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Reach the Beach

Shuttle Program

2016 Marketing Plan

Table of Contents

I. Executive Summary pg. 1

II. Market pg. 2

III. SWOT Analysis pg. 5

IV. Market Strategies pg. 6

V. Market Segmentation pg. 7

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I. Executive Summary:

With more than 41 miles of coastline, the beaches of St. Johns County are the community’s

largest natural resource. From coquina to white soft sand, St. Johns County beaches offer some

of the best recreational and coastal wildlife viewing opportunities in the state of Florida. Beach

visitors can enjoy recreational and commercial fishing, surfing, horseback riding, sunbathing,

sand combing, and beach driving. The unique characteristics of the beaches attract many new

residents and visitors. In the past 14 years, the population has increased by 76 percent. Last

year, the beaches accommodated over an estimated 2.2 million beach visitors. Due to the

increase in population and tourism, the beaches of St. Johns County are experiencing at-

capacity levels for both on-beach and off-beach parking.

Beach visitors are able to access the beach in numerous ways including on-beach and off-

beach parking, bikes, foot, and other modes of transportation. On-beach parking is offered at

nine different access ramps and off-beach parking is offered at thirteen parking lots. However,

both on-beach and off-beach parking options are experiencing at-capacity challenges.

The heaviest parking zones include Mickler’s Beachfront Park, Vilano Beach, St. Johns

County Ocean and Fishing Pier Park, A Street, Ocean Trace, and Crescent Beach. On holiday

weekends, spring breaks, and throughout the summer, these areas are reaching capacity by

mid-morning. Beach Services, in conjunction with St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, work to

communicate temporary closures for on-beach vehicle access. These vehicles are then directed

to off-beach parking locations, a task which has proven to be difficult under these conditions.

The capacity challenges are not only affected by an increase in beach visitors but because of

environmental factors. The footprint of the beach in many locations along the coastline has

diminished due to tides, ocean swells, and precipitation. At the same time, St. Johns County

conservation efforts have been successful as seen by the escalation of dune growth. As the

dunes encroach eastward, and the high tide moves westward, the amount of space to allow for

the separation of people and vehicles decrease. This trend has prompted designated “no

parking” areas on the beach. Additionally, the sand conditions have a direct impact on the

number of vehicles that can access on-beach parking. The sand conditions in the past three

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years have predominantly only permitted only four-wheel drive vehicle beach access. With two-

wheel drive access limited, many beach-goers are searching for off-beach parking options.

In 2014, St. Johns County took unprecedented steps to help alleviate these capacity

challenges by offering the Reach the Beach Shuttle Program. This free shuttle service offers

beach visitors an enjoyable, stress-free experience of parking and accessing St. Johns County

beaches. The service is provided on holiday weekends during the summer months at Mickler’s

Landing in Ponte Vedra and the St. Johns County Ocean and Fishing Pier Park in St. Augustine

Beach.

The program has continued since 2014, with ridership numbers increasing each year. The

purpose of this marketing plan is to further spread awareness of this valuable program to the

visitors and residents of St. Johns County beaches.

II. Market:

St. Johns County has seen a dramatic increase of beach visitors since 2000. The County’s

resident population has grown from 51,303 in 1980 to 217,919 in 2014, a 4.3 percent

annualized growth rate. Similarly, tourism rates have surged throughout the years. According to

the Tourist Development Council, the number of parties visiting the County increased 14.2

percent from 2013 to 2014, with a 22.3 percent increase in the number of visitors. With the

increase in residents and visitors, the demand for beach services and access has also increased.

The infrastructures in place for both on-beach and off-beach parking are unable to meet the

growing needs of the community.

An estimated 2,298,712 people visited St. Johns County beaches from March 1 to Labor Day

in 2015. These beach-goers accessed the beach by either on-beach parking, off-beach parking,

or through the St. Johns County Pier Park beach access. This number does not include visitors

that accessed the beach by foot, bike, or other transportation other than vehicles.

