STV recently joined local leaders, community advocates and project partners to celebrate the opening of the Amelia Island Parkway Trail, a nearly four-mile shared-use corridor that expands bicycle and pedestrian connectivity across Amelia Island in Northeast Florida.
Designed by STV on behalf of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District 2 through the Local Agency Program (LAP), the approximately $8 million initiative extends along Amelia Island Parkway from SR A1A (Fletcher Avenue) to SR 200 (S. 8th Street). The project was funded through a combination of state and federal resources, including Florida’s Shared-Use Nonmotorized (SUN) Trail Program, which supports the development of connected bicycle and pedestrian facilities statewide.
By bridging a longstanding gap between existing and planned trail facilities, the corridor creates a more continuous route for residents and visitors traveling across Amelia Island while improving access to neighborhoods, parks, commercial destinations and recreational amenities. The connection also advances broader transportation goals for Nassau County, where rapid population growth and increasing travel demand have heightened the need for safe, multimodal options that complement the region’s roadway network and support long-term mobility planning.
“The Amelia Island Trail provides a vital connection to the island’s expanding trail network,” said Kevin Shoemaker, PE, engineering director at STV. “One of the most gratifying aspects of this project has been seeing how quickly the community embraced the new connection and the tremendous response from people of all ages. As Nassau County continues to grow, projects like this help expand transportation options, strengthen connections between destinations and support the community’s long-term vision for a more connected mobility network.”
STV provided design services for all four segments of the project, collaborating closely with project partners to address a range of corridor challenges, including constrained right-of-way conditions, utility conflicts, mature tree preservation and drainage considerations.
The completed trail features a 10-foot-wide shared-use path, bicycle signal improvements, rectangular rapid-flashing beacons, drainage enhancements and utility coordination designed to improve safety and accessibility for trail users.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony brought together local officials, project stakeholders, and community advocates, including representatives from Friends of the Amelia Island Trail, which has long championed efforts to expand active transportation opportunities across the island.
The Amelia Island Parkway Trail is one of several mobility initiatives STV is supporting in Nassau County. In addition to serving as FDOT District 2’s LAP consultant for the completed corridor, STV is supporting Nassau County with the separate Amelia Island Trail Phase 4 project, which is currently in design. Together, these efforts are advancing a more connected trail network and expanding transportation and recreational opportunities for residents and visitors throughout the region.
