JACKSONVILLE INTERMODAL CENTER

Jacksonville has established itself as an important regional center for commerce, culture and activity in the southeast United States. The area is served by an extensive regional highway system that is complemented by a variety of intercity and local transportation modes. Continued growth and development demonstrate the economic vitality of Jacksonville but also pose a two-fold challenge to this area: Uniting the individual services and facilities into a coordinated transportation system is necessary to capture the benefits of improved circulation of people and goods for the transportation users, transportation operators and the community. Integrating the transportation system with major land use development is essential to the continued economic health of the Jacksonville region. An intermodal center has been recommended to enable the Jacksonville area to address these challenges. The Jacksonville Intermodal Center Planning Study, conducted for the Jacksonville Transportation Authority, analyzed the feasibility of such a facility considering both the conceptual configuration and also alternative locations of sitting an intermodal center. The Jacksonville Intermodal Center is currently in the Project Development & Environmental Study phase with the Florida Department of Transportation serving as the lead agency. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how an intermodal center can be used to serve as a catalyst for urban revitalization while at the same time providing system linkage between local and regional transportation modes.