Stirring A Different Conversation On Riverside/Avondale

[Metro Jacksonville]

Stirring A Different Conversation On Riverside/Avondale



An application for Mellow Mushroom in Avondale will go before the Planning Commission today at 5pm.  This development along with several other commercial infill projects over the past two years has created a firestorm of community concern in the Riverside Avondale Historic District.  The hyperbole has been senseless.  The personal attacks are demeaning and unnecessary.  The politics have been disconcerting.  The controversy surrounding these developments has underscored the need for a comprehensive transportation plan to be implemented within the District.  That plan is long overdue and arbitrarily limiting infill development does nothing but kick the proverbial can down the road.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2012-sep-stirring-a-different-conversation-on-riversideavondale

[peestandingup]

The city clearly doesn't know how to build on a pedestrian scale, anywhere. With every new development, road improvements, etc, even the historic district's shopping/restaurant/entertainment areas are starting to resemble the suburbs. Upper Main in Springfield is a highway now (oh, with plenty of parking!), Avondale with its ugly elongated rows upon rows of drive up parking, Riverside not being much better at this, and San Marco square (and surrounding area) is looking more like a strip mall every year it seems.

That all wouldn't be so bad if there were some kind of bike network, transit, etc that promoted ANYTHING besides arriving there via automobile, but there isn't that either. So this article is spot on.

[ubben]

There is virtually no bicycle parking in the Shoppes of Avondale. No public racks. None. Why haven't the Merchants of Avondale Association addressed this one easy solution? It's the least they could do.

[Ocklawaha]

Even at our 'highly successful' St. Johns Town Center we have myriad sidewalks that lead to hedges, sidewalks that lead to lawn grass, crosswalks to nothing at all. Though the plans for STJC achieved approval, the pedestrian experience is a nightmare and when the inevitable law suits are filed, the mistakes will be costly.

[mbwright]

I especially like the SJTC, when it is hot, cold, or rainy.  Also lots of fun to go from one end to the other, such as Dick's to Target.

I think many forget that much of these areas at one time had trolleys, therefore not need for parking spaces.  Walkable areas are so much nicer.  Much of europe, and dense cities are much easier without a car.  Very challenging in Jacksonville.

[cline]

There is virtually no bicycle parking in the Shoppes of Avondale. No public racks. None. Why haven't the Merchants of Avondale Association addressed this one easy solution? It's the least they could do.

There are 3 racks that I know of at the Shoppes- one in front of The Green Alligator, one across the street in front of Synergy Studio or whatever it's called and one next to Monty's.  I think they should put another large bike rack in one of the parking stalls as well.

On the pedestrian safety issue.  I noticed that they have recently installed the stop for pedestrians signs on Riverside at St. Vincent's.  It baffles me as to why these have not been installed yet in Avondale.  It's a no-brainer with all the pedestrian activity. 

[Captain Zissou]

Great article Mike.  This is an issue with or without MM coming to the neighborhood.  The parking supply is not lacking, it's the parking planning and management that is lacking.  With a relatively low capital expenditure, the city could take the Shops and the neighborhood as a whole to the next level by improving the pedestrian experience and better connecting existing parking supply to the the end user's destination.

[Bike Jax]

We at Bike Jax have been working to solve the bike parking issues and solutions suggested above. There is a newly created bicycle subcommittee for the RAP transportation board that met for the first time this week, and the suggestions above were discussed as the most needed features of the transportation issues with Riverside and Avondale.

We recently have had bicycle racks designed and built with the sole purpose of installing Bike Corrals within the entire urban. A bike corral is simply taking one on-street parking space and converting it into a bicycle parking. The advantage is that where you could park one car, you can now park 12 to 18 bikes depending on the size of the space. This is a win for any business that has a corral in front of it and also benefits those near it. The corrals open up store front space so that those businesses are completely visible from the road level, they also have the advantage of 12 to 18 possible customers coming from a space that formally allowed for one potential customer. We have a number of business owners that have already signed up requesting a bike corral.


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Placing bicycle parking on the street also opens up what are already too narrow sidewalks for pedestrian use. It also has the added benefits of drivers seeing bicycles on the street, which makes them more aware of cyclists presents on the road.

We had our own racks designed because it was less than half the cost of ordering and shipping mass produced racks. The biggest advantage to doing this is that all moneys for the bike racks from manufacturing to installation stay in the urban core and we could not get anymore "support local business" than we have. On a side note since it doesn't pertain to Riverside; Any spaces converted to bike corrals with metered parking, they will be painted white and made a donation point for pretty much any charity, and/or future bicycle infrastructure.

The racks we have designed are stronger, more functional and better built than anything on the market. They are available in single (2 bikes) triple (6 Bikes) and sextet (12 bikes), all 3 can be utilized together to make any length of rack needed.
We are working right now on placement and installation specifications for not only the Bike Corrals, but for placement on the property of private businesses. In the 5 years of Bike Jax's existence, we have not found a single properly installed bike rack anywhere within the borders of this city. Not one! We aim to change that. If bike racks are not functional or secure in design and placement they will not be used.

[tayana42]

The problem begins with the fact that Jacksonville City Council has waived the Mobility Fee so there is no money available to do any of these projects. 

So the starting point to solutions is to lobby your council member to end the waiver of the Mobility Fee. 

[Actionville]

Total aside, but why are there still no real bike racks at the stadium? It's not that bad chaining it to the fence, but still.

[dougskiles]

Brilliant article.  I hope you don't mind if I steal all of these ideas...

[tufsu1]

Total aside, but why are there still no real bike racks at the stadium? It's not that bad chaining it to the fence, but still.

there are a few bike racks on the north side of the stadium...near the ticket booth area

[mtraininjax]

parking lots behind commercial buildings throughout the district could be better utilize to resolve the area's parking distribution problem.

Nice idea, but it is still private parking, how do you pay for parking on a private lot? Someone needs to pay.

when the inevitable law suits are filed, the mistakes will be costly.

WLA and all its lawyers have this covered! 

[AJpoto]

I like the idea of the "Trolly" running until 11:00pm or midnight.  Have it loop from The Shoppes at Avondale, through CORK and 5 Points past The Landing to the bar district around The Florida Theatre.  Charge a nominal fee of 2 dollars per person to keep vagrants off and find businesses to give discounts to riders to offset costs and increase demand. 

[If_I_Loved_you]

parking lots behind commercial buildings throughout the district could be better utilize to resolve the area's parking distribution problem.

Nice idea, but it is still private parking, how do you pay for parking on a private lot? Someone needs to pay.

when the inevitable law suits are filed, the mistakes will be costly.

WLA and all its lawyers have this covered! 

“It is the trade of lawyers to question everything, yield nothing, and to talk by the hour”
Thomas Jefferson