State Road 9B Opens To Traffic

[thelakelander]

Hmm, it won't even connect with the First Coast Outer Beltway Expressway and Disney sends more goods through Savannah than they do Jax.  I wonder if that indicates that there should be an I-95 bypass highway through Waycross to connect Savannah to Orlando?

[I-10east]

Why when is something deemed to be negative on MJ (I'm not necessarily against, like eventual highways, Wal-Mart etc) It's explained in a fashion like it's only exclusive to Jax? None of those other metros don't have highways like this, right?  Every metro outside of Jax has top notch transit, right? Of course one (highways) gotta be directly against the other (urban growth) like a Holy War or something; Surely it's all that simple...oh yeah that highway is funded by the Feds anyway. It's like a pointless 'scoreboards & swimming pools vs libraries & feeding the homeless' argument. IMO it's kinda hypocritical to complain about Jax's 'lack of metro population growth' and be so anti-highway with every issue, no matter how needed the highway is; Guess what, it's those outer highways that greatly help add to the metro population!!! Who would have thunk it.... 

[SightseerLounge]

Future I-795? I wonder: Will this connect with The Outer Beltway? I thought that was in some of the plans?
It should be interesting to drive on the spur!

In all seriousness, as a transportation guy, the studies supposedly demonstrated that this thing when connected to I-95 will be a reliever for container traffic coming out of the port moving south. You'll recall the JAXPORT-DISNEY deal and there could easily be a rat in the works. For me the jury is still out on this 'thing.'

IF (A big if) they had any sense at all, rather then eventual/probable duplication of FREEways from the Shands bridge and the new beltway, they would aim this thing for Greenbriar road, dodge the houses, cross the river and come back on shore  by the parkway on Fleming Island... Screw the Shands bridge and the utter destruction of Green Cove's golden property.

Maybe, something like this is a solution to the bypass of the areas that were mentioned! The tunnel would come up by Fleming Island. Who am I kidding? FLORIDA would never go for this! It's too out there. The plan for a logistics center sounds like a good idea! It sounds like a potential money maker.

The submerged tunnel concept could be used for a few river crossings because they are needed very much in this area.

[SightseerLounge]

Why when is something deemed to be negative on MJ (I'm not necessarily against, like eventual highways, Wal-Mart etc) It's explained in a fashion like it's only exclusive to Jax? None of those other metros don't have highways like this, right?  Every metro outside of Jax has top notch transit, right? Of course one (highways) gotta be directly against the other (urban growth) like a Holy War or something; Surely it's all that simple...oh yeah that highway is funded by the Feds anyway. It's like a pointless 'scoreboards & swimming pools vs libraries & feeding the homeless' argument. IMO it's kinda hypocritical to complain about Jax's 'lack of metro population growth' and be so anti-highway with every issue, no matter how needed the highway is; Guess what, it's those outer highways that greatly help add to the metro population!!! Who would have thunk it....

For me, the thing that I don't like about Jacksonville's building of highways and roads is that they don't balance that with other modes of transportation! Look at Oakleaf! There is no talk of balance with light rail, commuter rail, or even buses! They just build more roads, and they build even more subdivisions! It's crazy. It's the same for the Town Center! I could be wrong, but there seems to be no balance being planned for that area!

I know Jacksonville's not "filled in" yet, but when it gets there, this area is going to be hurting. Yeah! Other cities are not perfect, but Jacksonville has a chance to eliminate a lot of problems that they had before they pop up!

[thelakelander]

Why when is something deemed to be negative on MJ (I'm not necessarily against, like eventual highways, Wal-Mart etc) It's explained in a fashion like it's only exclusive to Jax? None of those other metros don't have highways like this, right?  Every metro outside of Jax has top notch transit, right? Of course one (highways) gotta be directly against the other (urban growth) like a Holy War or something; Surely it's all that simple...oh yeah that highway is funded by the Feds anyway. It's like a pointless 'scoreboards & swimming pools vs libraries & feeding the homeless' argument. IMO it's kinda hypocritical to complain about Jax's 'lack of metro population growth' and be so anti-highway with every issue, no matter how needed the highway is; Guess what, it's those outer highways that greatly help add to the metro population!!! Who would have thunk it.... 

