St. Augustine gets federal funding for downtown shuttle, more upgrades
St. Augustine’s mobility plans recently got a more than $15 million boost.
Through federal and state funding, the city will lead a project to add technology for parking, crosswalks, electric vehicles and more, city Public Works Director Reuben Franklin Jr. said. The city is also preparing to launch a free shuttle downtown with the help of Florida Department of Transportation funds.
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Aside from the shuttle project, the grant funds are coming from the federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity program and a state match, Franklin said.
According to Franklin and a news release from the US Department of Transportation, the funds will provide, among other things:
- Flood sensors to bring real-time flooding data to the city.
- Dynamic messaging signs that will let travelers know if the city parking garage is full and if a shuttle is running.
- Six mid-block rectangular rapid-flashing beacons in areas with high pedestrian traffic.
- Automatic detection of pedestrians and bicycles.
- Longer walk times for people with “low mobility.”
- “Smart lighting sensors at three mid-block crossings.”
- “Audible pedestrian countdown signals at about 23 locations.”
The funding should become available in July 2023, Franklin said.
The city plans to put a new crosswalk on May Street at Magnolia Avenue and a crosswalk to the city marina that would be accessible to people with disabilities. The marina crosswalk would be on the bayfront south of the existing crosswalk at King Street, Franklin said.
Circulator shuttle comes from a separate funding batch
The city’s circulator shuttle is coming from a separate batch of funding. The Florida Department of Transportation is putting in $1 million to provide the startup funding, Franklin said.
Slated to launch in October, the free shuttle is expected to make a loop starting at the clock tower near the St. Augustine Visitor Information Center at 10 S. Castillo Drive.
From there, the shuttle is expected to follow this route: left on Orange Street, right on the bayfront, right on Cathedral Place next to the Plaza de la Constitucion, right on Cordova Street and back to the tower.
Franklin said he’s feeling positive about the city’s mobility program, and there are several projects moving along.
“We’ve got funding in place for revamping King Street. We’re in discussions about a new parking garage at the Broudy site (US 1 and West King Street). And we’ve implemented a mobility fee, and we’re about to launch a circulator also with DOT funding,” he said.
US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg made the announcement Thursday about the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity funding, which includes $85.8 million “for five projects in Florida to modernize transportation and make it more affordable, increase safety and strengthen supply chains,” according to the release.
“St. Augustine receives an estimated 6 million visitors annually, and according to the grant application, 53% of the city’s population lives in areas of persistent poverty,” according to the release. “Over 20% of those residents are employed in tourism-related jobs in the downtown historic district, but tourism is threatened by congestion and mobility challenges that discouraged visitors.
“Smart parking and bicycle amenities, among other improvements, will facilitate tourist access. The pedestrian safety improvements, such as audible countdown signals, also address equity as they will assist students who attend the St. Augustine Florida School for the Deaf (and the) Blind, the largest school in the nation for hearing impaired students.”