A Look at the Southside Boulevard Visioning Plan

Existing Characteristics



Southside Boulevard’s operational characteristics, like other highways, is graded on a scale called Level of Service, which is similar to how students are graded in school with “A” being very good, and “F” being poor, as follows:

• Level “A” consists of free flow, few restrictions, not many vehicles, and drivers are very relaxed

• Level “B” consists of relatively free flow, traffic is still light, maneuvers are becoming slightly
restrictive, but the driver remains fairly relaxed

• Level “C” consists of increasing traffic but flowing well, changing lanes is more difficult, and
some drivers tend to be uncomfortable

• Level “D” consists reduced speeds, restricted freedom to maneuver, and much lower levels of
comfort for all drivers

• Level “E” consists of irregular flow , some slow-downs and even delays, very few chances to
maneuver, and poor comfort levels for drivers

• Level “F” consists of total congestion with cars following one another with little opportunity
to maneuver, traffic jams are common and both the driver and passengers are becoming
frustrated

The North Florida Transportation Planning Organization has adopted Level of Service “D” as the
minimum acceptable Level of Service for this region.



Existing Transit



Numerous bus routes travel either within the corridor or across it. There are four main routes which travel along Southside Boulevard for varying distances: the S1, SS6, B7, and L7.

• The S1 extends along Southside Boulevard from the Avenues Mall to Centurion Parkway and then continues outside of the corridor through Deerwood Park and along Gate Parkway. It re-enters Southside Boulevard again from Touchton Road extending to Atlantic Boulevard and finally continues west across the Arlington Expressway to the Rosa Parks Transit Station Downtown. Service operates seven days a week with an approximate 75-minute peak and off-peak headway between buses on weekdays.

• The SS6 begins outside of the corridor at the University of North Florida and travels through the St. Johns Town Center and along Gate Parkway. It enters Southside Boulevard at Touchton Road and extends to Beach Boulevard. It then continues off Southside Boulevard to the west between Beach Boulevard and Atlantic Boulevard. Service operates seven days a week with an approximate 35-minute peak and off -peak headway between buses on weekdays.

• The B7 briefly travels along Southside Boulevard from Baymeadows Road to Old Baymeadows Road. The majority of the route is concentrated to the west on Baymeadows Road and to the north on San Jose Boulevard. Service operates seven days a week with an approximate 90-minute peak and off-peak headway between buses on weekdays.

• The L7 briefly travels along Southside Boulevard from Philips Highway to Deercreek Club Road as circulation around the Avenues Mall. The route continues north on Philips Highway through Downtown stopping at the Rosa Parks Transit Station and continuing north to the Gateway Transit Hub at Golfair Boulevard and then north to Soutel Drive. Service operates seven days a week with an approximate 30-minute peak headway and a 60-minute off -peak headway between buses on weekdays.

Many other bus routes cross Southside Boulevard or tie into one of the main routes along it: the express WS91 along Philips Highway, SS8 along Hogan Road, K2 along Beach Boulevard, and express X2 along Beach Boulevard. The Mandarin Community Shuttle and Sunshine Bus connections provide service to the Avenues Mall via Philips Highway on the southern end of the corridor. Additionally, the Regency Square Mall Transit Hub provides a primary stop for the AR6, AR7, CT4, R5, U2, and the Arlington Community Shuttle on the northern end of the corridor.


Southside Boulevard Right-of-way width


Number of travel lanes on Southside Boulevard.


Existing (top) and Future (bottom) Land Use Diagrams


Existing bus stops, sidewalks, and frontage road diagram (top) and existing pedestrian crosswalks (bottom).


Traffic signals and crash locations