by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
It’s something that’s been rumored for some time, but the JTA has begun the first steps involved in extending trolley service along Riverside Avenue to 5 Points beginning early next year.
Depending on the results of a survey JTA is conducting of the transportation needs and desires of those who work on Riverside Avenue, the service might be offered as far into the historic district as The Shoppes of Avondale.
According to JTA Director of External Affairs Mike Miller, the route to Riverside will be the first service enhancement and part of a long-range expansion plan that could eventually include trolley routes around Southbank and San Marco as well as Springfield. He said one reason the route has been chosen as the first addition is due to the mixed-use developments that have been approved to break ground along Riverside Avenue between the Acosta Bridge and Forest Street.
“Riverside will be the first leg of a three-phase expansion. It makes sense to begin there because of the public-private partnerships with the Miles Group and Hallmark Partners. Both projects include elements designed to accommodate mass transit options for workers and residents. It’s all part of the new urbanism,” he said.
The days and hours the trolleys will be available will be determined by the response to the survey, added Miller.
Also part of the long-range plan is to develop a Skyway station on Riverside Avenue at the current location of the Skyway maintenance facility that would connect the existing system of elevated tracks to the head of the Riverside-Avondale trolley route. While the service will probably use Riverside Avenue exclusively when it begins, the route could at some point be changed to include Park Street as that area develops.
“It’s all about connectivity and synergy. We have always viewed the trolley as a transportation solution for short distances and as an extension of Skyway service. It’s a circulator,” said Miller.
He also said he expects the service to be available five days a week, aimed at people who work in the area and would like to visit restaurants or shops without having to walk from their desk to their destination or drive and have to find a parking place.
“Even if you work at Haskell Company, Blue Cross Blue Shield, the EverBank Building or the Fidelity campus it is often just too hot to walk to lunch and back even if it’s just a few blocks away. Not having to contend with driving and finding a parking place by being able to get off the trolley at your destination and then back on to return to work can also save a lot of your lunch hour.”
Riverside Avondale Preservation Executive Director Bonnie Grissett said JTA representatives attended RAP’s board meeting June 20 and gave the group a presentation about the proposal.
“It could be a great asset for the shops in the area. It’s a wonderful idea,” she said.
Miller added depending on how long it takes to compile the data from the survey, trolley service on Riverside Avenue could begin as soon as January.