FDOT finds $120 million: Fuller Warren to be widened

[ChriswUfGator]

Needless to say, the community objected much the same as the Riverside community seems to be objecting to this proposal.

hahaha, I don't see the Riverside community jumping up and down condemning this, yet. I don't see anyone but a handful on this board protesting the events.

Like a previous post said, if the FDOT does not spend the 120 million here, in jobs, work and business, they will spend it elsewhere, and they believe it will relieve congestion, and something needs to be done to help the poor residents of Orange Park and Middleburg get onto Blanding faster than trying to weave their way over across multiple lanes of traffic to get on US 17 south. Its a great game of Frogger in its current state! 

You are wrong, the Riverside community has already begun to jump up and down and say no more.  The RAP board approved a transportation strategic plan that includes no more highway expansion next to our neighborhood.  We researched the long term TPO plan to see if there was anything on the horizon that would affect us and there was not.  This is a complete surprise. 

How do residents assist in supporting you on this? This plan is terrible, there is a) no real need for the expansion, the backup comes from the overland bridge on the San Marco side, not from this section of it, and b) with 17 and 95 the way it is now, they've taken enough property in riverside for highways already.

I'd asked Kay how residents can help support killing this project back on December 12, but perhaps it slipped through the cracks. So I'll ask again: I think it is unnecessary and destructive, how do residents help support RAP in killing this project?

[tufsu1]

http://www.riversideavondale.org/index.php?id=255

[Kay]

http://www.riversideavondale.org/index.php?id=255

Step one Chris is to email FDOT and City Council members and State legislators your opposition.  The link tufsu included provides the information. 

[grimss]

From RAP's email today:

ACTION NEEDED! FDOT Only Allows Public Comments to December 31!

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has recently proposed an approximately $136M project that would widen the Fuller Warren Bridge. The project also contains two other parts that would build a flyover ramp for westbound traffic on I-10 to US 17 (Roosevelt) and create/modify lanes on I-10 eastbound from the Stockton Street exit through the ramp onto I-95 southbound. A rough graphic representation of the proposed project is available and can be viewed here. However, FDOT has not provided any more detailed information about the proposed project, which is estimated to take three years to construct.

The Riverside Avondale Historic District, the Riverside Arts Market, the Artist Walk extension of the Riverwalk, Riverside Park, and North Riverside will all likely be impacted. We do not yet know how much additional right of way will be necessary, what specific buildings and/or homes will need to be demolished, or the extent of negative impacts of construction on our neighborhood. We have significant concerns related to the process and potential effects of the project itself that should be addressed BEFORE the proposed project is funded or approved:

We encourage you to contact the FDOT District 2 Secretary Greg Evans at: Greg.Evans@dot.state.fl.us by December 31, 2013 to voice your concerns about the FDOT's failure to follow normal and best planning practices and the potential negative impacts of this proposed project. See below for talking points on the failure in the process and the negative impacts of this project. There should be additional opportunities for public input, but they will likely occur after the project has been funded.

It is also important that your local elected officials hear our concerns. District 14 Councilman Love, District 9 Councilman Jones, At-Large Councilman Lumb, and At-Large Councilman Anderson all represent the impacted area and Councilman Bishop, Councilman Brown, Councilman Carter, and Councilman Gaffney all serve on the TPO Board. They can be contacted at: JimLove@coj.net, WAJones@coj.net, RLumb@coj.net, GAnderson@coj.net, WBishop@coj.net, RBrown@coj.net, doylec@coj.net, Gaffney@coj.net

Duval Representatives Lake Ray and Reggie Fullwood serve on the Florida House of Representatives Transportation & Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee and Duval Representative Audrey Gibson serves on the Florida Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development. They can be contacted at lake.ray@myfloridahouse.gov, reggie.fullwood@myfloridahouse.gov, gibson.audrey.web@flsenate.gov.

Concerns About The Process

Lack of Notice; Lack of Proper Planning; and Lack of Meaningful Opportunity for Public Input

• FDOT has been planning the project since July, 2013 and did not announce the proposed project to the public until a meeting on December 9, 2013;
• Although the December 9, 2013 meeting was noticed as a public meeting, neither the notice nor the agenda described or identified the proposed project in any way;
• Prior to the week of December 9, 2013 FDOT did not provide any information related to the proposed project to the Mayor's Office, the Jacksonville City Council, the City of Jacksonville Planning Department, or the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization Board (TPO) responsible for approved FDOT Work Programs;
• The proposed project was not previously included in the FDOT District Two Five Year Work Program or Long-Range Plan;
• FDOT proposed this project only after losing another project in District 2, to avoid losing $130M to another District;
• The deadline to receive public comments on including the proposed project in the FDOT District 2 Tentative Work Program for FY 2014/15 through FY 2018/19 is December 31, 2013, less than one month after the citizens of Jacksonville were made aware of the proposed project for the very first time;
• A Project Development and Environmental (PD&E) study will not be conducted before the project is funded, which does not follow the normal process;
• A design-build process will be used to construct the proposed project, resulting in an even further compressed and overlapping planning process; and
• It should not be a foregone conclusion that the proposed project is simply accepted and built as proposed – FDOT has suggested that it is all or nothing.

