One could reasonably argue that Delaney's ambitious proposal is a dream come true for road builders and developers. In pushing the plan, the mayor's staff argues that the road work is aimed at relieving congestion on existing roads. It's not meant, they say, to encourage more development, although almost as an aside they will add that it would be foolish to think that there won't be more cars on the roads. It's the aside that is closer to reality, and the question has to be asked if the massive amount of road projects won't just spur more rampant development that will clog the roads once again.
Experience teaches that the answer is no.
Consider a road such as San Jose Boulevard. Not many years ago, it was widened to relieve congestion. It became congested again. It will open up large areas of Duval and Clay counties, and eventually St. Johns County, to development and likely will become the Butler Boulevard of the future. Already one developer is planning 750 single-family homes on 480 acres near Chaffee Road and Cecil Field and another 259 homes on 200 acres nearby.