by David Chapman
Staff Writer
A Friday deadline looms for Florida to accept $2.4 billion in federal funds for the Orlando-Tampa high-speed rail project, but regardless of its outcome, efforts are under way that could lead to Jacksonville becoming a player in the system.
A study originated by the Georgia Department of Transportation began last month to explore the possibility of high-speed rail from Atlanta to Jacksonville, said James Boyle, Jacksonville Transportation Authority senior planner.
Boyle said Jacksonville is considered the Florida gateway in the Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor.
Boyle serves as the Jacksonville liaison for the study and told members of the Northeast Florida Regional Transportation Study Commission about the high-speed rail status.
Boyle said the study would likely take around a year to complete.
“While the rest of Florida has stopped, we are still actively planning,” said Boyle.
The information was part of a larger presentation highlighting transit initiatives for the two-year commission, which is charged with exploring the framework of a regional transportation network.
The 20-member commission consists of representatives of Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau, Putnam and St. Johns counties and was legislatively charged with working toward possible creation of a regional transportation authority.
It’s expected that such an authority would make it easier to acquire federal funding for regional transportation projects.
Boyle’s presentation was one of several for commission members. Other presentations included overviews about transportation funding, project creation and completion and ongoing planning.
The commission will have two subcommittees, for planning and for finance/governance.
The planning committee began to take shape Wednesday. Commission Chair Michael Cavendish, who chairs the Jacksonville Transportation Authority, appointed Clay County Commissioner Doug Conkey to lead that panel.
Conkey will be joined with representatives from each of the counties along with noncommission members with expertise in the planning and transportation field.
The planning committee will “develop a draft of regional transportation elements … on goals, objectives and elements of a regional transportation plan for consideration” by the full committee.
The planning committee will meet at 9 a.m. March 30 at the Ed Ball Building Downtown.
The committee roster will be filled in the coming weeks.
The governance and finance committee will be formed in the fall.
The full commission will not meet again until May, but members will stay engaged through the planning committee and several planned workshops, said Brad Thoburn, project director.
The workshops should being in April.
356-2466