CREATING A PARK-ONCE ENVIRONMENT PARKING & MOBILITY HUBS

DRAFT 2040 WALTON COUNTY MOBILITY PLAN CREATING A PARK-ONCE ENVIRONMENT

PARKING & MOBILITY HUBS: 30A & SCENIC HWY 98

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Introduction The future of mobility will be one where the focus is on the movement of people: not just cars. Creating an environment where people feel safe, find it convenient, and have the choice to walk, bicycle, scoot, ride an autonomous transit shuttle or drive a golf cart to move around the community is a vision of the draft Walton County 2040 Mobility Plan. Achieving that vision will not happen overnight; it will be an iterative process that involves land use, transportation, parking, and funding. The reality is that Walton County and its beach communities are destinations with most visitors arriving by car and they need a place to park. An essential component to reimagining the future of mobility on 30A and Scenic Hwy 98 will be creating a park-once environment where employees, visitors, and County residents (who do not live along 30A or Scenic 98) will park their cars at a regional or community mobility hub and use some other form of transportation (walk, bike, golf cart, autonomous transit shuttles, etc) to access curbside and neighborhood mobility hubs located at various destinations along 30A and Scenic Hwy 98: such as Seaside or Seascape. Mobility Hubs (Attachment A) Mobility hubs are proposed locations where three or more ways (modes) to travel (walk, bike, ride microtransit, etc) meet at a safe and convenient area, with various levels of amenities such as covered waiting areas and charging stations for electric devices, and switch modes of travel to reach their destination (e.g., bicycle to a neighborhood mobility hub, park the bicycle in a secure covered area, and walk to the beach). There are four (4) types of mobility hubs proposed as part of the 2040 Mobility Plan: Regional, Community, Neighborhood, and Curbside. Regional and Community Mobility Hubs will provide parking for cars and will be served or have accesses to some combination of bicycles, micromobility devices (electric-bicycles {e-bikes}, electric-scooters {e-scooters}, Segways, etc), microtransit (golf carts, autonomous transit shuttles, low speed vehicles (LSVs), etc), transit and trolleys, rideshare services (Uber, Lyft, etc) and carshare services (Zipcar, Rentals, etc). Regional Mobility Hubs feature parking garages and Community Mobility Hubs feature surface car parking, with the option to provide garages. Neighborhood and Curbside Mobility Hubs will serve modes of travel other than driving a personal car: no parking for cars will be provided. These hubs will provide parking for bicycles and micromobility devices, along with covered drop-off / pick-up areas served by microtransit circulators and rideshare services. These hubs will be located to provide safe and convenient access to Regional / Neighborhood Beach Access and destinations along 30A, Scenic 98 and US 98. Access will be provided by micromobility devices and microtransit that will run along 30A and Scenic Hwy 98, ideally on their own dedicated lanes, and will and connect to Regional and Community Mobility Hubs.


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Achieving a park-once environment will require the County to do the following: § Construct mobility hubs on parcels of land that the County has already acquired; § Purchase additional land along 30A, Scenic Hwy 98, and US Hwy 98; § Pursue public/private partnerships for land along 30A, Scenic Hwy 98, and US Hwy 98; and § Where land is not available, construct curbside mobility hubs within existing right-of-way. Amenities at Mobility Hubs (Attachment B) The amenities offered at each mobility hub will vary based on need, location, and the size of the parcel(s) on which the mobility hubs would be located. The amenities to be offered at each hub will assist the County in determining which parcels of land should be acquired for future mobility hubs and assist the County with preparing context sensitive design for each mobility hub. Proposed Mobility Hub Locations (Attachment C) § Regional Mobility Hubs are intended to facilitate park-once environments where cars park in

a multi-level garage and then use bicycles, micromobility devices, microtransit, car and ride share programs to access Community, Curbside, and Neighborhood Mobility Hubs. There are three (3) proposed Regional Mobility Hubs: (1) 30A Regional Mobility Hub @ Grayton Beach; (2) General Vicinity of the US 98 and Scenic 98 intersection; and (3) Watersound Origins north of US 98 at Watersound Parkway.

