FIRST COAST COMMUTER RAIL TOD STUDY | INTRODUCTION
FIRST COAST COMMUTER RAIL TOD STUDY | INTRODUCTION
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THE FCCR TOD STUDY STUDY BACKGROUND The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) proposed First Coast Commuter Rail (FCCR) project is the first of its kind in Northeast Florida. The 38.4-mile corridor would connect downtown Jacksonville to St. Augustine, providing new rail transit service for the employment, education, and health care needs of the community. The FCCR is one of many major proposed projects to mitigate traffic congestion in the region. Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) is a planning and design process focused on integrating land use and transportation, by strategically maximizing residential, business, retail, and leisure spaces adjacent to public transportation infrastructure. TOD principles are intended to densify land uses around stations and enhance accessibility to transit while boosting economic development opportunities and creating more walkable and sustainable communities. This comprehensive TOD
STUDY VISION STATEMENT
Planning Study (TOD Study) examines opportunities at select station areas along the FCCR corridor, to successfully implement TOD and enhance the overall viability of the transportation investment. The TOD Study’s purpose is to evaluate the functionality of the proposed stations for TOD and identify specific opportunities and needs to attract context-sensitive and transit-centric private development, as well as build relationships between agencies, developers, and the surrounding communities. The FCCR TOD Study will include transportation and market analysis, a vision for each station, station area plans, recommendations for implementation, infrastructure needs, and next steps to define economic investment and opportunity around station areas. A key objective of this study is to provide the steps needed to create a more sustainable and resilient multimodal transportation network for Northeast Florida.
Engaging the public and the private sector, and building on market and transportation analyses, the outcome of the TOD Study will present the full potential of transit investment in support of the following project goals: » Enhance economic development and transit ridership; » Facilitate multimodal connectivity and accessibility; » Increase access to transit from non-motorized transportation; » Enable mixed-used development; » Identify infrastructure needs; and » Facilitate both public and private sector involvement in the TOD planning process.
The JTA envisions a fully optimized commuter rail system that will be a transformative catalyst for growth in northern Florida. TOD is a key component of such optimization and will be a major social and economic driver for attracting residents and employment to the region. Implementing TOD along the FCCR corridor will be made through the enhancement and concentration of transit-supportive land uses, densities, and public realm improvements around select station locations. The development of each station area will present a vision for density and land use mix appropriate for its context that creates an accessible and connected community guided by varying levels of development strategies based on estimated and desired growth.
FCCR TOD STUDY GOALS
Enhance economic development and transit ridership
Facilitate multimodal connectivity and accessibility
Increase access to transit from non-motorized transportation
Enable mixed-used development
Identify infrastructure needs
Facilitate both public and private sector involvement in the TOD planning process
Figure 1-1: DOWNTOWN JACKSONVILLE (UPPER) & ST. AUGUSTINE (LOWER)
Figure 1-2: FCCR TOD STUDY PROJECT GOALS
FCCR TOD
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