JTA assesses Skyway; mulls where to go next

[The_Choose_1]

If gasoline was $7.00 per gallon at this point in 2015. Most people on this topic would love the Streetcar! We had streetcars many, many, years ago. And for me streetcars get people around most cities better then the bus IMO. The Skyway never had the ridership JTA thought that it would. If we can't upgrade the skyway then we should kill it. And then turn it into a walk & bike park for all to use. LETS BRING BACK THE STREETCAR!

[Andy]

Thank you, Sir!

How does everyone feel about the Skyway being retroffitted to accommodate vehicles like that and those vehicles being able to drop to grade, for potential expansion into surrounding neighborhoods?

I've daydreamed of this very thing for a while now. The Skyway now is one of the easiest punchlines in town, but the structure itself doesn't have to be entirely scrapped. Put lightrail tracks on it and bring it down Riverside Ave on ground level. I can't pretend I know the full impact/cost of that but as far as pipedreams go, there are worse ones out there.

[brainstormer]

Thank you, Sir!

How does everyone feel about the Skyway being retroffitted to accommodate vehicles like that and those vehicles being able to drop to grade, for potential expansion into surrounding neighborhoods?

Brilliant! As part of the retrofit, one of the first extensions should be into the quickly growing Brooklyn neighborhood, and the second extension probably down Bay street towards the stadium district.

[exnewsman]

I've daydreamed of this very thing for a while now. The Skyway now is one of the easiest punchlines in town, but the structure itself doesn't have to be entirely scrapped. Put lightrail tracks on it and bring it down Riverside Ave on ground level. I can't pretend I know the full impact/cost of that but as far as pipedreams go, there are worse ones out there.
[/quote]

Now? The Skyway has been churning out 1M rides a year for the last three years. There has never been a time when the Skyway has been more widely used and accepted than right now. Oh its not perfect. But the punchlines are much fewer and far between than ever.

[Andy]

No argument about ridership raising, but it's a free service right now and One Spark accounts for a bit of that jump I would imagine. And it's my understanding that they don't even make certain necessary parts for the type of Skyway that exists, so any expansion that miraculously gets pushed through would have that to contend with on top of everything else.

I think converting it to a more modern, more common transportation system would give it a better shot at being expanded. Which in my mind is the key to making it worth the initial investment. Maybe even profitable.

Like I said, it's pipe-dreamy, but I like the idea of it. I won't sit here and pretend I know that to be the answer to all of our prayers.

[Andy]

No argument about ridership raising, but it's a free service right now and I would imagine that One Spark accounts for a bit of that jump. And it's my understanding that they don't even make certain necessary parts for the type of Skyway that exists, so any expansion that miraculously gets pushed through would have that to contend with on top of everything else.

I think converting it to a more modern, more common transportation system would give it a better shot at being expanded. Which in my mind is the key to making it worth the initial investment. Maybe even profitable.

Like I said, it's pipe-dreamy, but I like the idea of it. I won't sit here and pretend I know that to be the answer to all of our prayers.

[ProjectMaximus]

^agreed, and I hope that's what JTA is thinking too. They're performing a study (yes, i know) to examine the feasibility of the system moving forward and whether or not to expand, maintain operations, or whatever. So hopefully they're also looking into the possibility of converting into a different system while salvaging the infrastructure that exists. Hopefully.

[exnewsman]

No argument about ridership raising, but it's a free service right now and One Spark accounts for a bit of that jump I would imagine. And it's my understanding that they don't even make certain necessary parts for the type of Skyway that exists, so any expansion that miraculously gets pushed through would have that to contend with on top of everything else.

I think converting it to a more modern, more common transportation system would give it a better shot at being expanded. Which in my mind is the key to making it worth the initial investment. Maybe even profitable.

Like I said, it's pipe-dreamy, but I like the idea of it. I won't sit here and pretend I know that to be the answer to all of our prayers.

One Spark helps buts its still only a few days in April. This year the April numbers for the Skyway were 170,000. The Skyway averages about 114,000/month - so there is still a lot of ridership aside from One Spark. In fact, if you take out One Spark out of the equation completely, the Skyway would still reach 1,000,000 trips the last two years and will again this year. Ridership five years ago was about 500K (at 35 cents). This year it will top 1.3M rides. The FREE part of it helps, but I don't think it makes a 800K difference.

No question JTA has to figure out what to do with the technology part. New train and propulsion system a must. So no expansion talk until that gets worked out.

[Chris Hand]

While I am not endorsing or rejecting this suggestion, I have heard a number of folks recommend a rather fundamental and intriguing change in how the Skyway is used: as Jacksonville's version of the High Line that is so popular in New York City. Though this would not advance the cause of mass transit, it would be iconic and might well be a way to make Downtown more pedestrian and bicycle friendly.  Since I am still a Newbie, my guess is that the folks on Metro Jacksonville have already thoroughly examined this idea for all of its pros and cons. But I thought I would float it again. Please see below Washington Post article.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/new-yorks-high-line-why-the-floating-promenade-is-so-popular/2014/11/30/6f3e30cc-5e20-11e4-8b9e-2ccdac31a031_story.html

[Tacachale]

While I am not endorsing or rejecting this suggestion, I have heard a number of folks recommend a rather fundamental and intriguing change in how the Skyway is used: as Jacksonville's version of the High Line that is so popular in New York City. Though this would not advance the cause of mass transit, it would be iconic and might well be a way to make Downtown more pedestrian and bicycle friendly.  Since I am still a Newbie, my guess is that the folks on Metro Jacksonville have already thoroughly examined this idea for all of its pros and cons. But I thought I would float it again. Please see below Washington Post article.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/new-yorks-high-line-why-the-floating-promenade-is-so-popular/2014/11/30/6f3e30cc-5e20-11e4-8b9e-2ccdac31a031_story.html

You mean removing the trains? Then we'd be on the hook for paying the Feds back tens of millions of dollars.

[thelakelander]

It would be physically impossible.  The skyway infrastructure isn't wide enough to do anything effective. The High Line, on the other hand, was a rail line with several industrial sidings (like our S-Line) or Atlanta's Belt Line, just elevated.

High Line





Skyway


This is one of those things we should not overthink.  Fixed transit plays a very important role in vibrant urban cities. All we need to do with the Skyway is full integrate with the surrounding land uses and mass transit network. "High Line" doesn't make sense with our infrastructure but a "Belt Line" (enhancing the S-Line corridor) and dusting off that old "Emerald Necklace" plan from the Delaney era are both worth additional consideration.