Just when I thought Jacksonville couldn’t get any more Jacksonville, along comes a social media gift:
See it at: https://www.facebook.com/reel/774051122249752
The Park Street Road Diet is a $11 million, 0.6-mile corridor connecting hood and hipster. The project links the Emerald Trail’s most dicey section, LaVilla Link, to the centrally planned Brooklyn neighborhood.
Of course, after watching Scott Baldwin’s colorful critique, I had to experience it myself.
“What in the blue hell is this,” is right!
What was a four-lane half a mile stretch of road surrounded by boarded up buildings and empty lots, has been transformed into a skinny two-ish lane road with weird yellow concrete circle thingies, abnormally wide sidewalks, and trees still surrounded by boarded up buildings and empty lots.
Baldwin’s cheeky video quickly generated more than 1,500 comments reading like a group therapy session for frustrated drivers, 9.9K likes and 1.9K reposts within a few days.
Team Deegan couldn’t help themselves, clapping back by posting a scarcely seen propaganda video from July’s ribbon-cutting ceremony – yet another taxpayer funded political masterclass in manifesting greatness.
The city’s caption shamelessly claimed “It has only been a month, but we can already see the difference in the Park Street Road Diet. What was once a vehicle dominated corridor, now has increased pedestrian and bicycle connectivity while improving safety for all users.”
30 days later, the nonexistent people roaming around the empty boarded up blocks with nowhere to go and nothing to do are still $11 million safer, and we are supposed to be impressed by this circular reasoning.
The video is another attempt to wow us by showing what politicians and nonprofits can do with other people’s money, since the first time didn’t work.
During a triple digit heat advisory, Mayor Donna Deegan, Kay Ehas, CEO of Groundwork Jacksonville (the Marxist leaning nonprofit responsible for the project), and democrat Councilmen Jimmy Peluso stood in front of a group of non-minority bikers to pat themselves on the back with one hand and cut a blue ribbon with the other, signaling the end of some of consolidation’s pretend broken promises.
“This used to be a car-dominated corridor, but after a road diet, we have transformed it into a safer, more vibrant and more accessible public space. We’ve narrowed vehicle lanes, added bike accessibility, expanded sidewalks and installed enhanced crosswalks and greenery,” Deegan told the cameras.
A “road diet” is a transfer of priority usage from gasoline-powered vehicles over to people, bikes, scooters, battery-powered vehicles and public transportation in the name of safety. Eliminating cars spurs economic growth and is what the people want, or so they keep telling us.
Ehas, the Groundwork Jax lady, believes “People friendly streets also encourage smart urban development. In fact, developers advocated for the Park Street Road Diet.”
Ahh see, people who benefit from government-funded development totally want this, so sticks and stones Baldwin’s comment section.
Ehas added, “Smart development is about mixed use; residential, retail, restaurants, where you don’t need a car to get to a great destination.”
Why is walking around such a “smart” and novel idea to these people?
Baby-faced Peluso gleefully promised more government approved apartments, exercise and feelings. “We’re going to get some incredible housing projects that’s going to happen here, we’re going to see more vibrancy, we’re going to see more people walking up and down these streets, using the Emerald Trail. This is what makes a downtown vibrant and exciting.”
The video ends with the city’s logo and Deegan’s political slogan, “A New Day.”
Surly that did the trick.
Hit refresh… Uh oh.
As of publication, Team Deegan’s rebuttal received 198 likes, loves, or laughs and 83 comments, most agree with Baldwin, others dislike police brutality and the rest hate potholes.
