WAKULLA COUNTY BICYCLE, PEDESTRIAN, AND BLUEWAYS MASTER PLAN Prepared by Wakulla C ounty THE WAKULLA COUNTY BICYCLE, PEDESTRIAN, AND BLUEWAYS MASTER PLAN WAS DEVELOPED FOR WAKULLA COUNTY BY KIMLEY-HORN AND ASSOCIATES, INC WITH ASSISTANCE FROM APPLIED SUSTAINABILITY ENTERPRISES, LLC AND MYRA PLANNING AND DESIGN ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Wakulla County Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Blueways Master Plan was • Wakulla County Tourism Development Council developed in 2012 through the collaborative efforts of state, regional, and • Wakulla County School Board local governments and agencies; stakeholders from local organizations • City of St. Marks and businesses; an Advisory Committee; as well as through participation • City of Sopchoppy and input from the local community. • St. Marks Waterfronts Florida Partnership, Inc. A special thank you goes to the following entities for their involvement Local Businesses and Associations and participation throughout the development of this master plan: • TnT Hideaway Outfitters • The Wilderness Way Outfitters Wakulla County Board of County Commissioners • The Florida Dog Hunters and Sportsman’s Association • Lynn Artz • Alan Brock • Randy Merritt • Jerry Moore • Mike Stewart Wakulla County Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Blueways Advisory Committee Federal, State and Regional Agencies and Organizations • U.S. Forest Service • State Forest Service • Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) • Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) Office of Greenways and Trails (OGT) • Capital Region Transportation Planning Agency (CRTPA) Local Government Entities and Organizations • Big Bend Scenic Byways Corridor Management Entity • Panacea Waterfronts Florida Group • Wakulla County Chamber of Commerce • Wakulla County Sheriff’s Department • Wakulla County Parks and Recreation Page ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Title Page ....................................................................................................................................................i Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................... ii Table of Contents .................................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction and Purpose .....................................................................................................................2 The Planning Process .............................................................................................................................3 Goals, Objectives, and Strategies ....................................................................................................... 4 Existing Conditions ...............................................................................................................................6 Public Participation..............................................................................................................................17 Master Plan Elements .........................................................................................................................20 Bicycle Element ....................................................................................................................................22 Policy Recommendations ..................................................................................................................40 Pedestrian Element ..............................................................................................................................42 School Connectivity Element ........................................................................................................... 52 Blueways Element ................................................................................................................................ 58 Wayfinding Signage Element ........................................................................................................... 95 Marketing Strategy ............................................................................................................................ 104 GoWakulla Mobile App ...................................................................................................................105 Implementation Strategy ..................................................................................................................106 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................114 Appendices ........................................................................................................................................... 115 Page 1 INTRODUCTION & PURPOSE Introduction Wakulla County, established in 1843, is a place of rich history and natural beauty. Wakulla County offers residents and visitors access to numerous walking, biking, and paddling trails, as well as some of Florida’s oldest historical sites. This history and beauty make the County a premier destination for geotourism. Wakulla County also provides several recreational opportunities including local and state parks, trails, forests, and boat launches to the rivers and beaches. By leveraging these assets and enhancing the bicycle, pedestrian, and blueway opportunities in the County, Wakulla can continue to improve the quality of life for residents, enhance mobility, attract visitors and tourists, and promote economic development for the small and local businesses in the County. Purpose The purpose of this Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Blueways Master Plan is to provide Wakulla County with a specific planning tool that will pinpoint specific projects and policy recommendations focused on improving the quality of multimodal services within the County. During the development of this plan, coordination was made between Wakulla County, The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Greenways and Trails, The Florida Paddling Trails Association, and other entities to connect trails, parks, and water features in the region. Connecting these features allows Wakulla County to be able to market itself as a true ecotourism community, which would boost the economy and further economic development opportunities. The Master Plan will be supplemented by an engineering feasibility study, design guidelines, a marketing plan, a bicycle route map, and a mobile application for iOS (iPhone, iPad, iTouch) devices. Together these features will provide the County with a ready-to-implement plan. Gateway to the St. Marks Trail Page 2 THE PLANNING PROCESS Planning Process Many different people, organizations, and advocate groups were involved in the development of this Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Blueways Master Plan. Due to this coordination, a comprehensive planning process was used in order to fully capture the ideas, goals, and concerns of the different groups. This planning process included: • Project newsletters • Data collection Comprehensive • Data analysis • Stakeholder interviews Planning Process • An advisory committee • A public workshop Wakulla County • A workshop with the Board of County Commissioners • Establishing a project vision Bicycle, Pedestrian, • Goals, Objectives, and Strategies and Blueways Project Vision Master Plan Through the development and implementation of the Wakulla County Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Blueways Master Plan, Wakulla County strives to provide more mobility options within the County, specifically through the development of bicycle, pedestrian, and blueway facilities. The development of these facilities should enhance walkability, expand bicycling opportunities, provide for better connectivity and mobility, and promote economic opportunities within the County. The facility and policy recommendations included in the Wakulla County Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Blueways Master Plan were developed in accordance with this vision. Page 3 GOALS, OBJECTIVES, STRATEGIES Goals, Objectives, and Strategies for the Wakulla corridors with sufficient right-of-way for the construction of multiuse trail facilities County Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Blueways Master Plan Strategy 2: Identify key destinations within the County and provide recommendations to connect population centers to key destinations Strategy 3: Establish policy objectives and design guidelines to provide for Goal 1: Enhance walkability within Wakulla County wide paved shoulders along roadways for use as undesignated bicycle lanes Objective 1: Provide safe corridors for students to access school facilities Objective 2: Enhance mountain biking opportunities within the County Strategy 1: Gain input from key stakeholders in the County familiar with the Strategy 1: Identify, collect, and analyze data for existing trail facilities needs of students in the County within the County Strategy 2: Identify gaps in the bicycle and pedestrian network within a Strategy 2: Develop recommendations to enhance and promote existing reasonable walking distance from County schools mountain biking opportunities within the County Strategy 3: Outline strategies to leverage Safe Routes to Schools (SRTS) Strategy 3: Coordinate with public land managers to identify opportunities funding and the Community Traffic Safety Team (CTST) to implement to expand mountain biking opportunities within the County projects that provide for safer routes to Wakulla County Schools Objective 2: Provide safe connectivity between municipalities Goal 3: Provide better