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Jacksonville Beach Urban Trails Project
March 2025 Updates - Survey Results
- Attachment 1 - Comments Supporting the Project
- Attachment 2 - Comments Opposing the Project
- Attachment 3 - Comments Neutral to the Project
- Attachment 4 - Comments to change from Oppose to Neutral
- Attachment 5 - Comments on Concerns about the Project
- Attachment 6 - Additional Comments
- Attachment 7 - Response Summary by Street Name
- Response Analysis - Urban Trails Survey
January 2024 Updates
Documents below are provided, as requested, in response to our Public Meetings in December 2023
December 2023 Updates
December 14, 2023 Update
Thank you to everyone who attended the meetings on December 14. City staff is working to get answers to questions and concerns by the end of January, 2024.
December 1, 2023 Update
We will be holding two community meetings on December 13 from 4:30 - 6:00 PM and 6:00 - 7:30 PM at the Jacksonville Beach Parks and Rec Community Center. Join us for a presentation and viewing session for the Construction Design Plans for the Jacksonville Beach Urban Trails. Presentations from Jacksonville Beach Staff and consultants from CHW will be followed by a time for questions and the ability to see the Urban Trails plans on display.
Urban Trails Construction Design Plans
August 2023 Update
Surveyors have completed their survey of the first four corridors and have provided them to the Urban Trails design consultant. The design process for these corridors is expected to be completed by January 2024.
The city will be holding community meetings at certain stages of the designs for each of the four corridors. Before these meetings, the city will reach out to the residents surrounding each corridor and seek further input. If you would like additional information, please call 904-247-6236 to speak to our Parks and Recreation Department.
- Is the Urban Trails Master Plan available to the public?
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Yes, a copy of the Master Plan is available on the City’s website by clicking here.
- What is the Urban Trails Project?
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The Jacksonville Beach Urban Trails Project is an ambitious plan to connect every neighborhood to a high-quality shared-use path network that provides a safe, intuitive, and comfortable way to walk, run, bike or skate to the beach, parks, schools, shops, jobs and other destinations. The plan will allow residents and visitors of all ages and abilities new, viable recreational and travel choices.
- Did the public have any input on the project?
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Yes. The plan is a culmination of community, stakeholder, staff input, and the latest planning and design practices. Public input provided a clear list of goals and objectives for the project and became the basis for concept designs and routing.
Public meetings were held on the following dates:
- October 27, 2021
- December 1, 2021
- January 12, 2022
- January 26, 2022
- February 9, 2022
- February 23, 2022
- Will motorized vehicles be permitted?
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No, it is our intention not to allow motorized vehicles on the trail.
- Why is the trail being built on my side of the street?
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Our Consultants are seeking the most favorable routes that provide lowest overall costs and fewest conflicts with utilities and other obstacles. Included in consideration of trail locations are: width of public right-of-way, location of existing walkways, utilities and drainage etc.
- Will there be signage?
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Yes, the City intends to brand the Urban Trail System with directional signs and maps throughout the network.
- Will these corridors have lighting?
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Each corridor will be evaluated based on public safety.
- Will there be additional landscaping along the corridors?
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Yes, City staff is working on landscape designs for the network. Installation will coincide with completion of constructed corridors.
- What will happen to my paver driveway?
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Paver driveway aprons will be removed for the installation of the urban trail. Upon completion of the concrete trail, the pavers will be replaced between the street and the trail and between the trail and private property line. Adjustments to the driveway slopes may have to be done to ensure proper drainage. The City standards for paver driveways were updated in October 2023; click here to view them.
- Will I lose additions I have made in the right-of-way adjacent to my home? Including landscaping, fencing, irrigation, parking gravel and/or pavers?
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We understand there are many home owners within Jacksonville Beach who may currently be utilizing City right-of-way (ROW) for various reasons. While most instances of this usage does require a revocable encroachment permit, which states the City may take this property back at any time, we anticipate working with property owners to accommodate urban trail installations the best way possible.
- What is the rule - when bikes and people are using one path coming from different directions?
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The City plans to utilize signage to facilitate a safe, easily understood use. As is the standard with current sidewalks, we would reference City Code of Ordinances Section 31-5: A person propelling a bicycle upon and along a sidewalk, or across a roadway upon and along a crosswalk, shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian and shall give an audible signal before overtaking and passing such pedestrian.
- How do I find out how much of the right of way is going to be utilized?
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The width of the urban trail will vary along each corridor. Many factors will be taken into consideration when making this determination including: the width of public right-of-way, location of existing walkways, utility location, drainage considerations, etc.
- What is the timeline for this project?
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We anticipate construction to begin in the summer of 2024 for the first four corridors, which includes 15th Avenue North, 8th & 9th Ave North, 4th Avenue North, and Jacksonville Drive.
Completion of the entire Urban Trail Network will take several years and is dependent on annual budget appropriations.
- Has the City considered the impact the urban trail may have on drainage, particularly in areas prone to flooding?
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Yes, drainage is a key factor in the development of the urban trail project. We are making sure drainage will remain in the roadway area, away from private property. Public Works manages drainage by considering volume of a 24 hour, 25 year event. The amount of sidewalk and blacktop utilized for roadways and pedestrian transportation do not negatively affect the drainage calculations.
- Does the calculation of lot coverage for private property include the right-of-way?
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No, that calculation of lot coverage for private property does not include the right-of-way.
- Has the City considered the impact the urban trail may have on drainage, particularly in areas prone to flooding?
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Yes, drainage is a key factor in the development of the urban trail project. We are making sure drainage will remain in the roadway area, away from private property. Public Works manages drainage by considering volume of a 24 hour, 25 year event. The amount of sidewalk and blacktop utilized for roadways and pedestrian transportation do not negatively affect the drainage calculations.
- Does the calculation of lot coverage for private property include the Right-of-Way?
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No, the calculation of lot coverage for private property does NOT include the Right-of-Way.
2022 Updates
The City of Jacksonville Beach is excited to embark on an Urban Trails Master Plan Project!
- Click here to view the Urban Trails Master Plan Final Report.
- Click here to view the Urban Trails Map Plan by segment.
Mayor Chris Hoffman says, "This long-awaited, highly anticipated project is a great way to showcase our beautiful city! We know that making Jacksonville Beach more accessible is a big desire of our residents and will offer them, and visitors alike, a great way to get around without having to drive."
The Urban Trails project kicked off with a meeting between City Staff, developers, and consultants in September of 2021.
On December 1, 2021, a presentation was given to the public with our professional consultants CHW, ADG, and AYERS that identified preliminary corridors and visions of the trail network.
You can view the presentation below or by visiting our Youtube Page by clicking here.
Click here Version OptionsUrban Trails Master Plan ProjectHeadlineto view a PDF of the presentation document.
You can view the 6th Community meeting for the Urban Trails Master Plan Project on YouTube by clicking here, or watching, below.