Jacksonville leaders approve changes to regional TPO priority list, add fifth county slots and amend one local project

The Jacksonville representatives on a local TPO coordination panel voted to support revisions to the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization’s (TPO) regional list of priority projects, including an increase in the regional allocation and a local amendment to the Item 9 street project.

Jeff Sheffield, executive director of the North Florida TPO, told the panel the item had been presented to the TPO in December and was expected for formal action by the TPO board on Feb. 13. "What's in front of you is proposed, revisions to the TPO's list of priority project," Sheffield said, describing a planned increase in the region's allotment from 20 to 25 projects.

Sheffield said the proposed five additional slots would be distributed as one to Clay County, two to Duval County, one to Nassau County and one to St. Johns County. Under the proposed distribution, Duval County's allotment would grow from eight projects to 10, he said. Sheffield also said the TPO intends to adopt a policy requiring "a minimum of 1 of the projects from each county must be within the 2020 Census designated urban areas."

During the local panel meeting, a council member moved to amend Item 9, identified on the list as the Bieber Street project, to change its western terminus from Interstate 95 to McDuff Avenue and to extend the project to Liberty Street. The member said the change followed conversations with staff and neighborhood stakeholders and asked that the downtown portion be segmented to allow earlier work in the core area. "I'd like to make that motion," the member said; another attendee seconded the motion. The panel voted by voice; the motion passed.

Panel members then moved to endorse the revised list of projects, including the additional slots for the region. After the voice vote, the chair declared the motion passed and staff said they would revise the Item 9 terminus to McDuff Avenue and resubmit the amended list to Sheffield for inclusion in the TPO board packet.

During public comment, John J. Newney, who identified himself by reference to Jacksonville City Council Resolution 2023-0819, urged inclusion of a safety and access upgrade on "Parental Home Road to I-295," specifically bicycle and pedestrian intersection improvements tied to resurfacing work. Newney said the corridor connects to Pottsburg Creek and called it a major quality-of-life issue.

No formal vote records with individual member yea/nay tallies were recorded in the panel transcript; both the amendment to Item 9 and the motion to support the revised priority list passed by voice vote. Sheffield said final approval by the TPO board is expected on Feb. 13, at which point the TPO will formally adopt the revised list and the associated policy language about the 2020 Census urbanized-area requirement.

The panel discussion was limited in duration; staff and members described the changes as an administrative update to align Jacksonville's local requests with the regional TPO process and to ensure county-level representation on the regional priority list. Staff said the amended Item 9 would be reflected in the next TPO board packet.