Well, we are called Metro JACKSONVILLE, lol.  Yes, there are a ton of crazy things going on across the country but the primarily focus of this site is our own community.  Why wouldn't you want discussion on how to become a more fiscally sustainable community in the future?

Also, why would you think that one needs to invest billions in slicing new highways all across virgin soil to have growth?  There's several examples out there where investing in your community's Quality-Of-Life offerings (ex. schools, parks, libraries, residents, etc.) has led to healthy growth.

[I-10east]

I don't even have a problem with people hating highways, alot of people do; My thing is we're not the only city out with these massive road projects. Also, if our metro pop continues to be 1.3 million the next half-decade, one has to wonder why. I hear tons of people complaining about the met pop growth all of the time when those annual stats come out. Look at Austin and San Antonio everyone's favorite darlings with that 85MPH highway between those cities; I'm sure that those cities both have 24HR streetcars running every 2 minutes. *sarcasm*

[I-10east]

For me, the thing that I don't like about Jacksonville's building of highways and roads is that they don't balance that with other modes of transportation! Look at Oakleaf! There is no talk of balance with light rail, commuter rail, or even buses! They just build more roads, and they build even more subdivisions! It's crazy. It's the same for the Town Center! I could be wrong, but there seems to be no balance being planned for that area!

I know Jacksonville's not "filled in" yet, but when it gets there, this area is going to be hurting. Yeah! Other cities are not perfect, but Jacksonville has a chance to eliminate a lot of problems that they had before they pop up!

The Town Center has a JTA bus going out there, not sure about the wait time or whatever. No denying there should be a better balance between urban transit, and out-lying road projects, but that highway was funded federally. If 9B was a JTA project, I would agree with you 100 percent.

[thelakelander]

I don't even have a problem with people hating highways, alot of people do; My thing is we're not the only city out with these massive road projects. Also, if our metro pop continues to be 1.3 million the next half-decade, one has to wonder why. I hear tons of people complaining about the met pop growth all of the time when those annual stats come out. Look at Austin and San Antonio everyone's favorite darlings with that 8OMPH highway between those cities; I'm sure that those cities both have 24HR streetcars running every 2 minutes. *sarcasm*

I don't hate highways or roads.  I'm just not a fan of those that will never cover their costs economically indirectly.  As for Austin and San Antonio both have made the revitalization of the core areas high priorities.  Austin has gone as far as to implement a hyrbid commuter rail system with local dollars.  San Antonio is attempting to bring back streetcars and their riverwalk is a great example of utilizing an existing blighted asset as an anchor for overall redevelopment. It would not hurt us to utilize some of their successful revitalization concepts and strategies in our own urban core.

[spuwho]

I-795 will serve a larger purpose as the Overland Bridge project ramps up and the follow up work to reconstruct 95 between 295 and Emerson immediately follows (which includes the much fumbled JTB exit plan)

Through east coast traffic will not have navigate the lane shifting in what will be a extended construction zone for the next 4-6 years through the Southside.

While the Cross Road bridge should rightfully make people cynical, hopefully when it does develop, it will produce the needed fuel stations which create gas tax revenues for said roads.

While it is somewhat great that they "future proofed" I-795 with a standby third lane, there was no such planning on I-295 between JTB and Merrill. Any third lanes there WILL require major bridge modifications.

They actually changed the scope of I-795 a little to reduce some of the costs before they broke ground. The interchange with 295 was originally supposed to have 795 doing a total fly over with pyloned bridges and treating 295 traffic as the "ramped" yield.  Instead they put the southbound lanes on an urban style flyover with tile lined infill. Then they turned 795 north into the ramped yield and kept 295 the primary.

