Port of Fernandina accounts for 4% of city truck traffic

Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm

Reporter - News Analyst

October 26, 2015 9:50 a.m.

The North Florida Transportation Planning Organization recently released a truck circulation study reportedly done at a cost of $50,000 to update and evaluate the existing traffic and truck levels on the local arterial intersections of the City of Fernandina Beach. The study evaluated truck traffic destined for and generated by the Port of Fernandina, Rayonier Advanced Materials and WestRock.

The information below is taken from that 14-page study which is available from the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization, www.northfloridatpo.com.

There were eight intersections studied along A1A (8^th Street) and five along 14^th Street (SR 105). Twelve 48-hour classification counts were collected on May 12-14 and May 19-20, 2015, along with one 5-day classification count the week of May 12 (8^th Street suth of Sadler Road). A second week of data (7days) was collected at 8^th Street south of Sadler Road during the week of June 2, which enabled a comparison of traffic volumes when school was in session versus when it was out of session. The May data was slightly higher than June, when comparing the same day of the week.

Weekend daily traffic in both weeks was lower than the weekday daily traffic, and the May and June Saturday traffic volumes were similar.

The AM peak hour was identified as 7:15-8:15, while the PM peak hour was from 2:45-3:45.

The analysis indicated that a majority of the truck traffic utilizes 8^th Street/SR A1A as opposed to 14^th Street/SR 105. Eighty-three percent of the total daily trucks at the main access point of the island network used the 8^th Street/SR A1A link north of Sadler Road, while 17 percent utilized the Sadler Road link east of 8^th Street/SR A1A. A large decrease in truck traffic occurs north of Gum Street (83% drops to 57%), reflecting the traffic heading west on Gum Street to Rayonier Advanced Materials.

The next industrial site northwards and west of 8^th Street is the Port of Fernandina. Four percent of the total daily trucks traveling into the study area (90 trucks per day) were observed on Dade Street west of 8^th Street.

WestRock, the final industrial site in the study area, received the remaining 48 percent of the truck traffic.

AADT = Average Annual Daily Traffic

The study concludes that “truck traffic generated by the Port of Fernandina [is] minimal and it can be assumed it may not adversely impact the traffic operations within the study area.”

Note that Table 2 shows trucks accounting for a small percentage of total vehicular traffic transiting the study area.

Editor's Note: Suanne Z. Thamm is a native of Chautauqua County, NY, who moved to Fernandina Beach from Alexandria,VA, in 1994. As a long time city resident and city watcher, she provides interesting insight into the many issues that impact our city. We are grateful for Suanne's many contributions to the Fernandina Observer.