Writer: Gabriela Enamorado
2 min read September 2023 — Maintaining that Infrastructure keeps pace with growth is a key priority for major metropolitan areas like Jacksonville. In July, Mayor Donna Deegan presented her first budget proposal to the City Council, totaling $1.75 billion. The first-year mayor had made improving infrastructure a key pillar of her campaign and her budget proposal reflected that, with a goal of $441 million of the budget going toward infrastructure spending.
“Infrastructure is the foundation for everything,” Mayor Deegan said during the City Council meeting. “The investments we are making will improve the quality of life for every family in every district.”
Mayor Deegan is just one of the many public and private leaders that are stepping up to the plate to address infrastructure challenges. With Northeast Florida being a sprawling and car-centric community, many local leaders are focusing on projects to improve both transit-focused and walkability-focused infrastructure. Invest: explores some of the significant projects currently in the works for infrastructure improvement.
Ultimate Urban Circulator
The Ultimate Urban Circulator (U2C) is a plan to program and expand the Jacksonville Transportation Authority’s Skyway. This expansion will reach within the urban core and go through the Bay Street Innovation Corridor, with a goal of creating a better connected Downtown Jacksonville. This project is projected to be completed in Sept. 2026.
For more information on the project, click here
Emerald Trail Master Plan
The Emerald Trail Master Plan’s goal is to create an outdoor destination with 30 miles of trails, greenways and parks that encircles the urban core and creates a bridge between 14 historic neighborhoods to downtown, Hogans Creek, McCoys Creek and the St. Johns River. In addition, the trail will also link to 16 schools, two colleges and 21 parks. The trail, which is set to be completed by 2029, will be built with the goal of helping public safety with its walkable infrastructure and to help encourage a healthy lifestyle.
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Park Street Road Diet
The idea for this project is to modify the existing roadways within the Brooklyn neighborhood and help pedestrian and driver safety as well as improve bicycle connectivity. The improvements will include a two-way bicycle track, expanded sidewalks, reduced roadway widths for safer pedestrian crossing and street trees to add to the scenery. It will also have a multi-modal street that links LaVilla and Regional Transportation Center with Five Points and Riverside neighborhoods.
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First Coast Commuter Rail
While the finished product would most likely not be available for public use for at least another five years, this 38.4-mile rail is a proposed passenger rail that would connect downtown Jacksonville and downtown St. Augustine with some stops along the way. These stops include stations at Avenues Walk and Racetrack Road. The goal is to help alleviate traffic congestion between the two cities and enhance mobility options for Northeast Florida residents. As the population and employment opportunities grow between the area, there is a great need for more transit options for commuters.
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