ScenicJax: Demand more from FDOT

[coredumped]

ScenicJax ( http://www.scenicjax.org ) was at the Mandarin meeting with councilman Matt schellenberg last night and handed out this flyer.

The picture is from the "Green Ribbon Program" in TX. If you're interested in this sort of greenscaping, they urge you to contact your councilman.

[spuwho]

This is a good idea, its helps with the noise pollution and brings visual variation to the route.

Studies have shown that adding these kinds of visual variations keep people from using their phones for texting.

Helpful in a urban context.

I am still amazed at just how many entities greater Jacksonville has at providing civic type support.

Anyway we could get them collected here on MJ?  They all seem to speak to unmet needs. Would also like to hear from their directors or boards. What drove them to form, how successful have they been, etc.

[Scarlettjax]

We need this.  The new corridor looks disgusting compared to before.  Yes, it was just a bunch of planted pines, but there were palmetto undergrowth and bays that peeked out and bloomed in the spring.  Small swamp maples and poplars added a touch of color in the fall.  Now, we have monochromatic concrete. Gonna join Scenic Jacksonville! 

[coredumped]

Agreed. When travelling to other cities our looks pretty poor.

Here's Melbourne, notice the 2 colors with texture:


And Miami:


Pensacola:


Pensacola #2 Those Blue Angels are from JAX!


And the Jax, before painting:



Can't we do better??? It's the same FDOT in all those cities, how do they pull it off?

[thelakelander]

Can't we do better??? It's the same FDOT in all those cities, how do they pull it off?

IMO, residents and politicians in other areas of the state tend to be more active on the front end, in the planning of major projects. If better looking scenery is desired, it will need to be included in the initial planning stages of projects. Here, it seems like everyone ignores all the public meetings and workshops when projects are initially proposed, instead selecting to come out of the woodworks when all the trees come down and bland infrastructure materials start going up. Thus, the answer is for the community to get actively engaged years before construction begins.

[southsider1015]

FDOTree.  Google it. 

Also, this FDOT district lets landscaping contracts separate from its construction contracts.  So sure, that unpainted noise wall looks ungodly compared the first pic posted.  But that job is still under construction, and when completed, a separate contract will address landscaping. 

[RattlerGator]

Hmmmmm. I recognize the OP was about the utilization of more native plants/trees/greenery but if it turns out the follow-on comments were premature bitching and moaning from people who should know better -- damn. If it turns out this was a rank presumption of other places in Florida more advanced than Jax -- damn.

And that is likely what it's going to turn out to be, is it not? Come on, people. I mean . . . damn!, it's embarrassing. There seems to be some serious jumping of the gun.

[tufsu1]

Also, this FDOT district lets landscaping contracts separate from its construction contracts.  So sure, that unpainted noise wall looks ungodly compared the first pic posted.  But that job is still under construction, and when completed, a separate contract will address landscaping. 

pretty much all the districts do that.  And District Two is getting better.  But to quote the District Two Secretary last year - "we don't do pretty"

[I-10east]

I guess that I'll start chiseling a bunch of Main Street Bridge silhouettes all into the local interstate infrastructure; Voila! problem will soon be solved!!!

[southsider1015]

Also, this FDOT district lets landscaping contracts separate from its construction contracts.  So sure, that unpainted noise wall looks ungodly compared the first pic posted.  But that job is still under construction, and when completed, a separate contract will address landscaping. 

pretty much all the districts do that.  And District Two is getting better.  But to quote the District Two Secretary last year - "we don't do pretty"

Greg said that?  Publicly?  Source?  Or just an out-of-context comment made about a specific tree or wall?