§ Community Mobility Hubs are intended to initially provide surface parking for cars,

micromobility and microtransit and use micromobility devices, microtransit circulators, carshare, and rideshare to access Curbside & Neighborhood Mobility Hubs and connect to Regional Mobility Hubs. There are eight (8) proposed Community Mobility Hubs:

(1) Miramar Beach on County property on Driftwood Drive, north of Scenic 98; (2) Gulf Place on County property at CR 393, north of 30A; (3) Blue Mountain Beach in the vicinity of the intersection of CR 83 and 30A; (4) Seagrove Beach in the vicinity of the intersection of CR 395 and 30A; (5) Inlet Beach, north of US 98, in the vicinity of the 30A intersection; (6) South Walton County Center on the west side of US 331; (7) Walton County Sports Complex, north of US 98; and (8) General Vicinity of the US 98 and future Westbay Parkway intersection;

§ Neighborhood Mobility Hubs are proposed at destinations and beach access along 30A,

Scenic 98 and US 98

§ Curbside mobility hubs are intended as a quick and interim measure or where land is not available for a neighborhood mobility hub (not shown on Maps – alternative option).


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Priority Mobility Hubs Summary The following is a summary of recommended mobility hub priority projects. A more detailed description of each mobility hub is provided preceding the summary. Specific parcels for acquisition consideration have been identified. For purposes of ongoing discussions and potential acquisition, these parcels are not included as an attachment to this summary. 1. 30A Regional Mobility Hub @ Grayton Beach: Improve the current parking lot at the County

owned parcel on County Hwy 283 and begin plans for a 500 to 600 space parking garage that will serve as a Regional Mobility Hub for the 30A corridor.

2. Miramar Beach: Improve the current County parcel on Driftwood Road, north of Scenic 98,

to a gravel parking lot to serve the Miramar Beach Regional Beach Access for 2021. Pursue a public / private partnership to provide land for a Regional Mobility Hub at the US Hwy 98 and Scenic Hwy 98 intersection. If pursuit of a public / private partnership for US 98 and Scenic 98 does not produce favorable results, begin design for a 200 to 300 space parking garage for the 2023 peak season at the current County parcel on Driftwood Road. If a public / private partnership is successful, procced to pave a surface parking lot and landscape the Miramar Beach Community Mobility Hub.

3. Gulf Place: Improve the current County parcel on County Hwy 393 to a gravel parking lot to

serve the Ed Walline Regional Beach Access for 2021 and the Dune Allen and Ft. Panic Regional Beach Accesses. Pursue the acquisition of land for Neighborhood Mobility Hubs to serve the Dune Allen and Ft. Panic Regional Beach Accesses. If Dune Allen and Ft. Panic Regional Beach Accesses continue to see significant demand, then begin design for a 300 to 400 space parking garage on the Gulf Place parcel for the 2023 peak season.

4. Dune Allen Beach: Acquire parcels of land near Neighborhood and Regional Beach Access for

Neighborhood Mobility Hubs without vehicle parking. The County should move forward quicky with providing multimodal ways along 30A from the Gulf Place Community Mobility Hub to Dune Allen for micromobility devices and a microtransit circulator. If the County is unable, for whatever reason, to provide adequate parking at the Gulf Place Community Mobility Hub and provide multimodal ways on 30A, then the County will need to consider acquiring parcels for a Community Mobility Hub in Dune Allen Beach. There is neighborhood opposition to providing parking in Dune Allen Beach.

5. Seagrove Beach: Acquire contiguous parcels of land, totaling a minimum of ½ acre or more

in size, to serve as a Community Mobility Hub with vehicle parking in the proximity of the 30A and 395 intersection. Smaller parcels near Neighborhood and Regional Beach Access should also be purchased for Neighborhood Mobility Hubs without vehicle parking. If contiguous parcels are not available for a Community Mobility Hub, plan for micromobility devices and a microtransit circulator along 30A to run between the Grayton Beach Regional Mobility Hub and Eastern Lake. There is neighborhood opposition to providing parking in Gulf Shore Manors.


