A beach trolley along South Ponte Vedra and Vilano Beach could lower what St. Johns County taxpayers owe on a major coastal restoration project.

The county is studying a preliminary trolley concept that would shuttle riders to county-owned beach access points along State Road A1A, a corridor where private homes dominate the shoreline and public parking is scarce. The idea is tied directly to a federal funding formula: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers uses the amount of public beach access in a project area as a primary factor in setting the local government's cost share, according to a county announcement.

More access could shrink the county's bill.

Public meeting on trolley concept set for Oct. 7

St. Johns County will hold a public meeting on the concept Oct. 7 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve, 505 Guana River Road in Ponte Vedra Beach. The same presentation will run three times, at 4, 5 and 6 p.m., with breakout stations afterward for questions and feedback.

No decisions have been made on trolley stop locations or whether the county will pursue the idea at all. The meeting is purely informational, with no votes or approvals on the agenda, First Coast Observer reported.

Trolley tied to 50-year storm protection project

The trolley is one of several options the county is evaluating to increase public beach access in South Ponte Vedra Beach and improve the financial feasibility of a long-term partnership with the Corps. That partnership centers on the South Ponte Vedra and Vilano Beach Coastal Storm Risk Management Project. The 50-year effort stretches from the Ocean Villas at Serenata Beach to just north of Nease Beachfront Park, according to the county's coastal projects page.

The project sits within a county facing significant erosion. A March 3 presentation to the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners reported that 24 of the county's 42 miles of beach are critically eroded, with 10 engineering projects underway across 11 distinct shoreline segments.

Trolley stops could also serve existing public access locations in Vilano Beach, which could improve the Corps' cost-share formula for a separate project already underway there, according to the county's announcement.

Beachgoers split on the trolley idea

Action News Jax reported that beachgoers had mixed reactions to the idea. Russell Davies told the station a trolley "sounds like a good idea" and "wouldn't require any parking." Tiffany Kimberling was more skeptical: "You gotta, I guess, pay for the trolley, right? I would probably just go to the one where I could park."

Any formal decision on a trolley system would eventually go before county commissioners, likely as part of a broader beach restoration funding package.

The presentation will be recorded, and a transcript of the question-and-answer sessions will be posted at sjcfl.us/CoastalProjects. The county may schedule additional meetings depending on community interest. Residents can submit questions in advance to St. Johns County Coastal Management at 904-209-0260 or [email protected].