Concerns About The Project

No Demonstrated Need For the Proposed Project and Significant Potential Negative Impacts

• No specific data, study, or other objective information demonstrating the need for widening the Fuller Warren Bridge or constructing a flyover from I-95 to US 17 have been provided;
• The primary basis for the project articulated by FDOT has been the effect of the Overland Bridge project currently under construction. As with the I-10 I-95 interchange itself, the true success or failure of the Overland Bridge project and its impact on I-95 traffic cannot be known until it is completed and allowed to operate. A project currently under construction should not be the basis for circumventing the normal FDOT Five Year Work Program process;
• Previous expansion of the I-95/I-10 Interchange has already encroached into the neighborhood and had negative impacts on the neighborhood as a result of years of construction and significant additional noise;
• The Riverside Arts Market is located under the Fuller Warren Bridge and the City should ensure it is not negatively affected by the proposed project. With the City's commitment and support the Riverside Arts Market has helped create jobs, economic activity and drawn visitors to Jacksonville's core;
• The Artist Walk extension of the Riverwalk and the dog park being developed at Riverside Park will also utilize space under the Fuller Warren Bridge and I-95 and the City should ensure they are not negatively affected by the proposed project. The Jacksonville City Council has approved both of these projects, with FDOT's blessing, which are critical in continuing the positive cultural and economic momentum in the area and helping connect downtown with Riverside;
• Almost $15M is included in the proposed project to buy right of way. Homes and buildings will likely have to be demolished to provide additional right of way necessary for construction of the proposed project, in particular for the Fuller Warren expansion and the flyover from I-95 to US 17, and we do not know how Riverside Park may be impacted;
• The proposed project's impact on the St Johns River and McCoy's Creek is not known and a PD&E study will not be completed before the proposed project is funded; and
• The proposed project will cause the urban core to suffer through another three years of construction, virtually ongoing since 1996, that is designed to support vehicles passing through/driving by the urban core, not to it.

Please also let RAP know your input. We will be involved throughout this process and will be working with all parties involved to ensure that the neighborhood and the City's concerns are addressed.

[ChriswUfGator]

I'll do it.

[Jumpinjack]

^Thank you, Chris.
We have lived for 10 years with FDOT "modifications" to the I-10 I-95 interchange and were hoping for an end to it. Here's a few more thoughts.

This project will affect not only our homes in historic neighborhoods but the City's oldest best used park with playgrounds and pathways. But despite their protective restrictions and covenants our parks are not immune to state eminent domain. Just look at the stinky drainage ditch where landscaping and trees used to be and imagine the destruction of those adjacent live oaks to make way for more overpass. Our St. Johns River will again have large bridge pilings sunk into it affecting river traffic, manatees and fish, sediment transport into wetlands and sea grasses. Something for boaters, watermen and waterfront homeowners north and south to prepare for. And then the Roosevelt Blvd. flyover lane. This highway is already a known deathtrap for pedestrians and cyclists.How will it improve by helping motorists move onto it faster from the interstate?

It would be wonderful to think that this project was a well planned project to help better connections for cars and trucks across the river and result in a more beautiful and vibrant city for visitors and locals. It would be nice to think that just a few tweaks and $138 million would be well spent. It would be great to see huge benefits flow to Jacksonville simply by increasing the number of cars that can speed across the river or flow onto Roosevelt Blvd. But, it just ain't so. 

[jaxinatl]

The fact of the matter is that based on population predictions the bridge will not be able to sustain the amount of cars. No one wants more construction, but its these same people who will be complaining, later on, that there are mass back ups. Why are so many people in Jax so against progress?

[Intuition Ale Works]

The fact of the matter is that based on population predictions the bridge will not be able to sustain the amount of cars. No one wants more construction, but its these same people who will be complaining, later on, that there are mass back ups. Why are so many people in Jax so against progress?

I'd hardly call widening an interstate "progress".

[Dog Walker]

+1 ^  You beat me to it, Ben!

There are not more cars on this highway and overall miles driven everywhere in the country are falling.  TPO says traffic counts through the interchange are unchanged from the time of the opening.

Alternatives to the gas tax are being proposed since miles driven are falling along with better mileage figures.

This whole project is just District 2 inventing a place to spend 130 million.