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6. Seacrest: Currently there are no readily available parcels for a Community Mobility Hub in

the Seacrest Area. Smaller parcels near Neighborhood Beach Access should be purchased for Neighborhood Mobility Hubs without vehicle parking. There is an immediate need to add micromobility lanes on 30A between Watersound Parkway and the Hub at Watersound Beach and multimodal ways along Watersound Parkway. The multimodal lanes and ways would serve micromobility devices and a microtransit circulator along 30A to run between the St. Joes development along Watersound Parkway and the HUB. The County should also consider enacting roam towing for vehicles parked on 30A travel lanes and the multi-use path and an immobilizing boot program for vehicles parked within 30A right-of-way (ROW). The County should continue to monitor the ability to acquire contiguous parcels totaling a minimum of ½ acre or more in size, to serve as a Community Mobility Hub with vehicle parking.

7. 30A East / Inlet Beach: Consider the addition of context sensitive on-street parking along

Park Place Avenue and Emerald Cove Lane. If additional parking is needed, consider acquiring contiguous parcels of land, totaling a minimum of ½ acre or more in size, to serve as a Community Mobility Hub with vehicle parking along US Hwy 98. Pursue a public / private partnership with Watersound Origins for a Regional Mobility Hub at US Hwy 98 and Watersound Parkway. If the public / private partnership with St. Joes is not successful, consider opportunities for the purchase of larger parcels of land in Inlet Beach north of US Hwy 98 near the proposed US Hwy 98 underpass at the 30A intersection. This parcel would serve as a future Regional Mobility Hub serving Alys Beach, Inlet Beach, Seacrest Beach and Rosemary Beach. The County should begin discussions with St. Joes for a Regional Mobility Hub, Community Mobility Hub and Neighborhood Mobility Hub along 30A and US 98.

8. Blue Mountain Beach: Acquire contiguous parcels of land, totaling a minimum of ½ acre or

more in size at either the NW or SW corners of 30A and County Hwy 83 (Old Blue Mountain Road), to serve as a Community Mobility Hub with vehicle parking. In addition, acquire smaller parcels for Neighborhood Mobility Hubs without motor vehicle parking along Blue Mountain Road. These Neighborhood Mobility Hubs could eventually be connected to County owned property on the east side of Big Redfish Lake.

9. US HWY 98 North: The County should work with existing developments to locate

Neighborhood Mobility Hubs along US Hwy 98 between Scenic 98 and the County Sports Complex. The Neighborhood Mobility Hubs would be connected to multimodal lanes on 30A and Scenic 98. The Neighborhood Mobility Hubs would serve bicycle, micromobility, microtransit, transit, and rideshare services and programs along US Hwy 98.

10. Land Development Regulations: The County should consider amending its parking

regulations to require mobility hubs for mixed-use and large-scale single use developments. The County should also consider fee-in-lieu of parking, seasonal and vacation rental parking programs, valet, lifts, curbside management and parking management strategies to direct parking towards Regional and Community Mobility Hubs.


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Priority Mobility Hub Projects Detail 30A Regional Mobility Hub @ Grayton Beach The County property north of Grayton Beach located on County Hwy 283 will serve as the location for the 30A Regional Mobility Hub @ Grayton Beach. It is recommended that the County move forward with: (1) stabilizing and adding gravel to the existing surface parking lot; (2) providing ADA accessible routes; (3) providing a stabilized drive aisle for a microtransit circulator; and (4) provide two microtransit circulator systems. One circulator would run from the Hub to Grayton Beach. The other would run from the Hub and serve Seaside, Watercolor and Seagrove Beach Neighborhood Beach Access for the 2021 peak season. It is also recommended that the County start the process for a 500 to 600 space regional parking garage with the first floor dedicated to microtransit, micromobility, and the rental and sharing of golf carts, LSVs, neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs), and cars. The 30A Regional Mobility Hub @ Grayton Beach could be the organizing element in the development of a future concept known as the 30A Mobility Innovation Corridor (not funded or approved). The Initiative could feature 30A serving as a living mobility laboratory for accommodating micromobility, microtransit, and shared mobility technology on dedicated lanes (right-of-way) that are designed to be context sensitive and complement the unique character of Alys and Rosemary Beach, Seaside, Watercolor, along with the other 30A beach communities. The 30A Mobility Innovation Corridor has the potential to promote economic development by actively seeking to attract one or more autonomous transit shuttle companies to model and refine the technology with an emphasis on serving coastal communities.


