Baymeadows Road Construction?

[thelakelander]

Anybody know what's going on with Baymeadows Road between Philips Hwy and I-95?  Is this a road resurfacing project?

[tufsu1]

yes...just a resurfacing

although there are plans in the works to widen the road from I-95 east to Southside....apparently, the City has started approaching property owners about donating ROW

[thelakelander]

Are they installing a center left turn lane or rebuilding the median?

[tufsu1]

Not quite sure...I know there is some landscaping work as part of the resurfacing, so they may be rebuilding the median.

The City recently completed a subarea traffic study for the Baymeadows area, which includes recommendations for access management (limiting driveways and median openings) as well as some new roadway connections and widening of Baymeadows to 6 lanes.

[stjr]

I remember learning to drive on Baymeadows when it was mostly a two lane drive through the woods.  Nary a car in sight.  Aaaah... the good ol' days.

[mvp]

Here are details on the Baymeadows Area Transportation Study Alternatives http://www.baymeadowsproject.com/html_pages/documents.html

The final Public Meeting is Thursday, Aug. 20, 5:30-7:30 p.m. at FCCJ Deerwood.  Please come if you live, work, shop or commute in this area!

The repaving project was worked out among the Better Baymeadows group, FDOT and COJ a couple of years ago.  I have the old plans somewhere but I'm guessing they've evolved over time and with budget constraints.

[stjr]

Here are details on the Baymeadows Area Transportation Study Alternatives http://www.baymeadowsproject.com/html_pages/documents.html

Mvp, I just looked over the web site you linked to.  These all look like great "alternatives" for improving area traffic flow.  Are they planning to do only one of these, all of them, or something in-between?  What is the timetable for construction?

The Baymeadows Road rebuild looks like the future prototype for many major Jax roads.  I have seen these changes, such as driveway closures, median extensions with turn lanes eliminated, and forced u-turns at traffic lights common on cogested roads in major cities elsewhere.  I assume as our roads do the same, this will become more common here.  Residents and commercial interests everywhere should study this alternative carefully because it's likely coming to a road near you soon or later.

If they did the Baymeadows rebuild, it appears they would have to get property owners to link their parking lots together in places non-existent now or they won't have any access to Baymeadows.  Who implements this and pays for it?  How is it legally enforced?  Do property owners make ROW agreements with each other under state or city supervision?

[thelakelander]

I like the alternatives.  Especially, the Sunbeam extension, the new east-west road, Salisbury Extension and the Southside interchange expansion.  I believe they should all be done over time to help diffuse and spread out traffic flow. 

I also believe that zoning changes should go along with these alternatives.  Number one of the zoning list would be to require reduced front building setbacks along these corridors, thus forcing surface parking to the rear.

Although this area of town is suburban, Baymeadows can become walkable over time by making sure properties properly interact with the sidewalks.

[mtraininjax]

The Salisbury extension will be no different than the Western Way traffic now, it is an expressway along there with people reaching 60-70 mph. People use it as a cut-through now from 95 to SS.

The start of the 3-lane road on Salisbury should be down further where there is no development, not in front of the church.

[thelakelander]

I'm one of those people who use Western Way as an alternative to Baymeadows and Southside.  Its a blessing to have parallel roads to travel on instead of being forced into major congested corridors to get from point A to point B.  Grids work.  The way I see it, the more cut-throughs, the better.  Because the more people using them, the less congested Baymeadows, Southside, Philips and I-95 will be.

[mtraininjax]

If you enjoy cut-throughs, get ready for round-a-bouts. People cannot drive on them like expressways and cops can't sit along them all day and write tickets either. Solution, simple round-a-bouts, to slow down drivers.

[Charles Hunter]

I looked at those, too, and the Sunbeam extension looks good.  But doesn't it go across the wetlands that stopped Freedom Commerce Center?  Getting permits for that road might be tricky.

Thanks for the link mvp.

[thelakelander]

If you enjoy cut-throughs, get ready for round-a-bouts. People cannot drive on them like expressways and cops can't sit along them all day and write tickets either. Solution, simple round-a-bouts, to slow down drivers.

Round-a-bouts, speed bumps, etc. don't bother me.  Not moving in gridlock because there are no alternative routes does.

[tufsu1]

From what I understand the Baymeadows widening, Salisbury extension, and Southside interchange ramps will be carried forward....the rest will likely drop out for one reason or another.

BTW....these three projects show up on the Envision 2035 list of Needs Plan projects....I believe MVP posted a link to that information on another thread.

[Captain Zissou]

Hahaha, I heard about the Western Way cut through from a friend so I tried to blindly use it one day.  I ended up lost in an office park and discovered a Mercedes and Siemens office and a giant lake.  Eventually I found my way, but it proved to be no short cut.