Okaloosa County BOCC — August 16, 2016 — Access EC Rider TDP - August Draft Report — reading text

Lockheed Martin Corporation 800+ InDyne Inc. 800+ North Okaloosa Medical Center 700+ L-3 Crestview Aerospace 600+ NEW (an Asurion Company) 500+ The Boeing Company 450 White Wilson Medical Center 400+ BAE 380 Source: As cited by Economic Development Council of Okaloosa County Table 2-16: Okaloosa County Top 10 Manufacturers Name Number of Employees L-3 Crestview Aerospace 600+ Boeing 450 BAE 380 DRS Training and Control Systems 325 Crane Electronics 200 Fort Walton Machining 199 MicroSystems 135 Bay State Cable Ties 100 G.S. Gelato 90 Magna Manufacturing 35 Source: As cited by Economic Development Council of Okaloosa County Several retail establishments in the county serve as major trip generators, including Destin Commons, Crystal Beach Plaza, the arts and entertainment district in Fort Walton Beach, Santa Rosa Mall, the Shoppes at Paradise Isle, Silver Sands Premium Outlet, Sunsations Plaza, and Uptown Station, which is considered the town center of Fort Walton Beach. The two biggest contributors to the economy, Eglin Air Force Base and tourism, are discussed in greater detail in the following sections. Eglin Air Force Base Eglin Air Force Base is a major driver of economic activity in the region. According to the Okaloosa-Walton 2035 LRTP, the military accounts for approximately 50% of the total goods and services produced in Okaloosa County. The Base consists of 10 air fields, the largest of which are Hurlburt Field, located off US 98, and Duke Field, located on SR 85, which is the new home of the 919th Special Operation Wing. ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan 30 Section 2 – Baseline Conditions The 2005 Base Closure and Realignment Commission (BRAC) relocated the Army 7th Special Forces Group and the Joint Strike Fighter Initial Joint Training Site to Eglin Air Force Base, thus increasing the number of residents to the region. A total net growth of 9,854 new military and civilian personnel (including families) in 2015 in Okaloosa County alone was estimated as a result of the realignment, according to the Tri-County Growth Management Plan for Santa Rosa-Okaloosa-Walton (2010). Realignment activities began in 2011 and were forecasted to create more than 10,000 jobs in the professional technical services, construction, healthcare, and social assistance sectors in the tri‐county region by 2015. The 2035 Okaloosa-Walton LRTP Update (October 2012) cites that since the BRAC recommendations have been implemented, Eglin Air Force Base, Hurlburt Field, and Duke Field are transitioning to accommodate an additional 4,000 new military and civilian personnel moving to the area. The increase in population and employment resulting from the realignment will create additional demand on the local transportation system, especially along the SR 85 and SR 123 corridors, providing access between Eglin Air Force Base and the Crestview and Fort Walton Beach/Niceville areas. This increased population and targeted service areas create additional opportunities for delivering more efficient transit service in Okaloosa County. F-35 Lightning II Aircraft arrive at Eglin Air Force Base Image Source: www.eglin.af.mil Tourism Okaloosa County is known for its attractive beaches, and the region attracts millions of visitors each year. Recreational opportunities include the beaches, waterparks, camping, canoeing, golf, fishing, snorkeling, diving, shopping, dining, and boating. The additional population brought to the county during the peak tourist season places additional demand on the transportation system and increases traffic congestion, particularly in the coastal areas. ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan 31 Section 2 – Baseline Conditions Land Uses As a part of the baseline conditions assessment, a review of current and emerging land uses also was conducted. Future land use maps from the 2009 Okaloosa County Comprehensive Plan for the cities of Fort Walton Beach, Crestview, and Destin were reviewed. From this review, the following key trends were observed:  A substantial concentration of commercial land use surrounded by mixed use is zoned along the corridors of SR 189, SR 393, and SR 188 in the Fort Walton Beach area.  The middle portion of the county is recognized as the Eglin Air Force Base encroachment zone.  Mixed land use and some pockets of commercial land use surround US 90 and SR 85 in the Crestview area. Surrounding these areas are largely low-density residential and rural residential land uses.  The northern section of the county is largely zoned for agricultural land use and conservation, with the exception of the area surrounding Crestview.  