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The 30A Mobility Innovation Corridor could be a mechanism to show how workforce housing, using the student dormitory model of 4 and 5 bed / bath units with shared living and kitchen areas, could be provided through public / private partnerships to help address a huge issue impacting numerous coastal communities: providing housing and mobility for the workforce keeping tourism economies vibrant. Scenic Hwy 98 Regional Mobility Hub An ideal Regional Mobility Hub serving Miramar Beach and Scenic Hwy 98 would be located near the intersection of US Hwy 98 and Scenic Hwy 98. This area is largely developed with a mixture of large format retail uses, places of worship, hotels, condominiums and utilities. The County does not own a large parcel of land in this area like the Grayton parcel on 30A. The County would need to purchase a parcel with an existing building and infrastructure, making the cost significantly more expensive than the purchase of undeveloped land. The most efficient use of resources would be to enter into a public / private agreement where the County would build a parking structure on existing developed land and either lease or purchase the parcel from the owner and consider replacement of any surface parking in the garage. The ideal size of the parcel would be between one (1) and two (2) acres. The following are three priority areas. The graphic of the priority areas is provided on page 7. § 1st priority area would be the area between US Hwy 98 and Scenic Hwy 98 on either side of

Poinciana Blvd. This area features developments with large surface parking lots that could potentially be part of a public / private partnership to accommodate a parking garage.

§ 2nd priority area would be the Silver Sands Outlet which is a major destination in Miramar

Beach. The Outlets would be the 1st Priority Area, except that a garage would screen retail buildings from US 98 and while there is a large vacant parcel on the north side of the Outlet, access is very limited to this area. The Outlets would be a natural location for a Regional Mobility Hub as it is one of the top destinations in Walton County. The County should reach out to the property owner to explore possibilities for a public / private partnership.

§ 3rd priority area would be the area between US Hwy 98 and Scenic Hwy 98 west of Poinciana

Blvd to the Seascape Resort. This area has several parcels of varying size, most of which have some level of development. This area would either feature redevelopment of an existing developed parcel or entering a public / private partnership with either the Seascape Resort or utility providers in the area.

Based on existing parking utilization at beach accesses and issues with parking at rentals and illegal parking along Scenic 98, the garage should provide between 300 and 400 parking spaces, plus any surface parking spaces that would need to be replaced.


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Miramar Beach Community Mobility Hub

The County property located on Driftwood Drive just north of Scenic Hwy 98 will function as a Community Mobility Hub serving Miramar Beach. It is recommended that the County move forward quickly with construction of a gravel parking lot to serve Miramar Beach in 2021. The parking lot is already being used to handle overflow parking from the Miramar Regional Beach Access (RBA). If the County is unable to either lease or purchase parcels or engage in a public / private partnership with property owners near the US 98 and Scenic Hwy 98 intersection to construct a Regional Mobility Hub, there will be a need for a 200 to 300 space parking garage at the Driftwood parcel to serve the Miramar RBA; and parking for other beach access points.


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Gulf Place (County HWY 393) Community Mobility Hub

The County property located on County Hwy 393 just north of Gulf Place will function as a Community Mobility Hub serving Gulf Place, Dune Allen and Santa Rosa Beach. It is recommended that the County move forward quickly with construction of a gravel parking lot to serve these beach communities in 2021. The Ed Walline RBA parking is at full capacity. On-street parking on 30A and Hwy 393 is fully utilized and there is overflow parking along the 30A ROW. In addition existing beach parking is significantly over capacity at both the Dune Allen and Ft. Panic RBAs. The mobility plan proposes multimodal ways on 30A and 393 served by micromobility devices and microtransit that connect the Gulf Place Community Mobility Hub with Neighborhood Mobility Hubs in Dune Allen.


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Depending on demand, and due to the removal of on-street parking on 30A and 393 to accommodate multimodal ways, there may eventually need to be a 300 to 400 space parking garage constructed on the County property. The future parking garage would serve the Ed Walline RBA, the Santa Rosa Beach Neighborhood Beach Accesses (NBA), Dune Allen Beach RBAs and NBAs and could be used by local business and vacation rentals as well. Dune Allen Beach Neighborhood Mobility Hub

The most significant RBAs and NBAs that are over capacity are in Dune Allen Beach. The small parking area at the Ft. Panic RBA is over capacity with visitors parking along the 30A ROW. The Dune Allen RBA has limited parking and is located adjacent to Stinky’s Fish Camp, both of which are regional destinations. There are also four NBAs within a ½ mile of the Dune Allen RBA.

