Stockton Street Town Center

[mtraininjax]

Has anyone been on Stockton St very recently? Like this week? I live right off Stockton and theer is a red line painted down the middle of Stockton right around Gilmore St to just about Dellwood. I swear it looks like they are going to add a median right in the middle of Stockton and plant some palm trees. Now while that would be cool looking, its going to create some real traffic issues, especially in the morning and afternoon rush hours. They need to get the traffic light at Gilmore fixed so it doesn't stay red against Stockton St for so long. I have seen traffic backed up nearly to Post St in the afternoons because that dumb light stays red way, way too long. I did complain to the city about it and was told the timing system needed to be upgraded but the city didn't have the budget for it.

You can call Kenny Logsdon at the City and find out. He is in charge of these new enhancements to the neighborhoods for the City.

[johnnyroadglide]

In case anyone is interested here is a picture of the new streetlights being installed on Stockton St as part of this new project.

[Dog Walker]

But they don't help the look of that butt-ugly tangle of wires at all.

All together now:  "Underground, underground, underground!"

[A-Finnius]

But they don't help the look of that butt-ugly tangle of wires at all.

All together now:  "Underground, underground, underground!"

I agree.  I also think the lights look a little out of place.  I don't know if they are too high but something about them doesn't look right to me.  Otherwise I like the work that's been done and I am looking forward to seeing the finished product.

[Dog Walker]

Too high for sure, but they may be constrained by the number of poles on the street and how much illumination the standards call for.  There are some street level lights too.

[A-Finnius]

Too high for sure, but they may be constrained by the number of poles on the street and how much illumination the standards call for.  There are some street level lights too.

You're right,  I noticed the street level lights last night on my way back from Carmines. Very Nice.  I had missed those previously.

[simms3]

Ok, so does it strike anyone as odd that we didn't bury the lines as we tore up the street?  Ah, we have big trees and big thunderstorms and tropical weather.  Someone in charge of this project should be fired.  I'm serious.  If you're going to tear up a street, it should be mandatory to bury lines.  Especially in Florida.

[Timkin]

Simms this is Jacksonville.   Did you really think they would get something right the first time? <sarcasm>

[cline]

Ok, so does it strike anyone as odd that we didn't bury the lines as we tore up the street?  Ah, we have big trees and big thunderstorms and tropical weather.  Someone in charge of this project should be fired.  I'm serious.  If you're going to tear up a street, it should be mandatory to bury lines.  Especially in Florida.

It has more to do with the fact that JEA is cheap.  I'm sure there wasn't nearly enough budget in this project to bury the lines.  However, JEA could have stepped up and done it in conjunction. 

[mrmakersmark]

Ok, so does it strike anyone as odd that we didn't bury the lines as we tore up the street?  Ah, we have big trees and big thunderstorms and tropical weather.  Someone in charge of this project should be fired.  I'm serious.  If you're going to tear up a street, it should be mandatory to bury lines.  Especially in Florida.

Simms, pay more taxes and then maybe JEA or 'whoever is in charge of this project' could afford to bury the lines.  If the citizens of Jax want to keep on living in the lowest tax city in the southeast, then you get what you DON'T pay for!

[Kay]

Ok, so does it strike anyone as odd that we didn't bury the lines as we tore up the street?  Ah, we have big trees and big thunderstorms and tropical weather.  Someone in charge of this project should be fired.  I'm serious.  If you're going to tear up a street, it should be mandatory to bury lines.  Especially in Florida.

It has more to do with the fact that JEA is cheap.  I'm sure there wasn't nearly enough budget in this project to bury the lines.  However, JEA could have stepped up and done it in conjunction. 

JEA told us it would cost $500,000 just to bury the lines on one block between College and Myra.  So... while I think that is crazy talk, we definitely didn't have enough money to bury the lines.  We had less than $800,000 for the entire project.

And Simms, I believe it is you who has written letters to the editor about improving Jacksonville and one of your points is that historic districts should allow contemporary infill.  Somehow, I don't think that is what is holding Jacksonville back.  And you are assuming the historic preservation organizations are opposed to contemporary infill.  Have you asked them if that is the case?  The JHPC rules on new development in historic districts.  In the past, I believe the problem has been scale and not design.

[Fallen Buckeye]

And how much does it cost to send crews out to trim back the trees and to repair downed lines when a storm comes? I'm sure it doesn't completely offset the cost of burying the lines, but that plus the asthetic benefits outweigh the costs to me.

[Bativac]

And how much does it cost to send crews out to trim back the trees and to repair downed lines when a storm comes? I'm sure it doesn't completely offset the cost of burying the lines, but that plus the asthetic benefits outweigh the costs to me.

But this is Jacksonville, master of the "patch it now then rip it up and fix it later" construction job. Spend as little as possible, then when it breaks, spend as little as possible fixing it.

Frankly, it's a miracle they're fixing Friendship Fountain. We'll see if they ever get around to re-doing that deathtrap of a Southbank Riverwalk... let alone bury power lines just because it "makes sense."

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

That is starting to ring true in many aspects of life and unfortunately technology is to blame:

"There's never time/money to do something right the first time, but there's always plenty to do it over." - Unknown

[Dog Walker]

And how much does it cost to send crews out to trim back the trees and to repair downed lines when a storm comes? I'm sure it doesn't completely offset the cost of burying the lines, but that plus the asthetic benefits outweigh the costs to me.

I heard somewhere that it only takes 14 years for the cost of underground lines to be offset by the savings in repairs and tree trimming.  Must do more research to confirm the memory, but it sounds about right.