SJC to Host Community Meeting on Preliminary Beach Trolley Concept

• 22 September 2026
• Category: Coastal Projects Enhance Conservation Public Meetings
• Tags: 2026

Meeting will introduce and gather input on potential public transportation option for South Ponte Vedra Beach and Vilano Beach

St. Johns County will host a community meeting to introduce a preliminary concept for a beach trolley system that could serve South Ponte Vedra Beach and Vilano Beach. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 7, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve, located at 505 Guana River Road in Ponte Vedra Beach.

The meeting will provide information about the preliminary concept, answer questions, and gather community input before any decisions are made regarding potential trolley stops or whether the option will ultimately be pursued.

The same presentation will be offered at 4, 5, and 6 p.m., with each presentation followed by breakout stations where attendees can ask questions and provide feedback.

The presentation will be recorded, and a transcript of the question-and-answer sessions will be made available online for community members who are unable to attend. These materials will be published online at sjcfl.us/CoastalProjects following the meeting.

Depending on community interest, the County may schedule additional meetings to provide further opportunities for input during this preliminary stage.

Background

St. Johns County is actively working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to establish a long-term federal partnership to support beach restoration along the shoreline in South Ponte Vedra Beach.

To move forward, the County must identify a sustainable funding strategy for the required local cost share. One of the primary factors the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers uses to determine the local cost share is the amount of public beach access available within the project area.

The County is evaluating several potential options to increase public beach access in South Ponte Vedra Beach and improve the project’s financial feasibility. One option under consideration is a public transportation system with designated trolley stops that would provide access to existing County-owned properties within the project area.

The potential trolley system could also include stops at existing public access locations throughout Vilano Beach, which could benefit the existing U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project cost share in that area. Additionally, the transportation system could support broader County mobility efforts.

At this stage, the trolley concept remains under evaluation. No decisions have been made regarding the location of trolley stops or whether the County will ultimately pursue the option. Community input will help inform the County’s evaluation as it considers the potential benefits, challenges, and feasibility of the concept.

Residents and community members are encouraged to attend the meeting, ask questions, and provide feedback. Initial questions about the potential project may be submitted in advance to St. Johns County Coastal Management at 904-209-0260 or coastalprojects@sjcfl.us.

For more information about coastal projects in St. Johns County, visit sjcfl.us/CoastalProjects.