J Magazine Winter 2019

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
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J MAGAZINE | WINTER 2019