Santos Trail Corridor Study

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (FDEP) Office of Greenways and Trails needed a firm to perform an alignment study on the Marjorie Harris Carr Central Florida Greenway. The study was part of the preliminary portion of the project.

DRMP was responsible for the recreational trail alignment study in Marion County.  The project involved evaluating several alternative alignments and determining potential environmental, cultural and engineering impacts.  The alignments also considered connection points to nearby entities such as schools, neighborhoods and parks.  Right-of-way utilization along portions of Marion County public roadways was also considered. DRMP coordinated with Marion County, FDOT District Five, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) , CSX Railroad and St Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD).  The project involved conducting a public meeting and preparing a preliminary engineering report. DRMP coordinated with FDOT Central Office to obtain a Type 2 Categorical Exclusion and maintain federal funding eligibility. 

The study allowed for the FDEP and Marion County to make more informed decisions regarding the design phase of this project.