How St. Augustine is using technology to preserve its charm and improve transportation
When it comes to transportation planning, the City of St. Augustine faces a unique challenge: widening roads is not an option. Assistant City Manager Reuben Franklin says preserving the city’s historic character means working within tight constraints.
The SMART St. Augustine plan has two main parts. Part one focuses on using technology to help people move around the city. Part two is aimed at expanding public transportation and adding more parking on the periphery of the city so visitors can “park once” and get around without adding to congestion.
SMART St. Augustine: A $15 Million Transformation
Funded by a federal grant awarded in 2022, the SMART St. Augustine initiative will begin construction this fall and continue through the spring. While it will not be fully operational for this year’s Nights of Lights, the City plans to have it completely ready by the following season.
Key components include:
Flood sensors to detect when roads begin to flood.
Mobility kiosks with real-time parking, event, and transportation details.
Dynamic arterial messaging signs to guide drivers before they enter congested areas.
Upgraded traffic signal systems with live intersection feeds, allowing a single officer in a command center to manage traffic flow that previously required six officers.
Parking message signs that match the historic downtown aesthetic.
Expanded EV charging stations citywide.
Better Parking, Better Experience
A key element of the plan is providing real-time parking information and sharing it widely through tools like parking signage and mobility kiosks so visitors, residents, and business owners can quickly find available spaces. The hubs will have event and parking information as well as EV chargers and bike racks.
“The whole point is to prevent people from coming in, circling, and looking for that mythical parking spot that we know doesn’t exist,” Franklin says.
Currently, the main parking garage holds just under 1,200 spaces, with an additional 500 to 600 on- and off-street spots. A new garage planned for West Augustine at West King Street and U.S. 1 will add about 700 more spaces. Franklin says the hope is to have it constructed and operational within the next two years.
Improvements to Nights of Lights
Changes are underway for this year’s Nights of Lights, with the SMART St. Augustine plan set to enhance those improvements in the future.
In the short term, the City is taking a new approach to Nights of Lights by managing it more like a large event. This includes blocking off residential areas to reduce congestion and increasing workforce parking nearby to better accommodate employees during the festivities.
As part of the “Park Once” initiative, the City is also working to add more options to get people around town. This upcoming Nights of Lights will connect St. Augustine Beach hotels and resorts with a new shuttle service to downtown. The City is partnering with Historic Tours of America’s Old Town Trolley to make this happen.
There is also a plan to designate parts of downtown as a no-Uber zone during Nights of Lights, encouraging drop-offs to use public transportation to reach their destinations. This will be in effect for the upcoming season.
Long term, the City is upgrading all traffic controller signals with live feeds of all intersections. What traditionally took six police officers to manage traffic flow can now be handled by a single officer in a command center, freeing up five officers to focus on managing pedestrian crossings.
Moving Forward Responsibly
Franklin notes that the city has carefully worked through local, state, and federal reviews to ensure the project moves forward responsibly. Importantly, there are no adverse impacts to the city’s historic and cultural resources, preserving the very character that makes St. Augustine unique.
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