[Glenn OSteen]

Let me see if I understand this:  Riverside Avondale Preservation (RAP) opposes the Florida Department of Transportation spending $130 Million to relieve the congestion experienced by 146,000 vehicles crossing the Fuller Warren Bridge daily because the improvement might temporarily interfere with a grocery and trinket market that operates 6 hours, one day a week, 9-10 months out of the year?  Wow!  just Wow!

[CityLife]

Let me see if I understand this:  Riverside Avondale Preservation (RAP) opposes the Florida Department of Transportation spending $130 Million to relieve the congestion experienced by 146,000 vehicles crossing the Fuller Warren Bridge daily because the improvement might temporarily interfere with a grocery and trinket market that operates 6 hours, one day a week, 9-10 months out of the year?  Wow!  just Wow!

No you don't seem to understand this. According to RAP's website these are some issues with the project:

•No specific data, study, or other objective information demonstrating the need for widening the Fuller Warren Bridge or constructing a flyover from I-95 to US 17 have been provided;
• The primary basis for the project articulated by FDOT has been the effect of the Overland Bridge project currently under construction. As with the I-10 I-95 interchange itself, the true success or failure of the Overland Bridge project and its impact on I-95 traffic cannot be known until it is completed and allowed to operate. A project currently under construction should not be the basis for circumventing the normal FDOT Five Year Work Program process;
• Previous expansion of the I-95/I-10 Interchange has already encroached into the neighborhood and had negative impacts on the neighborhood as a result of years of construction and significant additional noise;
• The Riverside Arts Market is located under the Fuller Warren Bridge and the City should ensure it is not negatively affected by the proposed project. With the City's commitment and support the Riverside Arts Market has helped create jobs, economic activity and drawn visitors to Jacksonville's core;
• The Artist Walk extension of the Riverwalk and the dog park being developed at Riverside Park will also utilize space under the Fuller Warren Bridge and I-95 and the City should ensure they are not negatively affected by the proposed project. The Jacksonville City Council has approved both of these projects, with FDOT's blessing, which are critical in continuing the positive cultural and economic momentum in the area and helping connect downtown with Riverside;
• Almost $15M is included in the proposed project to buy right of way. Homes and buildings will likely have to be demolished to provide additional right of way necessary for construction of the proposed project, in particular for the Fuller Warren expansion and the flyover from I-95 to US 17, and we do not know how Riverside Park may be impacted;
• The proposed project's impact on the St Johns River and McCoy's Creek is not known and a PD&E study will not be completed before the proposed project is funded; and
• The proposed project will cause the urban core to suffer through another three years of construction, virtually ongoing since 1996, that is designed to support vehicles passing through/driving by the urban core, not to it.

[ChriswUfGator]

Let me see if I understand this:  Riverside Avondale Preservation (RAP) opposes the Florida Department of Transportation spending $130 Million to relieve the congestion experienced by 146,000 vehicles crossing the Fuller Warren Bridge daily because the improvement might temporarily interfere with a grocery and trinket market that operates 6 hours, one day a week, 9-10 months out of the year?  Wow!  just Wow!

What congestion problem?

Even FDOT admits the car count is roughly unchanged from when they built it originally.

Spouting off with no information. Wow! just wow!

[tufsu1]

Let me see if I understand this:  Riverside Avondale Preservation (RAP) opposes the Florida Department of Transportation spending $130 Million to relieve the congestion experienced by 146,000 vehicles crossing the Fuller Warren Bridge daily because the improvement might temporarily interfere with a grocery and trinket market that operates 6 hours, one day a week, 9-10 months out of the year?  Wow!  just Wow!

Considering that the congestion now occurs for at most one hour in the morning and one hour in the afternoon and only on weekdays, I would say that's about even...and that's only if you think congestion delays and outdoor public events/commerce should be treated remotely on the same level!

[fieldafm]

because the improvement might temporarily interfere with a grocery and trinket market that operates 6 hours, one day a week, 9-10 months out of the year?

Nice way to gloss over the fact that $15mm of taxpayer money will be spent to seize private property by eminant domain and demolish homes, businesses and parks in the process.

relieve the congestion experienced by 146,000 vehicles crossing the Fuller Warren Bridge daily

If the Fuller Warren is considered 'congestion', perhaps you havent ventured too far North or South on I-95. 

[Debbie Thompson]

Sigh.  They won't be happy until they have destroyed Riverside, will they?  Here's an idea.  If one bridge / road is too congested for you, try a different one.  Stay in the right lane on I-95 and take the Acosta, which is hugely underutilized.  Or get off at Emerson and take the Hart.  Ditto.  Underutilized.  Or get off at Park and pick up I-95 at Forest, like an earlier post suggested.

Oh wait, no, don't do that!  I just gave away my communting secrets.