City council gets first look at plan to hike gas tax, extend Skyway
Members of Jacksonville City Council on Wednesday morning started to hear from stakeholders in the proposed gas tax increase and how the money would be used for infrastructure needs across the city, including a massive expansion of the polarizing Skyway.
$379 million of proposed gas-tax revenue would fund Skyway extension
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ More than one-third of the money raised from the proposed 6-cent hike in Jacksonvilleโs gas tax would be used to expand the Skyway -- the underutilized automated downtown transportation system. At the time there was an outcry from people not wanting to see local tax dollars spent on the system. AdTommy Hazouri, who the mayor at the time, wasnโt even keen on the project, then called the ASE -- the Automated Skyway Express. I think itโs an expensive means of transportation for Jacksonville, but itโs with us. Now, despite millions that would go to fund Skyway expansion, Hazouri said the city is still keeping that promise to taxpayers.
JTA to add Skyway station in Brooklyn this year
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ The Jacksonville Transportation Authority plans to open a Skyway passenger station at the edge of the growing Brooklyn neighborhood by September -- its first new station since the cityโs existing elevated rail system was completed 25 years ago. It will link to the Central Skyway Station at West Bay and Lee streets in LaVilla and continue on to the existing Downtown and San Marco stations. Passenger parking will be provided at an existing JTA surface lot off Riverside Avenue. Two refurbished Skyway trains will be used for the station wrapped in a โBrooklyn Shuttle theme,โ according to a JTA project summary obtained by the Jacksonville Daily Record. โThereโs no better destination right now than the activity thatโs happening in Brooklyn.โShuttles will connect from the Brooklyn Station to carry people deeper into Riverside.
JTA moving bus operations to Forsyth Street location
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ The Jacksonville Transportation Authority will transition bus operations from the Rosa Parks Transit Station to the Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center at LaVilla on May 4, according to a release. The JRTC at LaVilla is located at 100 LaVilla Center Dr. near the Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center. The JRTC at LaVilla will replace the Rosa Parks Transit Station as the JTAโs main downtown bus transfer facility, serving most JTA regular and express bus routes, the Skyway and the First Coast Flyer Bus Rapid Transit network. All JTA bus routes will continue to operate on a โmodified weekday scheduleโ to promote social distancing and to ensure safe travel for everyone, the release said. The east half of the Rosa Parks Transit Station will be closed and prepped for future transit-oriented development projects.