By David Hodges, Vice President and Transportation Chair, Argyle Area Civic Council

The Argyle Area Civic Council met with anyone who would sit still on this issue for more than one year. Our goal was to determine if this project would be able to be a cost efficient solution to traffic woes along the Blanding Parking Lot (a/k/a SR21).

Here's what we found:
1. It was supposed to assist Argyle traffic to get across the lanes of Blanding traffic to turn east onto Wells Rd.
That was it, pure and simple. Here's what else we found:
1. It would allow 1.5 more cars to cross Blanding at Wells Rd per light cycle.
2. It was designed to cost $11,000,000 to construct.
3. In arriving at the cost, they forgot that Argyle Forrest Blvd would be elevated by as much as eight feet at their designed intersection point, at the entrance to Lindsey Terrace Apartments. The new cost estimate for this bridge across wetlands would approach $16,000,000.
4. They had not considered the effect of Oak Leaf Plantation and the new malls and eateries that would siphon off Argyle traffic from wanting to go to Wells Road.
5. They had not factored in the effect of the Cleveland Rd. Connector (aka College Drive Extension) and the relief it would provide to those needing to use AFB to get to Blanding Blvd southward.
6. They had not factored in the reduced traffic on Blanding based on the Branan Field/Chaffee opening and were relying on old data.
7. They had not factored in the effect of the Collins Rd. Interchange at I-295 on Blanding Blvd traffic counts.
8. We suggested approval for an intersection with AFB at Westport.

THEREFORE, when the AACC factored in all the above, it unanimously voted to de-prioritize the Wells Road Connector as a far less than efficient use of transportation dollars and to PUSH hard for the following as priority
items:
1. The interchange at Collins Rd and I-295, and
2. The Cleveland Road Connector (aka College Road Extension).
3. The extension of Collins Road all the way to Branan Field/Chaffee Rd.


By David Hodges,TransportationChair

Wells Road Connector - Part 2

The Department of Transportation agreed with our figures that 35% of the cars exiting I-295 at Blanding would use the Collins Interchange if it were available. That's THE road project that will relieve traffic on Blanding.
The AACC is pushing to have the interchange built in 2006. We believe this is possible.
The Cleveland Road Connector is listed as the #1 priority in Clay County, and for good reason. It will open up lanes of passage for the OakLeaf Plantation shoppers and the Argyle shoppers to goods and services in Clay
County and to the St. Johns River Jr. College campus while spreading out the use of Blanding.
The use of Collins Rd will be important to the newly growing Cecil Commerce Center and give them a new route to I-295 southbound. It would also provide a new route to I-295 from south Clay County. Currently, Mandarin shoppers do not have a large mall. They can choose to go to the Avenues, Orange Park or Regency malls and have good routes to get there. The Oak Leaf Mall will be larger than any of these and will attract Mandarin and San Jose when it opens. The only deterrent to shopping at OakLeaf and Orange Park malls will be traffic slowdowns.

Come on people, let's get the right projects done first. Even if we have surplus money left over, the Wells Road Connector still isn't an efficient use of tax dollars. Can you see it?

David ''Magnum'' Hodges, Chair, AACC Transportation committee,
Jacksonville, Fl. ftc@fdn.com (904) 237-5917


By David Hodges,TransportationChair