There are no vacant parcels within the vicinity of the Ft. Panic RBA. There are several vacant parcels near the Dune Allen RBA. The County should look to acquire vacant parcels around the Dune Allen RBA to serve as Neighborhood Mobility Hubs that would allow for expanded bicycle parking, possible golf cart parking, and serve as drop-off and pick-up areas for microtransit circulator service from the Gulf Place Community Mobility Hub. The County should move forward quickly with the construction of multimodal ways on 30A and 393 for micromobility and microtransit that connect the Gulf Place Community Mobility Hub and Dune Allen Neighborhood Mobility Hubs. The microtransit service and parking concept worked well this past summer between the County property on 283 and Grayton Beach. The County is considering a similar microtransit program connecting the Gulf Place Mobility Hub and the Dune Allen and Ft. Panic RBAs and NBAs for peak season in 2021.


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There are several parcels that could be acquired for Neighborhood Mobility Hubs. The area near the 30A and Hilltop intersection would be ideal. As an alternative, parcels along 30A near Highland Ave are also a feasible alternative. If the County is not able to provide multimodal lanes on 30A or construct a multi-level parking structure in Gulf Place, there may be a need to assemble vacant parcels to provide a Community Mobility Hub. The intent of the Mobility Hubs is to encourage a park once environment and that would best be achieved by encouraging parking once at the Gulf Place Community Mobility Hub and using micromobility devices and microtransit to provide access to Dune Allen and Ft. Panic RBAs, NBAs, and Neighborhood Mobility Hubs.

Seacrest Community Mobility Hub

The 2nd most significant need that has emerged along the 30A corridor is parking in Seacrest at the Gulf Lake, Sea Breeze and Seacrest NBAs. These NBAs do not have parking and visitors have been parking along the 30A ROW and along the 30A path. There have also been a few reported instances of parking on 30A travel lanes. Beyond neighborhood impact, parking along 30A ROW is dangerous due to limited sight visibility traveling east on 30A crossing Camp Creek Lake. There are people loading and unloading from their vehicles on the 30A travel lanes, kids running around and people crossing 30A where there are no crosswalks. This creates a dangerous environment and potential conflicts between drivers and pedestrians. There have been reports that residents for the Hub development who do not have access to Watersound Beach have been driving to this area to access the NBAs. There are also many rental properties in the area that have limited parking and tenants are parking on 30A ROW. Visitors to these rental units do not want to park and walk along 30A ROW.


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The reality is the parking demand is likely a combination of all the above factors. The ability to provide parking within the 30A ROW is limited due to the number of existing driveways. Accounting for the need to provide site visibility for ingress and egress to residential driveways leaves very little space within the 30A ROW where parking could safely be provided.

Unlike other areas along 30A, the opportunity for the County to acquire a larger parcel to serve as a Community Mobility Hub in the Seacrest area is limited. There will likely be several parcels that need to be acquired. Fortunately, the overall number of spaces needed would be between 50 and 100 spaces and could be provided in two areas if necessary. The prioritization of parcels should be those that could provide ½ acre or more for vehicle parking. If the County is unable to acquire large enough parcels, it could elect to acquire several smaller parcels in Seacrest for NBAs with parking for bicycles and golf carts. There would need to be multimodal lanes added on 30A from the Hub to Watersound Parkway to allow for use by bicycles, golf carts and scooters. The County could also prepare an RFQ for a company to provide a circulator service using golf carts or low speed vehicles or develop an on-demand smart phone application and have the TDC provide a circulator service during peak season. Seagrove Beach Community Mobility Hub

Seagrove Beach has the greatest number of NBAs in Walton County. Santa Clara is the only RBA in Seagrove Beach, and besides a few parking spots at San Juan Ave, is the only area that offers parking: which is at capacity. The number of NBAs (see graphic below) in Seagrove Beach make it easier for residents and visitors to access the beach by walking or bicycling, unlike in Seacrest.


