I-295 Express Lanes: Get Ready To Open Your Pocketbooks
Get ready to open your pocket books to bypass congestion in Jacksonville. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is moving forward on their plans to add automated toll lanes to I-295 throughout the Southside. An informal open house will be held this evening for those interested in learning how FDOT plans to deal with 21st century gridlock. In the meantime, here's a look at what's coming to Jacksonville later this year.
If you're a regular commuter on the I-295 Beltway in the Southside, you may be aware of the constant backups during rush hour. Don't worry, a solution to alleviate your pain is on the way. However, it's going to cost you a little more.
According to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), your time is valuable. Thus, you can pay a varying toll to ride in "Express Lanes" when you decide your time is more valuable than sitting in traffic. After all, the choice is yours.
Later this year, tolled "Express Lanes" will be added to a 5.7 mile I-295 segment between the Buckman Bridge and I-95. In 2015, a second 4 mile project to add them in the median of I-295 between SR 9B and JTB will get underway. The total construction cost for this system will be close to $247 million. A third segment stretching from the Dames Point Bridge to I-95 on the Northside was deemed unfeasible earlier this year. FDOT is attempting to shift funds intended for that segment to the controversial widening of the Fuller Warren Bridge.
Already in major cities like Washington, DC, Miami, and Houston, "Express Lanes" are essentially an "expressway-within-an-expressway." Anticipated to be added to the existing median of I-295, the new lanes will provide more capacity in areas where traffic congestion is a major problem. Initial plans for I-295 indicate there will be an express lane added in each direction, with space for additional lanes when the need arises.
Initial Express Lanes concept
The price of the toll will vary, based on the level of congestion to provide reliable travel times. Therefore, the tolls will be higher during peak times when demand is greater. If the cost for a stress-free commute is too much for you, you're welcome to sit in gridlock for free.
Nevertheless, this won't be your granddaddy's toll road, so forget about visions of toll booths and having to stash loose change in your glove compartment. Tolls will be collected using a fully automated system, known throughout the state as SunPass. Traffic will be able to move at full speed through a tolled area and automatically deduct the tolls using a transponder that has been attached to the front windshield of someone's car. Funds must be added to the transponder account using cash, check, money order or credit card.
The Express Lane system will be expanded as roadway congestion and gridlock increases in the future.
Furthermore, the FDOT is willing to take money from any entity desiring to take advantage of predictable travel times on their new "expressway-within-an-expressway." This means that the Jacksonville Transit Authority (JTA) can also use them for "bus rapid transit"... for a fixed yearly fee, of course.
In spite of the new found revenue source, the project will not be a profitable one. Building and maintaining roads is just as profitable as lighting money on fire. The cash generated from the express lanes will be used to operate and maintain the roadway where the toll is collected.
This evening, the FDOT will be hosting a public meeting from 4:30-6:30pm at the University of North Florida University Center. There, FDOT will share their express lane plans for the SR 9B to JTB segment. This meeting will also discuss the feasibility of noise walls being added.
For more information: https://www.northfloridaexpress.com/Pages/Home.aspx
Next Page: FDOT Press Release
Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Press Release
Construction to add Express Lanes in the median of I-295 in Mandarin will start later this year. Photograph courtesy of Google Earth
The next phase of adding express lanes to move traffic along I-295 will be previewed at a public meeting of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) this Tuesday (January 21).
An informal open house will be held from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. followed by a presentation and public comment period. The meeting will be in the University Center at the University of North Florida, 12000 Alumni Drive.
FDOT proposes to build two new lanes on the I-295 East Beltway between State Road 9B and Butler Boulevard (State Road 202) as express lanes, which are tolled lanes providing more capacity in areas where traffic congestion is a problem. The tolls are collected using a fully automated system called SunPass. The toll will vary based on the level of congestion in the express lanes. Signs are posted in advance allowing motorists plenty of time to decide whether to use the express lanes or general use lanes. They are intended for use when time is a concern in getting to your destination.
The estimated cost of the 4-mile long project is $155 million. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2015 with right of way acquisition in 2014.
The first phase of adding express lanes on I-295 between the Buckman Bridge and I-95 is scheduled to begin later this year.
