There is a significant amount of dialogue and debate regarding the need to improve the element of transportation within and to our urban core. Between the JTA Bus Rapid Transit plan and DIA redevelopment meetings, there are many individuals working toward an improved, innovative transportation solution. But I would like to stretch your the perception of our urban connectivity.
There are many options to get around Downtown Jacksonville. I’m going to dispel some of the assumptions about our lack of connectivity within Downtown with my experiences during Florida-Georgia weekend. The day began walking across the street (allow me to reiterate, I walked across the street) to ride the Jacksonville Water Taxi over to Metropolitan Park Marina after my husband’s weekly Saturday golf.
After enjoying a few tailgates, we decided to seek out a late lunch and jumped onto a bike taxi/rickshaw to Burrito Gallery. With our grande burrito take-out, we walked home over the Main Street Bridge. We then watched most of the game from home before we walked (again) across the street to have dinner at Chart House.
At the same time, game revelers were moving about Downtown, we finished dinner and headed to the Florida Theatre for Hugh Laurie and The Copper Bottom Band concert via a traditional automobile taxi. The jazz infused Cajun and blues music was awesome for those who did not know about the performance.
To finish the full, diverse Downtown day, we walked home once again over the Main Street Bridge. Living Downtown, we experienced all of this so easily in one day: three types of taxis, Florida-Georgia football, lunch, dinner, concert and two walks over the bridge.
Jacksonville is working on urban connectivity, and it will get even better than it already is – come try it out!
~ Terry Durand-Stuebben, Downtown resident and advocate
Read other posts by Terry in our “Downtown Residents” blog section.