Riverside Ave near the Cummer WTF?

[jaxlore]

Ok there is a bike lane that starts at the second stop light near fidelity on Riverside Ave, I use it but there is no feeder bike lane anywhere, then I see them installing concrete islands near the cummer making it even harder to ride on the street? What is with this town, can we please have a safe way to navigate through riverside on a bike.

[ChriswUfGator]

Ok there is a bike lane that starts at the second stop light near fidelity on Riverside Ave, I use it but there is no feeder bike lane anywhere, then I see them installing concrete islands near the cummer making it even harder to ride on the street? What is with this town, can we please have a safe way to navigate through riverside on a bike.

I went through there last night, and it confused and annoyed me, seeing what they'd done.

They took a main road down to ONE LANE, and for NO REASON. It used to be two separate lanes, one for people turning right going to 5 points and one for people going straight into riverside. Now, regardless of where you're going, there's only one lane that everybody has to cram into.

The backups at that intersection were already horrendous...it takes 20 minutes to get through there during the evening rush. I can't even imagine what the delays will be like now...

I don't get this city's fascination for wasting money on 'fixing' things that weren't broken in the first place. They always manage to make it worse.

[thelakelander]

This is also a stretch of road where JTA's proposed streetcar line between Five Points and Downtown would use.  If that comes online, this area may have to be completely ripped up and redone.  Disconnected improvements like this is exactly why the city needs a boost in the area of urban planning.  All improvements done should advance an overall transportation plan that includes cycling, road, rail and pedestrian options.  Too many times, we overlook certain modes to compensate for one (in this case, a pedestrian crosswalk).

[David]

I've made good use of my mountain bike when navigating that stretch of Riverside avenue. I'm forced to go off road because of traffic & construction around there.

[copperfiend]

The city of Jacksonville loves their concrete islands.

[Deuce]

I see the point of adding the islands to better protect pedestrians and slow down traffic, but that could have been handled with better light timing. This will definitely create a backup and is certainly short-sighted based upon the possible future improvements mentioned above.

[reednavy]

Give it a few weeks at most for the signage and grass to be run over by some driver not paying attention.

I don't understand the point of that stupid thing, if no trees go in it, I'll run it over my damn self in my truck.

[fsujax]

They could have just added a nice raised pedestrian crossing with lights, but I guess bicyclists wouldn't like that either. Guess JTA will have to move their streetcar to Park St.....to be continued!

[Shwaz]

Ok there is a bike lane that starts at the second stop light near fidelity on Riverside Ave, I use it but there is no feeder bike lane anywhere, then I see them installing concrete islands near the cummer making it even harder to ride on the street? What is with this town, can we please have a safe way to navigate through riverside on a bike.

Coming home yesterday I was in a line of traffic head towards the new lane change / median and there happen to be to 3 road bikers also coming to the merge. Both the bikers and the vehicles were confused on what to do. The traffic became log jammed and the bikers paused too to make things even worse. It ended up in a standoff.

[Jason]

They could have just added a nice raised pedestrian crossing with lights, but I guess bicyclists wouldn't like that either. Guess JTA will have to move their streetcar to Park St.....to be continued!

You can't tease us like that!

[jaxlore]

honestly really what is needed is someway to navigate through riverside by bike and not have to duck and run from street parking and Riverside Ave, I thought was the obvious choice, because there is a really wide shoulder down to the acosta. But at some point that idea must have been scrapped.

[Ocklawaha]

Step #1 : Parking and Bike Ways should be included in a mass transit agency.

Step #2 : The Highway, roads, etc should be split off from said transit agency.

Step #3 : Using the power of Federal Transportation Grants and a true regional transit agency a Bike way network Should be laid out from the beaches to Baldwin, Airport to Orange Park, Mandarin to Arlington... etc...

Step #4 : Make CERTAIN that all of the new network lanes are removed from vehicle traffic by a curb, Jersey Barrier or a large setback.

OCKLAWAHA

[lindab]

In defense of the median, crossing Riverside Avenue at the Cummer museum has always been a traffic accident waiting to happen. Riverside Avenue carries too much car traffic as it is. The number of commuters using Riverside Ave. has increased dramatically in the last five years.  Anyone who wants to bike safely gets off of Riverside Ave. and moves to another part of the grid.

The point of this thing is that the Cummer is an attraction that appeals to many folks including a high proportion of elderly residents and visitors to Jacksonville. School kids come for programs and events are held in the auditorium. The parking is not next to the museum but across the street. Dumb idea but it has been that way for a while. The best plan would be to move the Cummer parking lot somewhere else.  

Meanwhile, it's a safety issue- no driving on medians, slow down or take another route home.

[David]

Most bicyclist didn't get the memo that Riverside ave is automobile traffic only now..

I've got knobby tires, I'll jump the concrete barries in case of emergency.

[reednavy]

Most bicyclist didn't get the memo that Riverside ave is automobile traffic only now..

I've got knobby tires, I'll jump the concrete barries in case of emergency.

Oh, now that is going fly over really well. I wonder how they'll enforce it.