The two remaining Skyway cars are aging, so JTA is hosting community meetings showcasing several options for what to do moving forward.<\/p>\n
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2014 New cars, a new track, a trail or a new approach?<\/p>\n
A slew of options are on the table as the Jacksonville Transportation Authority tries to figure out what to do with the Skyway.<\/p>\n
JTA started out with 10 Skyway cars in the late 90s, but just like cars on the road, time takes a toll, and there are just two left that are still operational.<\/p>\n
Those two are also reaching the end of the their lines, which means JTA has to figure out what the future holds before the Skyway stops altogether.<\/p>\n
In order to do that, the agency wants to hear from people who take it regularly.<\/p>\n
“I’m actually going to McDonald’s, and then a dentist appointment right across the street,” said Leonard Battle after boarding the Skyway at the LaVilla station.<\/p>\n
Leonard Battle just moved to Jacksonville from South Florida, and he’s already checked off one right-of-passage of sorts \u2014 taking the Skyway through downtown.<\/p>\n
“I’m from the country, so you actually get to see the panoramic view of downtown, so it’s pretty awesome having it up top,” said Battle.<\/p>\n
Battle’s first rides could be some of the last for the existing Skyway cars – with just two of the original 1997 fleet still operational.<\/p>\n
“We want to make sure the community has a wide range of options, not just one being told to them, but one they can help shape and be a part of,” said JTA Director of Communications Taniel Koushakjian. “That’s what this exercise is all about.”<\/p>\n
JTA is looking for the community to help pick an option to move forward with, weighing the pros and cons for each one, like cost, timeline or federal repayment.<\/p>\n
There’s the no-build option, which would keep the current cars in operation as long as feasible.<\/p>\n
Alternative 1 – Rehabbing the existing vehiclesAlternative 2 – Upgrading the track and purchasing people mover trainsAlternative 3 – Converting the track for NAVIs to ramp up and down fromAlternative 4 – Ditching the Skyway platform altogether and keeping the autonomous network on the ground.Alternative 5 – Repurposing the Skyway into a trail to connect with the Emerald Trail, letting autonomous shuttles run on the ground. <\/p>\n
“My concern is not whether they put it up or down,” Karen Lewis-Hannah said while attending a community meeting on the topic. “My concern is to make sure the rider can get to it easily and have a comfortable wait.”<\/p>\n
JTA says the plan is still to move forward with expanding to other neighborhoods like Brooklyn and Springfield, but what that looks like depends on which option gets picked.<\/p>\n
“What do we want to go in there,” Koushakjian said. “Do we want an elevated structure? Do we want NAVI autonomous vehicles? Do we want the NAVI vehicles on a dedicated roadway?”<\/p>\n
Battle is looking forward to whatever JTA comes up with.<\/p>\n
“Well, that’s evolution for you,” said Battle. “As time evolves, so do you, so do our ideas.”<\/p>\n
JTA has a handful more public meetings through the end of March before they finish the study in August to finalize which option to move forward with.<\/p>\n