J Magazine Winter 2019

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If Downtown is going to be a real neighborhood, and not a pass-through to suburbia, then it needs major changes. It needs more people living there. It needs services for those people: stores, schools and family entertainment. And the roads must look like neighborhood roads, not mini-freeways. Too many Downtown roads are built for speed. Think of Forest Street off of Riverside Avenue. From the air it looks like an interstate. Speed limits for roads like Forest Street or the six-lane Riverside Avenue are mere suggestions. Drivers can’t help but speed up. Research proves that the faster you drive, the narrower your field of vision. It also proves that if a car strikes a pedestrian at slower speeds, there is a much greater chance the pedestrian will survive. So as city planners seek to make Downtown more friendly to people and less accommodating to cars, it’s important to put streets on a “road diet.” That means making the space for cars narrower or even install roundabouts to force drivers to slow down. It means making sidewalks wider. And it means making bicycle lanes more accommodating, separated from cars wherever possible. Riverplace Boulevard on the Southbank has just finished its road diet. For the thousands of people who live in the towers there, simply crossing the street now is more inviting. Coming next is a road diet for the Brooklyn area. However, it is in its infancy with contract negotiations underway, then design, then permitting and then construction. The first phase of a diet for Park Street at the viaduct is in design. Additional phases will extend to the interstate. To envision what a Brooklyn road diet will look like, examine Riverplace Boulevard now. The street is narrower. The sidewalk is wider with more space for bicyclists and walkers. Shade trees have been planted near the sidewalks so walkers will have protection from sun and rain. Those awful palm trees are placed back from the sidewalks where they won’t do any harm. A major bus stop with connections for express flyers is there. So you can hop a bus and jet to the beach in air conditioned comfort with free WiFi. We asked members of the Email Interactive Group for their analysis. Paul Poidomani: “I live in Riverside, and I think any of these pedestrian-friendly initiatives are great. We’re no Seattle or Nashville. The real push should be to get the District and Shipyards built, reinvent the skeleton of Berkman II, get some mixed residential in the Landing. Get people living Downtown and most of the other urban projects will fall in place! I like the idea of European streets. Jack Knee of Nocatee warns that Jacksonville remains a dangerous city for pedestrians. “I remember TV spots that said ‘Every fourth driver coming at you is drunk.’ so walk cautiously.” Jeff Cooper of the Southside says a healthy balance is key. “As long as we are slaves to the car, roads should be wide and there should be many short-cuts. When I was an appraiser, I drove all over the city and could see many opportunities for improved traffic flow by building short cuts. Or we could emphasize light, self-driving cars and mass transit. Or both.” Charles Winton of Arlington says for Downtown to be taken off life support, it must be more welcoming for walkers. “I al- WILL DICKEY 50 J MAGAZINE | WINTER <strong>2019</strong>
Work continues on Riverplace Boulevard while the Southbank road undergoes a “road diet” makeover. WINTER <strong>2019</strong> | J MAGAZINE 51
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Page 7 and 8: David Cawton II, Manager of Media &
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Page 41 and 42: While Jacksonville is one of the co
Page 43 and 44: To ride in the core city, a cyclist
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Page 61 and 62: One of Beach Buggy San Marco’s el
Page 63 and 64: short ride as fun as possible. “G
Page 65 and 66: Earlier this fall, Downtown’s Fir
Page 67 and 68: Pastor Jerry Vines delivers a sermo
Page 69 and 70: “I would love for the city to rec
Page 71 and 72: BEAUTIFUL. MADE AFFORDABLE. PROUDLY
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Page 75 and 76: The lack of light and the absence o
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Page 81 and 82: Alan Bliss, executive director of t
Page 83 and 84: A group of Bolles School students l
Page 85 and 86: BOB SELF As thousands of Downtown w
Page 87 and 88: that runs smarter and leaner by plu
Page 89 and 90: PREMIER MEDIA AND MARKETING IN GREA
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Page 93 and 94: are nonprofits. We have 635 apartme
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Page 99 and 100: Top-ranked and trusted. Your family

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