City of Jacksonville: Parks & Recreations and Trails & Greenways Commission
I’ve been elected chairperson of both the Parks and Recreations and Trails and Greenways Commissions at their most recent meetings. Though I wasn’t looking for either appointment, I’m looking forward to the opportunity to move Jacksonville forward on recreation and bicycle/pedestrian issues.
To do that, though, I need to hear from you, the residents of Jacksonville. What do you want from the Parks and Recreations commission? From the Trails and Greenways Commission? Tell me in the comments.
Together, we’ll make Jacksonville a much more enjoyable community.
July 28th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
Sidewalks!
July 28th, 2009 at 7:29 pm
Thank you for the comment, Mr. Barmore.
Unfortunately, sidewalk construction really isn’t in the purview of the Parks and Recreation or Trails and Greenways Commissions. Sidewalks are a transportation issue.
The City is aware that there are issues with sidewalks. Older neighborhoods (Northwoods, Bayshore Estates, etc) don’t have them and the few older areas that do (down Henderson, for example) have badly constructed ones. There’s a plan (The Comprehensive Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan) that provides impetus for pedestrian improvements, unfortunately, that plan is still in the adoption process (My understanding is that Onslow County has to approve the plan, then the Eastern Region Metropolitan Planning Organization and NCDOT have to approve it). The City is using the plan when projects arise (resurfacing Hwy 17/Marine Blvd allowed for construction of crosswalks).
In addition to the lengthy approval process, there are issues with funding (the state has no budget at the moment) and territorial conflict (most of Jacksonville’s major thoroughfares are NCDOT-maintained roads).
All of that is the long way of saying there’s not going to be much movement on sidewalks in Jacksonville for a while. I would recommend that you use the citizens’ comment period at City Council meetings to ensure that the Council-members are aware of your concerns and reminded of the need for better sidewalk planning and that they need to move forward with the Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan.
July 29th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
Congrats on the appointment, Thomas. Based on what I’ve read here in the past, I know you have a passion for making the area you live in more bicycle and pedestrian friendly. I’m sure you’ll do a great job as chairperson.
August 5th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
Thomas,
Congrats on the appointment! I’m a biker myself and love the bike trails and ride on them usually every weekend! I work for the New River Foundation and one of our members and awesome volunteers, Jim Wheeler, is on the Trails and Greenway Commission!
When I lived in Wilmington they had Critical Masses the last Friday of every month and I think the area would totally benefit from us doing that. It’s a great way to get people to look out for bikers on the road and be more biker-aware!
Congrats again!
August 9th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
Delmer : Thank you for your comment and congratulations. While I didn’t campaign for either position, I’m glad to have them both and hope to use them to make Jacksonville a more livable community.
Brittany : Thank you for your comment and congratulations. There’s value in the Trails and Greenways Commission, as well as the Parks and Recreation Commission, to work with organizations such as the New River Foundation and the White Oak-New River Foundation to keep the Jacksonville-area waterways clean and usable by boaters. Jim Wheeler is a great guy and is very active in the Trails and Greenways Commission. His coordination has led to all segments of the Rails-to-Trails greenway being adopted by business sponsors and he ensures that they cleaned quarterly.
Critical Masses would by useful as long as all bicyclists acted within the law and behaved safely. I’m willing to ride any time and any where, so if you hear of an organized critical mass, please let me know. If you’re interested in rides, the Down East Cyclists’ bicycle club has several rides throughout the week and weekend. The rides vary from road-racer-level along the back roads to casual rides along the Rails-to-Trails.