Why Monroe Street Should Not be Rebuilt

[Ocklawaha]

The Temple of Artemis (DIANA) at Ephesus.


Complete with a temple court, the most beautiful prostitutes in the ancient world.


Temple Moran in Jacksonville.


Complete with a golden statue of Judge Moran...

Hey, why do the Greeks get the hookers and all we get is a few hundred tons of gold?

OCKLAWAHA

[Ocklawaha]

Imagine, Jacksonville looking like the 3rd World!

OCKLAWAHA

[Charles Hunter]

Lake - are you talking about shared bike/bus lanes, or widening the streets to handle both?  Do you know if JTA is planning on widening the streets anyway?  I've heard that the big cost in making downtown streets wider is in redoing the drainage.

[thelakelander]

On Monroe/Pearl, the travelway realm looks to be around 40' wide, which is pretty typical of downtown's streets.  I propose a simple restriping effort to create about 12' of space for multiuse path.  

As for Broad and Jefferson, if they are going to improve them by rebuilding the sidewalks, curbs, etc. (it appears they are in the preliminary engineering plans I've seen), they have the opportunity through design to also incorporate a 4' wide bike lane on each street.  

[Charles Hunter]

Interesting.

[coredumped]

A bike path would be an awesome idea!

[TheProfessor]

I think it is obvious what should be done...I emailed city council and go no response.

[TheProfessor]

Is there an educated urban planner that is making this decision?

[Ocklawaha]

Yup! Jacksonville's bestest, he done gradgeeated the 3rd grade!

OCKLAWAHA   

[Dog Walker]

^i hope you're joking.  that sounds like just about the tackiëst thing imaginable.

KKH, Ock and I are being VERY sarcastic and criticizing the very hackneyed architecture of the new courthouse.

[PeeJayEss]

Curious if you know how this set up is working? Is it very outer lanes are for cars, 2nd row of lanes for bikes, and small inner rows for peds? I only see cars to the very outside, and plenty of bikers in the 2nd rows of lanes (which appear about car lane sized). Can't tell if its bikers or walkers in the very middle (I'm seeing at least 5 lane areas). Regardless, thats a pretty big "highway"

[mtraininjax]

I emailed city council and go no response.

Really? No kidding? I bet you live in Corrigan's district, he is worthless. But our corp offices are in Redman's and his staff did respond immediately to our corporate concern recently. Go direct to your councilperson. You'll get better results, usually, unless you are in Corrigan's district.

[KuroiKetsunoHana]

^i hope you're joking.  that sounds like just about the tackiëst thing imaginable.

KKH, Ock and I are being VERY sarcastic and criticizing the very hackneyed architecture of the new courthouse.

oh, good.  i should've realized, but i've been sick and thinking slowly.

[ronchamblin]

     Has anyone suggested allowing Monroe to have slow curve around the "north" side of the courthouse, and making Duval 2-way?  This would prevent the somewhat awkward Tee into Clay Street.  It does seem somewhat wasteful to have a large exit from I-95 abruptly Tee into a street only several blocks from I-95.  This would also satisfy some of the business owners who have been used to directing customers on a direct path down Laura to the city core.  For example Jerry Moran and me, both of us having businesses right down Monroe, may go out of business unless our customers can have a direct shoot down Monroe from I-95. 

     Seriously though.  I like the idea of the proposal to avoid having Monroe go in front of the courthouse.  That would be too much asphalt, and would give space for people and landscaping.   

[thelakelander]

Ron, how have you survived so far? Monroe has been closed the entire time the book store on Laura has been open. Besides, getting to your location from I-95 can be done using Forsyth to Laura (when the streetscape is complete). Doing so, you'll make the same amount of turns as you would using a new Monroe. The major difference is that it will cost taxpayers $2 million less.