by David Chapman
Staff Writer
In what proponents believe will further link Northeast Florida to the global economy, the first phase of a comprehensive regional plan was presented Thursday to the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization.
The study, the “North Florida Freight, Logistics and Intermodal Plan,” was presented by Ron Ratliff, RS&H executive vice president.
It detailed the first phase of a comprehensive regional plan to identify freight database development and market trends and pinpoint immediate critical transportation system deficiencies.
The first phase, which is the only part currently funded, will run through next summer.
The purpose, said Ratliff, is to help Northeast Florida keep pace with its competition across Florida and the Southeast.
“It’s a subject I’m very passionate about,” said Ratliff.
“This region has always been a transportation hub. It needs interconnectivity,” he said.
The freight database and market trends will include a commodity flow database while identifying industry best practices and transportation and freight policies, among other factors.
The study features the ports of Jacksonville and Fernandina; military and private ports; rail service, including CSX, Norfolk Southern and Florida East Coast Railway; intermodal rail terminals; Jacksonville International Airport; and the regional highway system.
A future phase of the study will look at long-range infrastructure and policy needs as well as short-range needs in the work program.
Along with RS&H, Cambridge Systematics Inc. and Martin Associates form the consulting team on the study.
In other news from the meeting:
• The board approved a resolution first discussed last month that supports the designation of the Cecil Field Spaceport. The support allows for further opportunity for North Florida TPO to allocate funds on projects such as Cecil Commerce Parkway, New World Avenue and its entrance, along with projects connecting the spaceport to other entities. “It’s not going to compete with anything yet (for funds),” said Jeff Sheffield, North Florida TPO executive director, “but it puts it in the pipeline.”
• The board approved Intelligent Transportation Projects funding recommendations for the next several years, beginning with $700,000 for fiscal 2011-12 followed by $1 million each for fiscal 2012-13 and 2013-14.
For the coming year, projects include $50,000 for installation of equipment on Beach Boulevard that will connect the Beaches to the rest of the signal system and network. In addition, $560,000 will go toward fiberoptic installation from Blanding Boulevard to the Clay County facility at Sleepy Hollow. Currently, the system uses DSL that is now obsolete. The last project funded in the coming year will be installation of intelligent transportation cameras in the Fernandina area along State Road 200.
• The next meeting will be Dec. 9, when board members will elect new officers for the coming year.
356-2466