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30A between County Hwy 395 and Pelayo Ave only has a 50-foot-wide ROW with numerous driveways; this limits the ability for visitors to park along 30A. Other portions of 30A in Seagrove Beach have a 70-foot-wide ROW. However, because of the number of residential driveways it does not face the same issues as Dune Allen, with vehicles parking in the ROW. Most of the bicycle racks in Seagrove Beach are at capacity. Further, as private property rights and the customary use issue continues to limit beach access and availability, Seagrove Beach is one of the few areas along 30A with a larger publicly accessible beach. This will only result in increased demand for beach access, as opportunities for visitors to use the beach become more limited as the customary use issue works its way through the legal process. The Community Mobility Hub is intended to serve not only demand for beach access, but would also be connected via multimodal ways along 30A to the Regional Mobility Hub at Grayton Beach and provide access to Seaside, Watercolor and Seagrove Beach RBAs and NBAs. The Regional Mobility Hub at Grayton Beach and the Community Mobility Hub in Seagrove Beach would be a significant component to create a park-once environment between Grayton Beach and Seagrove Beach. Providing a park-once environment will be needed to replace the on-street parking along 30A to repurpose the right-of-way for multimodal ways on the southside of 30A and a share use trail on the northside of 30A. In addition, discussion have begun with Seaside to limit off-street parking to encourage visitors to park at either of the Mobility Hubs and use micromobility devices or microtransit to access Seaside. There County will also need to engage with Watercolor to encourage use of the Grayton and Seagrove Beach Mobility Hubs. There are several parcels that the County should consider purchasing in the Seagrove Beach Area. There was a large 14-acre parcel off Pelayo Ave just outside the Gulf Shore Manor neighborhood that was considered a top priority. However, the property owner expressed that they would not be interested in selling the parcel. Should the parcel become available in the future, the County should consider pursuing for purchase. Given there is an immediate need for a Community Mobility Hub to provide parking in the Seagrove Beach Area, this analysis will focus on parcels that may currently be available within the vicinity of the 30A and 395 intersection.


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The 1st parcel is roughly five (5) acres in size and is located off 395, north of 30A. This location would be ideal to serve visitors coming from US 98 without the need to access 30A. This parcel does have significant environmental constraints which would require the construction of a multi-level parking garage on roughly one (1) acre and leave the remaining four (4) acres undisturbed. The undisturbed area would provide a buffer to adjacent residential uses and environmentally sensitive areas. This parcel will require the construction of multimodal lanes on 395 to connect to 30A. If right-of-way exist, the construction of multimodal ways on 395 to accommodate autonomous transit shuttles and neighborhood electric vehicles would be ideal.


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There are several smaller parcels near the 30A and 395 intersection that could either be combined to create a Community Mobility Hub or would serve as locations for Neighborhood Mobility Hubs. There are other parcels greater than one (1) acre in size in the Gulf Manor neighborhood. However, locating a Community Mobility Hub in Gulf Manor would have an impact on the surrounding neighborhoods that would need to be mitigated and would likely be meet with neighborhood opposition. Should the parcels identified in the graphic on page 13 be unavailable, there are several larger undeveloped areas within Watercolor that could potentially serve as a Community Mobility Hub. These parcels, while not ideal, are a fallback option for consideration.


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30A East / Inlet Beach Community Mobility Hub

There are opportunities to provide additional on-street parking along Park Place Avenue, Emerald Coast Lane and other County streets within Inlet Beach that should be considered first before the purchase of additional parcels. On-street parking would directly serve public beaches. There is a greater need to acquire parcels in Dune Allen, Seacrest, Seagrove Beach and Miramar Beach before acquiring parcels in Inlet Beach. Any on-street parking should be provided in a context-sensitive manner; balancing neighborhood impact with increasing the availability of parking for public beach access. Should on-street parking not be feasible, there are several potential parcels that could be acquired for both existing and future parking needs. The 1st priority would be larger parcels close to Bay County with access to both US Hwy 98 and E. Park Place Ave. The 2nd priority and alternative locations are options for consideration; however, due to the angle of US Hwy 98, the layouts would not be optimal. Further, the 2nd priority parcel, while larger, only has access to US Hwy 98. This would require visitors to walk and bike along the trail on US Hwy 98 to access Orange Street and then walk or bike to public beaches.


