Classic Chevys in Jacksonville

In the past year, I have seen several classic Chevrolet vehicles in Jacksonville, and as I continue to see them, I will add photos and descriptions. While most older Chevys you see around here are stranded on the side of the road, some still look the way they did on the showroom floor. 

Jacksonville's 630 City Online Guide - Now MyJAX

I wrote an article about using JAx 630City before, and it worked for me. A year later, my neighbor still has a broken recycling bin, and I am tempted to just fill out the form for him, but I'd rather teach local Jacksonville neighbors to fish than hand them a fish. In the spirit of trying to get you to do your own part in requesting services for which you pay (and help keep the city looking nice), here's a quick guide to what services you can ask for from the city of Jacksonville.

Solar Panels Made in Jax and Installed by Local Crew

The title says it all. That's what I want, assuming I have the summer I am planning with work. We often talk about going local when it comes to produce, and there was always some talk of it back in Milwaukee (Harley-Davidson / Miller Brewing / Allen Edmonds / Koss / Master Lock / Generac...). But the South isn't a manufacturing hotbed, and I don't know if there's a commitment to go local when it comes to manufactured goods. In fact, going through the list of top employers, there's barely anything made here that's also for consumers (some business to business stuff). I guess SeaRay boats, but my cousin's husband works for Mercury Marine (Orlando area) and I don't want to own a boat. However, I do want to own solar panels, so when can that happen?

JEA Bill Flyer FAIL - River Clean Up, World Water Day, and a Free Tree

What do World Water Day and St. Johns River Cleanup Day have in common? Both of them were mentioned in my JEA bill flyer that I received on 3/29/2018 and that was billed on 3/23/2018. Actually, an Arbor Day free tree giveaway for Jax was also mentioned, so that's cool. The problem is, since these events had already taken place by the time I got the flyer, I participated in none of the events.

What is Your Quest? Crossing Jax Bridges

I was looking at some traffic data to see how busy my area of Jacksonville is when I came across the FDOT data for the area. After some playing around on the website, trying to find the busiest roads, I noticed that the bridges of Duval County are anything but serene. Let's do the math and figure out what it all means.

Based on 2016 data, here are the average daily traffic numbers for Jacksonville's bridges, starting from the north, including two bridges over the Trout River (first two) and three on the Ortega River. 107500 , 12900 , 73861, 72500, 52000, 12200, 30000, 159500, 5400, 43500, 22500, 137000, 47500. 

That's 776361 major bridge crossings per day, not including those over the Intracoastal. Actually, let's add those in. 23000, 51000, 42509, and 65500 = 958,370.

That means there are more major bridge crossings per day by vehicles than people in Jacksonville, or even Duval County. So what does it all mean? First, there's a lot of water here. Second, bridges must cost us a lot of money. Third, there must be a huge number of people who do not live in Duval County who use the bridges.

Jacksonville Can Save Billions With One Clever Switcheroo

I think this is perfectly legal for Jacksonville to do, and it's an idea that could save the city billions of dollars over the next generation. Actually, it's so clever that someone will try to stop it from happening, so me writing about it is kind of dangerous. Except I can't get anyone in local government to answer emails, so I guess the internet gets to benefit from my ultimate brainstorm about JEA.

Jobless Miss Jones, Action News Jax Explain Joblessness Situation

"I think the city's lacking a lot of jobs right now. We have a lot of jobs in one industry or the other."

In a story on Action News Jax discussing the city's desire to bring in a new company that would potentially create 800 jobs, the above quote was used to reinforce something or the other. The interviewee, Kallie or Mindy or Kitty Jones, seemed to agree that Jax needs a new company in town--Project Volt.

Takeaways From Recent Power Posts

I read two very long articles recently about power in Florida, and it gave me a better understanding of the state of the state, though I'm still a bit concerned about whether it means anything to me or JEA. One article was specifically about Florida and the other was about the nation, but both make a difference for us in the Sunshine State.

Can We Build Our Way Out Of Traffic Congestion in Jacksonville?

One of the more interesting college classes I ever took was Urban Planning 141, taught for a semester by Mayor John O. Norquist of Milwaukee. One class that seems to apply to Jacksonville was a debate between the former county supervisor and a train guru, wherein the two argued whether or not you could build your way out of traffic with roads.

Jacksonville, FL - The Worst Drinking Water?

You've probably seen the top 10 list of cities with the worst drinking water. Like the list that says Floridians are the worst drivers, this list is also flawed. Here's my explanation on my family blog.