One week before the start of a second round of public meetings about the future of Jacksonville’s Skyway elevated tram system, the Jacksonville Transportation Authority postponed the meetings.
In a May 4 news release, the authority said the decision came as it “continues to evaluate feedback” regarding transportation alternatives for the Skyway.
JTA says the second round of meetings, which were scheduled for May 11-14, will now be held in the fall. Dates are to be determined.
JTA declined to provide further details on why the authority scheduled, then postponed, the public meetings. During the April 30 meeting of the JTA board, there was discussion of factoring “traditional” transportation alternatives into future considerations about the Skyway. Those included streetcars and light-rail systems, a spokesperson said.
As with the first round of meetings, JTA said it would present six options for the future of the Skyway during the May sessions. The second round, unlike the first, would include cost considerations.
Those six options included leaving the Skyway as is, rebuilding the JTA’s fleet of 10 Skyway vehicles, installing people-mover trains, building out the Skyway for the Ultimate Urban Circulator (U2C) autonomous stystem, demolishing the Skyway or turning it into a multi-use walking and cycling trail.
Following the first round of meetings, JTA said the most popular options at public meetings were the multi-use trail, the people-mover trains and U2C build-out, in that order.