Destin contains mostly Mixed Use 1 Development of Regional Impact (DRI), Mixed Use 2 Master Plan Communities, Mixed Use, and Commercial future land use classifications.  Adjacent to US 98 along the coastal areas are significant strips of commercial and mixed land uses that are surrounded by low- and medium-density residential. Roadway Conditions Existing roadway conditions were considered for the assessment of baseline conditions. According to the Okaloosa-Walton County TPO’s Transportation Outlook 2035 LRTP, several segments of major roadways, including SR 85, Highway 90, PJ Adams Parkway, Highway 4, SR 123, SR 293, SR 20, Highway 98, Lewis Turner Boulevard, and Eglin Parkway, are projected to operate at a level of service (LOS) E or F by 2035. Roadways operating at LOS F are considered failing and typically are congested during peak travel periods. Roads approaching or at LOS F by 2035, if no additional mobility projects are scheduled for construction, are illustrated in Figure 2-5. The SR 85 and SR 123 corridors are vital connections between I-10 near Crestview to Niceville and Fort Walton Beach, carrying thousands of commuters to Eglin Air Force Base, Duke Field, Hurlburt Field, Northwest Florida Regional Airport, and other destinations in the region. The 2035 LRTP anticipates the BRAC actions to impact the SR 85 and SR 123 corridors between Crestview and Fort Walton Beach/Niceville. SR 85 is the vital link that supports national defense missions at Eglin Air Force Base, serves as a critical hurricane and emergency evacuation route for the region, and connects jobs to more affordable housing found north of I‐10 and Crestview. SR 85 is part of the Florida Strategic Intermodal System (SIS), a network of high-priority transportation facilities throughout the state and part of the Strategic Highway Network (STRAHNET), a designation given ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan 32 Section 2 – Baseline Conditions by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to roads that are critical to the U.S. Department of Defense's domestic operations. Figure 2-5: Okaloosa County 2035 Roadway Deficiencies Source: Transportation Outlook 2035: Okaloosa-Walton TPO 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan (May 2012) ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan 33 SECTION 3: EXISTING TRANSIT SERVICE Transit Service Overview Transit services in Okaloosa County have been provided by Okaloosa County since 1987. Okaloosa County Transit, formerly branded as “Ride the WAVE,” rebranded its transit services in 2015 to “Emerald Coast Rider,” called EC Rider. EC Rider offers fixed-route bus service and limited paratransit service countywide to Crestview, Niceville, Fort Walton Beach, and Destin as well as an express bus route called the Wave Express, which runs north-south between Crestview and Fort Walton Beach. The hub of the fixed-route services is located in the Uptown Station, an outdoor mall considered to be the town center of Fort Walton Beach (see Figure 3-1). EC Rider also offers paratransit service to Okaloosa County residents who are unable to access fixed-route bus service, with cost based on distance traveled and reservations required to schedule a ride. Figure 3-1: Uptown Station Source: http://uptownstation.com/store-directory/ Currently, EC Rider provides 10 fixed routes in Okaloosa County—5 that serve Fort Walton Beach, 1 that serves Okaloosa Island, 3 that serve Destin/South Walton, and 1 that connects Crestview to Fort Walton Beach. The routes in Fort Walton Beach have headways that range from one to four hours, and most ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan 34 Section 3 – Existing Transit Services operate between 7:00 AM and no later than 7:45 PM on weekdays only; no weekend service currently is provided. The routes in Destin/South Walton and Okaloosa Island typically have 60-minute headways, although Route 30 increases its headways to 30 minutes in the summer. The Wave Express (Route 14) has 10- to 30-minute headways during the peak hour. The regular one-way fare for EC Rider is $1.50, and the regular one-way fare for the Wave Express is $2.00, or $45.00 for a monthly pass. A 50% discount for the regular fare or monthly pass on both the Wave and the Wave Express is given to older adults and persons with disabilities. Table 3-1 shows characteristics of routes currently operated by the Emerald Coast Rider. Table 3-1: EC Rider Route Inventory and Characteristics Route No. of Key Location/Corridors Served Freq. Hours No. Stops Fort Walton Beach – connects NW Florida State College to Fort Walton 7:00 AM– 1 Beach Medical Center, Uptown Station; stops at Green Acres, YMCA 47 75 mins 7:30 PM Choctaw Village, Teresa Village, Falcon Ridge Apartments, Mariner Plaza Fort Walton Beach – connects Mary Esther Post Office to Uptown Station 7:10 AM– 2 along Hollywood