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Jacksonville SkywayThe Jacksonville Skyway is a monorail system built in the 1990s in Jacksonville, Florida, run by the Jacksonville Transportation Authority. The track is 2.5 miles long and connects the two halves of downtown Jacksonville. Each train can have from 2 to 6 cars. The system goes 35 miles per hour and crosses the St. Johns River via the Acosta Bridge. History The idea of a "people mover" in Jacksonville dates back at least to a 1971 report for the Jacksonville Area Planning Board. Work began on a traditional rail version in the late 1980s, but it was scrapped when the monorail system was opened. The first leg opened December 15, 1997; the second phase, including the river crossing, on October 30, 1998; and the third phase on November 1, 2000. The Skyway was the project of Mayor Ed Austin. He believed that such a system would revitalize downtown Jacksonville, which has been suffering from economic hardship for the last half of the century. Conflicts The Skyway is one of the biggest points of contention in Jacksonville. Many critics say it goes from "Nowhere to Nowhere." According to figures from the Jacksonville Transportation Authority, average weekday ridership in 2002 was 2,871, about 5 percent above the previous year's figure. The agency's goal is 5,000 average weekday riders by 2005. See also External links
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