suggest they work "smarter", not "harder".  Sorry for the confusion.

I don't blame folks for not watching like local news like we used to.  Gone are the days of the crusading journalists who spoke truth to power.  Instead, we have invisible focus groups that demand:
-Traffic and weather take up the first five minutes of the newscast
-Happy talk and fake banter eat up another five minutes
-World and national news stories soak up five minutes (What are you, CNN?)
-Sports and more fake banter use five more minutes
-Celebrity gossip, corporate PR b-rolls and useless 'news of the weird' waste the rest of the time.

And don't get me started on the error-ridden morning news on the local stations.  I find myself watching 'Married, With Children' reruns while a read the newspaper and eat breakfast.

That said, commuters should know better.  They could:
-Go online for the latest construction news (metrojacksonville.com)
-Take a practice commute on the weekend when there is less stress
-Leave for work a few minutes early to commute smoothly
-Repeat steps as necessary, finding new alternate routes if applicable...