J Magazine Winter 2019

“Downtown Jacksonville is isolated by bridges,” Burns said.
Cycling is banned on the Mathews and Hart bridges, and currently
is not allowed on the Fuller Warren Bridge, though work is underway
on a multi-use path for cyclists and walkers, Burns said.
That leaves the Acosta and Main Street bridges.
The Main Street has metal grating that is hazardous to ride on,
especially for inexperienced cyclists, and a narrow pedestrian path
difficult for cyclists and walkers to share, Burns said. The Acosta has
a steep grade that only the fittest riders can master, so many cyclists
walk their bicyclists up the pedestrian path.
Other options are taking JTA buses with bike racks or the Skyway.
Roadways aren’t any more inviting. State and Union streets don’t
have bike lanes and during weekdays have heavy, fast-moving traffic.
Riverside Avenue doesn’t have a bike lane either, and though the traffic
is slower, in places there is street parking, so cyclists must choose
between riding in the traffic lane or on the sidewalk.
The Southbank and Northbank Riverwalks are popular paths for
cyclists. Healy Dwyer, who lives in Five Points, cycles the Riverwalk to
her job at CSX about three times a week. Her biking commute takes
about the same time as driving the same distance by car.
In the evening, she said, “it’s a nice way to wind down from my
work.”
Dwyer started cycling to work out of necessity. She spent six months
without a car and relied on her bike almost exclusively to get around. “I
rode everywhere — Downtown and over the Main Street bridge to San
Marco,” she said. “I’ve ridden to the stadium for Jags games.”
Now she leads monthly group rides around the city through Bike
Duval and also serves on the Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee.
Dwyer recently joined a ride sponsored by Groundwork Jacksonville
and SPAR to learn about the Emerald Trail, a system of trails that
will connect with the Riverwalks to encircle Downtown.
As chairman of the city’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee, attorney
Chris Burns is working to make Downtown a bicycle-friendly neighborhood.
She said riding Downtown in the evening and weekends “has a
completely different vibe” than riding during the weekday.
“I would definitely ride to an event Downtown at night. It’s quiet
at night,” Dwyer said. “During a weekday, it’s a different experience.
We definitely need a bike infrastructure. I think there are people who
would ride Downtown if there were protected bike lanes added.”
Troy Mayhew rides his bike to work occasionally from Lakewood
to his office with the Army Corps of Engineers in the Prudential Building.
It’s about a 6-mile trip via San Jose Boulevard.
“I try to leave by 6:30 or 7. There’s still traffic, but it’s not heavy yet.”
He tries to avoid the commercial district on San Jose because people
often turn right in front of him.
“I don’t know how they don’t see me, but I get a lot of close calls. I
know to expect it,” Mayhew said. “In the mornings, people are going
for donuts. Afternoons are even worse. Everyone is on their phone.
You really have to be on your toes.”
In 2009, he was hit by a woman on the Acosta Bridge who came
up behind him.
Mayhew said he does training rides over the Acosta, the closest
thing cyclists can find to a hill in Jacksonville, making the circuit two
or three times, depending on traffic.
Mayhew enjoys exploring downtown on the weekends with his
kids. “Downtown is great on the weekend. We go to Talleyrand, the
stadium and come back down Main Street. Or, we’ll go over to Riverside,
Avondale, Ortega and get breakfast.”
Mayhew, who has been riding 11 years, said he has developed
routes to get around safely. He makes the most of the Riverwalks, especially
on the Northside, and avoids Laura Street, which is paved in
cobblestone that is difficult to cycle on.
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J MAGAZINE | WINTER 2019