FIRST COAST COMMUTER RAIL TOD STUDY | EXISTING CONDITIONS
FIRST COAST COMMUTER RAIL TOD STUDY | EXISTING CONDITIONS
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TYPES OF STATION FUNCTIONALITY
LEVERAGING EXISTING INVESTMENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES Throughout the FEC rail corridor, there have already been plans and investments that integrate innovative and emerging transportation technologies to solve mobility issues. These areas and districts are prime locations to leverage the efforts underway to support station area connectivity and fill in multimodal gaps in the transportation system. Ultimate Urban Circulator (U2C) and Bay Street Innovation Corridor The U2C project converts the existing Skyway automated people mover from its existing tracks to an automated vehicle system, expanding the existing service 10 miles to connect into nearby neighborhoods and communities. The U2C offers connectivity throughout the Downtown Jacksonville and San Marco station locations identified along the FEC corridor. The project serves 10 distinct core neighborhoods with the West Corridor, Southwest Corridor, North Corridor, Downtown, East Corridor, and South Bank/San Marco Corridor. The West Corridor, Southwest Corridor, and Downtown are all within the Downtown Jacksonville station area. The South Bank/ San Marco Corridor is within the area of the San Marco Station Area. The first phase of the U2C expansion involves automated vehicles along the Bay Street Innovation Corridor (BSIC) to connect to Market Street, the Shipyards, and the Sports Complex. The BSIC integrates smart technologies such as intersections that are smart and connected with dynamic signals, pedestrian sensors, flood warning sensors and power consumption reduction, and an integrated data exchange system. Smart North Florida Smart North Florida is a non-profit organization that came from the North Florida TPO Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) program for Clay, Duval and St. Johns Counties. The organization is a coalition of several member agencies and councils that focuses its resources on regional collaboration, data coordination and smart technology to foster economic competitiveness, sustainability and quality of life. Coalition members include: » JEA
more efficient use of parking supply by notifying AVs where the nearest available parking is located. Such communication is possible today through existing CV technology without a fully automated vehicle. If AVs are owned by a shared entity, such as TNC operators, vehicles may not need to park after dropping off a passenger, rather the shared AV would move on to serve another user. It is also possible that a privately-owned AV will not be required to park in a public space but could return to the owner’s residence. Signage and Signalization AVs and CVs will be able over time to declutter roadways by reducing the need for traffic signs and traffic signals in station areas. In the future, information previously given to drivers (through traffic signs, speed limits, road signs, and stop signs) can be transmitted to the vehicle through V2I sensors. AVs can then adjust their speed, direction, or route according to the information provided by the V2I signs. Even lane striping could eventually be phased out once vehicles can sense where other vehicles are on the road. V2I and V2V (Vehicle to Vehicle) technology could also contribute to the replacement of some traffic signals over time. Pedestrian/Bicycle Interface While AVs have the potential to improve the function of roadway systems, one view is that AVs have the potential to make pedestrian and bike travel in an integrated operating environment more complicated. This is because over time greater use of AVs could allow for reduced need for traffic signs and even signals in certain location, which typically are provided to enhance vehicle, pedestrian, and bicycle safety. However, AVs will have comprehensive collision warning systems in place to mitigate conflicts among modes. On the other hand, because AVs require less urban space than traditional vehicles the technology offers the opportunity for the development of high quality, segregated pedestrian/ bicycle infrastructure. AVs will likely require regular drop-off and pick-up zones along most corridors. Depending on their design and location, these areas could fragment pedestrian/ bicycle networks and make travel via these modes more complicated. Properly designed streetscapes in station areas that provide for safe entry and exit drop-off and pickup movements with properly signed and striped transition areas for pedestrian and bicyclists will be needed. One advantage of direct drop-off and pick-up areas will be that pedestrians will not have to travel as far with less exposure to other modes to get to their final destination.
Accommodations for AVs at transit stations and surrounding TOD will vary based on the designated function of a transit station. If a station primarily generates trips destined to another area it is an origin station. If a station primarily accepts trips from elsewhere, with substantial transfers required to serve final destinations, it is a destination station. At origin stations, outside of the walk-up rider potential from TOD near a station, there is a dependence on providing for park-n-ride and feeder bus access to stations. This will require greater provision for longer sections of exclusive lanes for AVs accessing the station to the extent possible and designated smaller scale footprints at stations to accommodate park-n-ride demand. Auto, bus and TNC drop-off facilities will also need to be expanded and segregated. At destination stations, while there is always some potential for TOD, there is an increased reliance on providing transfer opportunities to allow riders to get off the train and get on another mode to get to their final destination. In this case, outside of walking to a destination, transfers to a neighborhood circulator, JTA fixed-route bus, or TNC service needs to be provided. In this scenario, because of the shorter trip length to make the final leg of a trip (longer regional bus trips being the exception), a more localized application of dedicated lanes for AVs would be desirable. A good example of a destination station in the proposed FCCR corridor would be at a San Marco Station, where beyond walking, local bus or TNC transfers would be required to serve the nearby high employment in the Southbank area. For either an origin or destination station, providing separated direct access and circulation provisions for AVs as opposed to general traffic will be important in design.
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FCCR TOD
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