by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
As Mike Blaylock looks around downtown he sees an urban core that is on the verge of exploding.
The four major vertical projects in the Better Jacksonville Plan — the downtown library, baseball park, arena and county courthouse — are underway in some capacity and the $860 million Shipyards development is in its initial stages.
There are brand new and renovated residential projects which promise to put urban living in vogue again.
Blaylock, the deputy executive director/director of mass transit for the Jacksonville Transportation and a 20-year veteran of JTA, is also looking at the future. Within the next few months Blaylock hopes to set in motion his Downtown Mobility System, a multi-faceted transportation system that will make downtown more accessible from the suburbs and more convenient for those who work there everyday.
Blaylock is in the process of creating a system that would encourage the use of the Skyway, streamline the bus service and expand the Trolley service to other parts of downtown, including San Marco, Riverside and, ultimately, Springfield and LaVilla.
“With the exception of going to the theater or to the Landing, there’s no reason to come downtown except to go to work,” said Blaylock, who started with JTA in 1982 as a grants coordinator/facilities administrator.
The fact that downtown only seems to come to life during the weekday hours is exactly why Blaylock has established a short list of those whom he first needs to sell on his mobility plan. At the top of that list are the daily commuters, followed by those who do business downtown on a fairly regular basis and the residents of the area.
Blaylock also realizes that before he can convince a typical downtown worker that it’s OK to park their car at the Kings Avenue Garage and take the Skyway across the river to work, he first has to convince that worker’s employer that it’s a good idea. That said, Blaylock has spent the last few months developing a plan that he hopes appeals to employers, business owners, the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission, the Chamber of Commerce and City Council, who will have the final say on any plan and necessary funding.
Within the next several weeks Blaylock will unveil his plan to that eclectic group. Although he knows he can’t please everyone, Blaylock hopes his plan appeals to enough people that he can begin implementation by the end of the calendar year.
“That’s why we are involved with so many
stakeholders,” said Blaylock. “If those people buy into it, they’ll support you.”
Blaylock’s plan will unfold in two phases. The first will concentrate on his definition of downtown and those who use it daily. Phase I will encompass the area bounded by State Street to the north, LaVilla to the west, the river to the south and Alltel Stadium to the east. Blaylock’s objective in Phase I is to simply make getting around downtown easier. Although he’s not sure exactly how he’ll accomplish this, Blaylock does have a few ideas in mind.
“I am developing a comprehensive plan that looks at all the key markets,” said Blaylock. “One thing I am doing is looking at is how I can reduce the time the buses are downtown. I lose about 20 minutes every time a bus comes downtown and circulates.”
Blaylock is considering bus-only lanes, a free-ride zone for those who use JTA buses within a designated urban area, an expanded trolley system and more efficient parking garages that don’t take up valuable downtown property. Peripherally, Blaylock would like to see more park-n-ride facilities, but not just single-use garages. Blaylock figures commuters would be much more receptive to using a 400-space garage across the river if it had several amenities attached.
“Parking garages are not the best way to get value for the land. You get more bang for the buck if you put a structure on a piece of property rather a parking garage,” said Blaylock, adding that seeking input from downtown business owners and decision-makers is a top priority. “They have a value because we want to know what they are thinking.”
Phase II will expand the geographical boundaries of the mobility plan to Springfield, Riverside and San Marco. While that phase may be a few years down the road, Blaylock is dead set on not only establishing Phase I in time for the 2005 Super Bowl, he wants it implemented in time to work out any kinks that may develop.
“It will take a good year to put this whole thing together,” said Blaylock. “But I really want to fast-track this. We will start working on the proposal within the 60 days in terms of getting the voices back from the stake holders. I hope to have it done way before the Super Bowl (in 2005). We need to have a good mobility plan in place long before the Super Bowl. The trick is, we are talking about a lot of money.”
Blaylock’s plan may seem to focus on commuters and solving the woes of rush hour gridlock both downtown and on the main thoroughfares leading into town. But, he’s also concerned about the thousands of pedestrians that navigate downtown. Like others, Blaylock feels that LaVilla may one day be the western hub of an entertainment district that will stretch all the way to the stadium. Creating a pedestrian-friendly atmosphere on that two-mile stretch will be paramount to retail and restaurant success.
“We are encouraging the City and the Downtown Development Authority to define what will happen with LaVilla and the entertainment district,” said Blaylock. “I’d like to see an entertainment corridor from LaVilla to the stadium. That’s my own personal opinion. I’d like to see us take advantage of the river.
“We are planning for more than just commuters. There are going to be people living downtown. Somebody is going to have a brilliant idea and build a mall down here or something like that.”
In bringing his plan to fruition, Blaylock will have to clear two major hurdles. The first involves getting the proper zoning for any new projects. Working with City Council vice president Suzanne Jenkins and Council members Pat Lockett-Felder and Reggie Fullwood will help facilitate full Council approval.
The second impediment, not surprisingly, is money. New trolleys and routes will cost money. New bus routes will cost money. New peripheral garages will cost money. Where that money will come from is the question to which Blaylock doesn’t have an answer.
“When all is said and done, the biggest obstacle is money,” said Blaylock. “How am I going to finance all of this? For example, whatever role the Trolley plays, I have to pay for capital improvements and new operators.”
One idea being discussed is the possible privatization of one of the transportation modes, perhaps the Trolley system.
“That might be an option,” said Blaylock. “One thing we have to do is a cost-benefit analysis. Once all of this is completed, there’s nothing to say it [a transportation mode] cannot become the property of the JEDC or Downtown Vision or some private company. It’s not far-fetched.”