For more information on express lanes in Northeast Florida, visit our web site at www.northfloridaexpress.com
For more information on Tuesday’s meeting, contact FDOT project manager Jim Knight at 800-749-2967, extension 7707 or by e-mail at james.knight@dot.state.fl.us
Article by Ennis Davis, AICP. Contact Ennis at edavis@moderncities.com
According to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), your time is valuable. Thus, you can pay a varying toll to ride in "Express Lanes" when you decide your time is more valuable than sitting in traffic. After all, the choice is yours.
Later this year, tolled "Express Lanes" will be added to a 5.7 mile I-295 segment between the Buckman Bridge and I-95. In 2015, a second 4 mile project to add them in the median of I-295 between SR 9B and JTB will get underway. The total construction cost for this system will be close to $247 million. A third segment stretching from the Dames Point Bridge to I-95 on the Northside was deemed unfeasible earlier this year. FDOT is attempting to shift funds intended for that segment to the controversial widening of the Fuller Warren Bridge.
Already in major cities like Washington, DC, Miami, and Houston, "Express Lanes" are essentially an "expressway-within-an-expressway." Anticipated to be added to the existing median of I-295, the new lanes will provide more capacity in areas where traffic congestion is a major problem. Initial plans for I-295 indicate there will be an express lane added in each direction, with space for additional lanes when the need arises.
Initial Express Lanes concept
The price of the toll will vary, based on the level of congestion to provide reliable travel times. Therefore, the tolls will be higher during peak times when demand is greater. If the cost for a stress-free commute is too much for you, you're welcome to sit in gridlock for free.
Nevertheless, this won't be your granddaddy's toll road, so forget about visions of toll booths and having to stash loose change in your glove compartment. Tolls will be collected using a fully automated system, known throughout the state as SunPass. Traffic will be able to move at full speed through a tolled area and automatically deduct the tolls using a transponder that has been attached to the front windshield of someone's car. Funds must be added to the transponder account using cash, check, money order or credit card.
The Express Lane system will be expanded as roadway congestion and gridlock increases in the future.
Furthermore, the FDOT is willing to take money from any entity desiring to take advantage of predictable travel times on their new "expressway-within-an-expressway." This means that the Jacksonville Transit Authority (JTA) can also use them for "bus rapid transit"... for a fixed yearly fee, of course.
In spite of the new found revenue source, the project will not be a profitable one. Building and maintaining roads is just as profitable as lighting money on fire. The cash generated from the express lanes will be used to operate and maintain the roadway where the toll is collected.
This evening, the FDOT will be hosting a public meeting from 4:30-6:30pm at the University of North Florida University Center. There, FDOT will share their express lane plans for the SR 9B to JTB segment. This meeting will also discuss the feasibility of noise walls being added.
For more information: https://www.northfloridaexpress.com/Pages/Home.aspx
Next Page: FDOT Press Release
Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Press Release
Construction to add Express Lanes in the median of I-295 in Mandarin will start later this year. Photograph courtesy of Google Earth
The next phase of adding express lanes to move traffic along I-295 will be previewed at a public meeting of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) this Tuesday (January 21).
An informal open house will be held from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. followed by a presentation and public comment period. The meeting will be in the University Center at the University of North Florida, 12000 Alumni Drive.
FDOT proposes to build two new lanes on the I-295 East Beltway between State Road 9B and Butler Boulevard (State Road 202) as express lanes, which are tolled lanes providing more capacity in areas where traffic congestion is a problem. The tolls are collected using a fully automated system called SunPass. The toll will vary based on the level of congestion in the express lanes. Signs are posted in advance allowing motorists plenty of time to decide whether to use the express lanes or general use lanes. They are intended for use when time is a concern in getting to your destination.
The estimated cost of the 4-mile long project is $155 million. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2015 with right of way acquisition in 2014.
The first phase of adding express lanes on I-295 between the Buckman Bridge and I-95 is scheduled to begin later this year.
For more information on express lanes in Northeast Florida, visit our web site at www.northfloridaexpress.com
For more information on Tuesday’s meeting, contact FDOT project manager Jim Knight at 800-749-2967, extension 7707 or by e-mail at james.knight@dot.state.fl.us
Article by Ennis Davis, AICP. Contact Ennis at edavis@moderncities.com