UNF students gain real-world experience helping JAXPORT improve traffic flow and tenant operations

University of North Florida engineering students are working with the Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT) to help determine ways to improve traffic flow and tenant operations at its growing Blount Island terminal.

Students in the College of Engineering, Computing and Construction got real-world experience in the field and the lab under the guidance of Dr. Thobias Sando, professor of engineering.

Students gathered data, flew drones to assess current traffic patterns and used proposed port expansion to forecast future roadway infrastructure needs, model traffic flow and come up with suggested scenarios for solutions, Sando said.

"It's a great opportunity for students to see the results of their work affecting change or at least the beginnings of a larger project down the road," said Dr. Clark Letter, director of planning and analytics with the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization (TPO), a regional transportation planning agency that works with area businesses to study, plan and fund transportation projects in Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties. Each year, the agency sends out queries to area businesses to submit feasibility study requests for consideration.

JAXPORT's Blount Island Terminal is undergoing significant expansion by adding new tenants to its marine terminal, which is expected to increase semi-truck traffic in and around the terminal, challenge the existing roadways and impact access to and within the port.

Preparing for that growth, JAXPORT submitted an optimization feasibility study request to North Florida TPO.

With the focus of identifying ways to improve traffic flow and tenant operations at the port, JAXPORT is looking for ways to best regulate the current and future traffic patterns to accommodate the influx of truck traffic in and around the port.

After consulting with one of their contracted engineering firms, North Florida TPO elicited the help of Sando and his engineering students.

"Once JAXPORT presented their study request to us, we consulted with one of our engineering firms to figure out the next best steps," said Letter. "We knew this would be the perfect project to elicit the assistance of the University of North Florida and engineering students. I have a background in academia, and I know the valuable experience students receive from engaging in a hands-on project like this."