Port truck study meets resistance over neighborhood routes; OHPA favors better signs

FERNANDINA BEACH - The Ocean Highway and Port Authority on Wednesday favored improved truck route signs, corrected GPS directions and better driver education over two proposals that could change truck traffic patterns around the Port of Fernandina.

Opening a section of Calhoun Street to truck traffic and constructing a staging area near the WestRock mill drew opposition during a presentation of a traffic study commissioned through the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization (TPO).

The discussion followed an earlier Fernandina Observer report on the study, which documented longstanding neighborhood complaints about trucks traveling on residential streets, blocking intersections and struggling to turn around after missing the port entrance.

The study found approximately 3,300 vehicles travel Eighth Street daily, compared with about 700 on Dade Street. Both roads operate well below their traffic capacity, according to Florida Department of Transportation data presented by Moore.

The removal of the Escambia Street bridge in 2024 eliminated a route trucks previously used to circulate away from the port. Drivers who arrive early or are turned away at the port gate now have few options for returning to designated truck routes without backing up or entering residential streets.

Under the proposal, trucks unable to enter the port could travel along Second Street, turn onto Calhoun Street and return to Dade Street using North Third Street.

But OHPA Commissioner Miriam Hill opposed extending truck circulation into residential neighborhoods.

Hill also questioned whether opening the route would create conflicts with the city and residents who have sought to keep heavy trucks on designated routes.

The school's morning drop-off and afternoon pickup lines extend along Third Street and sometimes onto Dade Street, he said. Virtue also questioned whether large trucks could safely negotiate the turns required by the proposed circulation route.

"I encourage the board to consider anything that would keep trucks out of their residential neighborhoods," Virtue said.

Kosack cited low-hanging trees, inadequate turning radii, deteriorating pavement and underground infrastructure, and the absence of sidewalks and curbs along portions of Third Street.

No vote was taken to reject the Calhoun Street proposal, but commissioners did not advance it as an immediate solution.

The conceptual design could accommodate approximately six tractor-trailers, depending on the available land and wetland constraints.

The study also examined allowing trucks to wait along Franklin Street near the mill, where trucks already stage occasionally.

Moore's traffic observations found that the two or three informal waiting locations along Dade Street were frequently empty and rarely occupied by more than two trucks.

Relay Terminals representatives said the port's appointment system has substantially reduced truck backups and that drivers generally move through the gates quickly.

However, OHPA Chairman Ray Nelson suggested another possibility: using the existing CTS yard for commercial truck parking.

"If we want to get to the root of this problem, you've got the property already," Nelson said, referring to the CTS yard.

The discussion distinguished the proposed construction of a new staging facility near the mill from the possibility of using existing property to accommodate waiting trucks.

The strongest agreement among commissioners, the consultant and residents centered on improving truck route signs and correcting electronic navigation directions.

Recommendations include a larger Port of Fernandina sign on Eighth Street, clearer directions to the port entrance, additional truck restriction signs and removal or replacement of signs that are difficult to see or no longer useful.

The study also found that entering the port's address into electronic mapping applications can direct drivers toward a warehouse rather than the designated truck entrance.

Moore recommended working with the city and port operator to correct the port's location in Google Maps, Waze and other navigation systems and update commercial vehicle routing information.

"There's so many signs. You're missing probably some important signs," she said.

OHPA Commissioner Justin Taylor supported beginning with changes that could be implemented relatively quickly.

The consultant said the signage changes could help keep drivers on the designated route along Eighth and Dade streets without requiring major construction.

"I've got videos stacked up of trucks in places that I would never thought they could have gotten," Nelson said.

Nelson said local drivers generally know the restrictions, while drivers arriving from other states may expect the port to have the wider roads and larger truck facilities found at major commercial ports.

The port operates an appointment system between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m., with trucks assigned 30-minute arrival windows.

Hill suggested exploring electronic notifications that would tell drivers when their appointment windows were approaching.

McNair also questioned whether drivers would consistently use another mobile application.

Port representatives said employees already receive instructions to help drivers who arrive early or become confused about the designated routes.

She recalled trucks lining up outside the port in the early morning hours before changes to the scheduling system reduced the problem.

Hill asked that the board's discussion and residents' comments be incorporated into the final version of the study.

The TPO representative explained that transportation studies can identify projects eligible for consideration in regional and state funding programs, although not every recommendation proceeds to construction.

The next steps discussed involve coordinating with the city, port operator and transportation agencies to improve signage and electronic directions, while incorporating the commissioners' and residents' comments into the final study.