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Longer term, as St. Joes develops, there will be a need for a Regional Mobility Hub on the Northside of 30A in Watersound Origins at the intersection of US Hwy 98 and Watersound Parkway. This would require a public / private partnership between the County and St. Joes. A Regional Mobility Hub in Watersound Origins could serve Seagrove, Alys Beach, Seacrest Beach and Rosemary Beach. If the County is unable to enter into a public / private partnership with St Joes for a Regional Beach Access, then the County should consider opportunities to purchase larger parcels in Inlet Beach north of US Hwy 98 near the new US Hwy 98 underpass. This area could serve as either a Regional or Community Mobility Hub that serves Alys Beach, Inlet Beach, Seacrest Beach and Rosemary Beach. Blue Mountain Beach Community Mobility Hub

Blue Mountain Beach does not currently face the same immediate parking needs as other locations in South Walton. However, as customary use limits beach access and other beach access locations continue to be difficult to access, there will be a future need to provide additional parking for bicycles, golf carts and vehicles serving both the RBA and NBAs.

The County currently owns a parcel of land on the east side of Big Redfish Lake, which is located on the north side of 30A. The parcel is a secondary option but is not ideal given the distance to the NBAs and the needs for people walking and bicycling to cross 30A at an unsignalized intersection, where there is also a significant curve and elevation change, both of which limit sight visibility. There are vacant parcels at the NW and SW corners of 30A and County Hwy 83 that would be ideal locations for Community Mobility Hubs and land banking.


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The SW corner of 30A and Old Blue Mountain Hwy (#1) would be ideal as people walking and bicycling would not need to cross 30A. The intersection of 30A and 83 is currently stop controlled, so the NW corner (#2) would also be accessible to people walking and bicycling. Ultimately, if both corners are available, the County should consider their purchase and could always lease part of the property for ancillary beach services, retail uses, or provide public facilities.

There are several vacant parcels along Blue Mountain Road that could serve as Neighborhood Mobility Hubs and drop-off / pick-up area for microtransit circulators that connect to a potential Community Mobility Hub at 30A & 83. Priority would be given to those locations closest to the NBAs and with limited environmental issues. Land Development Regulations The County should consider updating land development regulations to require mixed-use developments and larger scale development to provide mobility hubs as part of the development. The County should also consider establishing standards for fee-in-lieu of parking, revision to minimum parking requirements for vacation rentals, creation of seasonal and residential parking programs, and regulations for valet parking, shared parking, lifts, and curbside management. The creation of Mobility Hubs provides opportunities for development to be actively involved in the creation of park-once environments to reduce car trips, parking demand at destinations and beach access along 30A and Scenic 98 and increase the use of multimodal transportation options and new mobility technology.


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Implementing Mobility Hubs in South Walton The creation of a park-once environment along 30A and Scenic Highway 98 will require the improvement of existing county land. In addition, it will also require acquisition of additional parcels of land, potential public / private partnerships to provide land for use as parking garages, and the construction of multimodal improvements consisting of dedicated lanes for micromobility, microtransit, and shared mobility technology. The County will also need to work with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to install dynamic message signs along US Hwy 331 and US Hwy 98 to direct drivers to Mobility Hubs. Further, the County will also need to work with beach communities to better manage available parking and consider instituting dynamic pricing of parking to encourage employees and visitors to use parking provided at Mobility Hubs. Planning for future growth will be an iterative and ongoing process that addresses funding, multimodal improvements, parking, and new mobility technology to enhance mobility in South Walton and Walton County. The establishment of four types of mobility hubs will provide the County and the TDC with options when considering the purchase of parcels. The current approach has been to acquire available land and hold on to it until plans are developed for the parcels. Oftentimes, this approach has resulted in neighborhood opposition to parcel acquisition and parking. Integrating parking, mobility hubs, mobility improvements, and providing microtransit services to create a park-once environment will allow the County to meet future travel demand from new development and visitors. The mobility hub alternatives provide flexibility to the County and TDC to acquire parcels as opportunities arise and to plan and design mobility hubs in a context sensitive manner that neighbors can support. The mobility plans show residents how future mobility hubs fit into an overall plan to encourage people to park once and then use other means of transportation to travel along 30A and Scenic 98.


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Attachment A

Mobility Hubs


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Attachment B

Mobility Hub Amenities


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Attachment C

Mobility Plans

Documents

CREATING A PARK-ONCE ENVIRONMENT PARKING & MOBILITY HUBS