While I don't think roads will be going away anytime soon, now is a good time to educate people that economic development is not solely based on the extension or creation of major new roads. Yes, they are important, but there are other paths to development.

[Ocklawaha]

Hmm, it won't even connect with the First Coast Outer Beltway Expressway and Disney sends more goods through Savannah than they do Jax.  I wonder if that indicates that there should be an I-95 bypass highway through Waycross to connect Savannah to Orlando?

Won't connect with the Outer Beltway is exactly right, but if they're going to build that thing in Clay and St. Johns my feelings are they are taking it WAY too far south. If your going to commit to doing it, get it through Flemming Island and the area of 210/Greenbriar while you still have the chance.

Killing any runway expansion at the old Lee Field by wrapping a FREEway around it is a horrible waste of pre-existing infrastructure. It really amounts to a group of brain dead people with maps and markers and Clay County being clueless about the opportunity they have sat on since 1963.

Maybe you missed this Lake?

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Governor Rick Scott made a big announcement Tuesday morning at JaxPort.

Walt Disney products, toys and souvenirs, are now coming through JaxPort. Almost 75 percent of their toys and souvenirs to be exact.

Mickey Mouse, Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown and Lt. Governor Jennifer Carroll were in also in attendance at the early morning press conference.

Disney originally was importing all of these products through Savannah, Ga.

SOURCE: Submitted by Claire Simms, Reporter
Tuesday, June 19th, 2012, 6:25pm, FIRST COAST NEWS
http://downtownjax.firstcoastnews.com/news/news/80294-disney-moves-imports-jaxport

i'm just speculating, but as any 'Lakelander' already knows, what Disney wants - Disney gets. As for the Savannah-Waycross-Disney interstate... don't put anything past the RAT.    Watch AAF open that Cocoa station! Disney Cruise Lines, I'd bet money on it. Sorry but man you shouldn't give those @#$#%@$#!  such an idea as a direct interstate of their own. I can just see it now, 'THE MICKEY TURNPIKE' $75 dollars each way - but you get a set of plastic ears at the toll booth. The way I see it, there may be a lot of voices in that smoke filled room. Hanjin? Tripac? MOL? etc. SOMETHING made a Jaxport spokesperson comment that it was 'container traffic.'

[SightseerLounge]

I drove on I-795 yesterday, and it was like going back in time to 2003-2004 when I-295 was being finished around the south end from Baymeadows to I-95! I can't lie: It was fun being able to say that I drove on a "brand new" highway! Hahahahaha! It was smart to make the roadway six lanes. "They" finally got that right. Is it possible to make something from that area toward the beaches? That has to be done.

[tufsu1]

I-795 will serve a larger purpose as the Overland Bridge project ramps up and the follow up work to reconstruct 95 between 295 and Emerson immediately follows (which includes the much fumbled JTB exit plan)

Through east coast traffic will not have navigate the lane shifting in what will be a extended construction zone for the next 4-6 years through the Southside.

awesome...let's make it easier for people to avoid our urban core

[fsquid]

I-795 will serve a larger purpose as the Overland Bridge project ramps up and the follow up work to reconstruct 95 between 295 and Emerson immediately follows (which includes the much fumbled JTB exit plan)

Through east coast traffic will not have navigate the lane shifting in what will be a extended construction zone for the next 4-6 years through the Southside.

awesome...let's make it easier for people to avoid our urban core

how does 9B help people avoid the inner core?

[tufsu1]

^ I think the post I quoted makes that clear

[spuwho]

^ I think the post I quoted makes that clear

I wasn't thinking of urban avoidance...it was more of maintaining traffic flow while 95/Overland and beyond goes through a major refurbishment.

I-95 is more than about Jacksonville, its a vital east coast arterial supporting the transport of public and commerce.