Skyway on the Move: An exclusive thread on EXPANSION and IMPROVEMENT!

[Ocklawaha]

Okay, here is the "OFFICIAL SKYWAY EXPANSION THREAD" It's here for you to vote and comment on, and I've set it up for Skyway supporters only.

Anti Skyway tirades will be deleted.
(REASON FOR DELETING? Because we want to know your opinion on positive ideas and concepts for the little railway)

This is not to say we can't have a healthy give and take on the positive aspects of this thread, IE:  "I like this idea more because..." or "I completely disagree with that plan or concept because..."

I'm also going to bend a bit and allow reposting of pertinent posts from the past, if you think you've got a post or drawing/map/or diagram that qualifies lets dig it our and try it on our fresh audience.

Have fun and let's do the work for them! And remember Uncle Ock is watching, so don't try and spoil the party.


OCKLAWAHA

[Yossarianlives]

If it ran to the stadium it could make parking for games so much cheaper and eliminate some congestion getting out of big events.  Lets hope they do something, anything, with it!

[Captain Zissou]

If option1 is done well, it could generate serious revenue.  I think ground floor retail (sandwich shops, coffee shops, small convenience type stores) is absolutely necessary to take the Skyway to the next level.  
For some reason, Jax is so averse to pocket retail spaces downtown.  You could put 3 on the courthouse plaza, one in Hemming, one in the main street homeless restroom, multiple on the river walk, and dozens all around the skyway stations.  Little 600 foot or less food stands, coffee stands, or news stands.  They get people out on the streets, they meet a need, and they generate revenue for the city with existing infrastructure.

Anyway, reinvest the revenue from step 1 to help fund a line to San Marco and then later to the stadium.  I'd like to see the skyway run down Bay to the sports complex.  The street car can use Monroe to reach the complex to the North.

[RWNeal]

I'm for a combo of the following:
1. Expansion to Riverside and Sports Complex. Consider other expansions as these two routes prove successful.
2. Advertising would be great (wraps, framed posters/signage a la metros and subways).
3. Retail concessions in stations.
4. I could also possibly be sold on an expansion northwards to Shands.

Not totally sold on the following:
1. San Marco/FEC expansion. At least not for a while - as long as that huge garage on King sits empty.
2. Longer trains. When the success of the expanded Skyway shows a need, sure. Immediately? No.

[iMarvin]

I choose option 1 and 3 because that brings in more revenue and the skyway should go to the stadium.

[tufsu1]

I'd rather spend about $25 million on expanding the skyway and use the remaining $75 million to build streetcar.

Alternatively, spend the money retrofitting the skyway system to allow streetcars to use it.

[iMarvin]

I'd rather spend about $25 million on expanding the skyway and use the remaining $75 million to build streetcar.

Alternatively, spend the money retrofitting the skyway system to allow streetcars to use it.

I really think we should finish the skyway before we invest in anything else. It really won't help to build a streetcar to go all the places the skyway should go(ex. Five Points, Shands). That will KILL the little ridership that the skyway has.

[jandar]

Skyway needs to extend to the stadium, into San Marco (maybe to Kings/Atlantic?) and into Riverside (Five Points station???).

That will interconnect the core better than streetcars and buses.

[Jason]

I'm with the majority here.  Expand to the stadium with stops along the way (including a terminus loop encircling the stadium for rapid service of football fans, perhaps a mini station at each gate built right into the stadium).  This would allow a secondary stop at the ballpark/arena to act as the terminus serving the sports complex when there are no activities at the stadium.

IMO, linking the sports district (in addition to implementing option 1) would really work wonders with reviving the system's appeal to the average suburbanite therefore increasing the support for expansions into San Marco and Brooklyn.

[jcjohnpaint]

Personally I feel the the most expensive portions are existing.  Expand the skyway to Riverside, San Marco, Stadium, and Springfield and see how much things will improve.  I agree that the streetcar does not seem like a fix and the skyway must be completed. 

[JeffreyS]

I said the Stadium hoping that would get San Marco and Riverside to demand they be connected.

[JeffreyS]

For the record Streetcar before skyway expansion.

[iMarvin]

For the record Streetcar before skyway expansion.

If there is a streetcar built before the skyway gets built out, the chances of it ever being expanded will be VERY little. A streetcar would be nice, but we should finish what we started first.

[JeffreyS]

All the modes should complement the other.  So adding streetcar makes the skyway more useful and makes the expansion more useful and therefor more doable. The Mobility plan already has streetcar approved for St. Vincents to Shands via the Landing and Sports complex. Lets go with the Bird in the hand.  I also feel once any other neighborhood gets fixed rail transit San Marco will demand they get theirs and have the clout to get it.

[dougskiles]

First of all, there is no way we need to spend $100 million.

We should be able to sell sponsorship rights for the stations and wraps on the trains to cover the cost of those improvements - or at least a big chunk of it.

Converting the stations into retail space would be paid for by the developer.  A long term lease is all we need to entice developers to make the improvements and then sublet the space to retailers.  JTA's return would be increaesed ridership.  This was the basic premise for the hotel at Kings Avenue, and it appears to be working.

As we discussed before, new TOD's along the way pay for portions of the expansion into San Marco, probably through Tax Increment Financing (TIF).

All of these fall into our new mayor's plan of Public Private Partnerships.