Approximately 1,673,296 people accessed the beach through off-beach parking options

during this same time last year. There are 1,685 off-beach parking spots in St. Johns County at

designated locations. Assuming parking areas are at 75 percent capacity throughout the

season, an estimated 1,263 spaces are used per day. The off-beach parking turnover rate is

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estimated at three times per day (1,263 x 3), providing 3,789 vehicles parking to access the

beach daily with an estimated 2.4 people per car. This totals 9,094 people per day. The chart

below illustrates the larger beachfront parking locations.

Location Parking Spaces

Mickler’s Beachfront Park 248 South Ponte Vedra Park 37 North Beach Park 92 Surfside Park 55 Vilano Beach Oceanfront Park 24 Pope Road Park 24 SJC Ocean Pier Park 180 Windswept Acres Park 43 Mary Street ROW 9 Gloria Ave. Minnie St. Walkover 78 Frank Butler Park East 116 Crescent Beach Park 131 Spyglass Walkover 19

Total Parking Spaces 1,056 On-beach parking revenue has seen a consistent decrease since 2009. This can be

contributed to the beach conditions and environmental impacts that have changed the face

of St. Johns County beaches. The dunes have been thriving and continue to push eastward

as the mean high water tide line is encroaching westward. This creates a much smaller

footprint of beach to delineate an area for people, a driving lane, and parking. Additionally,

the sand conditions have only permitted four-wheel drive vehicle access to the beach. In

2015 and 2016, several stretches of beach reached capacity and were temporarily closed to

vehicle access by law enforcement. These challenges have direct impact on the number of

vehicles that can access on-beach parking, resulting in declining revenue throughout the

years. On-beach parking revenue saw a 5.7 percent decrease from the 2014 to 2015 season.

It was estimated 625,416 people accessed the beach through on-beach parking in 2015.

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Location Parking Spaces

Vilano Ramp to Jetty 148 Porpoise Point to Vilano Jetty 261 A-Street to Dog leg 420 Dog leg to Ocean Trace 490 Ocean Trace to Dondanville 255 Dondanville to Matanzas Ave. 824 Matanzas Ave. to Mary Street 267 Mary Street to Crescent Beach 827 Crescent Beach to Fort Matanzas 2,190

Total Parking Spaces 5,682* *Number subject to beach conditions

$1,055,587

$977,823

$1,113,565

$952,009 $923,094 $900,397

$783,550

$875,051 $860,400

$0

$200,000

$400,000

$600,000

$800,000

$1,000,000

$1,200,000

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Rev

en

ue

Year

On-Beach Revenue 2007-2015

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The St. Johns County Ocean and Fishing Pier Park is one of the County’s most

popular beach access points. This park offers a variety of amenities including volleyball

courts, pavilion, Splash Park, Pier and Gift Shop, Visitor Information Center, bathrooms,

showers, parking, and beach access. In 2013, the Pier Bait Shop was rebranded as a

destination location and renamed as the St. Johns County Pier Gift Shop. The facility was

enhanced through renovations, adjusted operating procedures to reduce monthly

expenses, and diversified services and products to increase revenue and customer

retention. The success in rebranding this facility was directly demonstrated through

increase in revenue since 2013. Admission sales, including sightseeing and fishing increased

20 percent from 2014 to 2015. The sale of goods and rental income increased 33 percent

from 2014 to 2015.

III. SWOT Anaylsis:

a. Strengths:

i. Pristine 41 miles of beaches in St. Johns County.

ii. Twelve miles of drivable beach access.

iii. Instill rules and regulations on the beach to ensure public safety.

iv. Beach is home to a number of coastal-wildlife species.

v. Beach provides numerous recreational opportunities.

vi. Beachfront parks offer amenities for all ages.

vii. Reach the Beach shuttle program provides alternative parking options.

viii. Ridership numbers have increased through the 3 years of the shuttle service.

b. Weaknesses:

i. On-beach and off-beach parking availability are at capacity.

ii. Sand conditions restrict vehicle access.

iii. Lack of off beach parking areas.

iv. Environmental changes have reduced on-beach parking/driving areas.

v. Reach the Beach Shuttle program is not widely known of.

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c. Opportunities:

i. Create and provide alternative parking and beach access options.

ii. Increase awareness of the shuttle program.

iii. Increase ridership numbers of the shuttle program.

iv. Create a more cohesive partnership with TDC.

v. Develop and implement a more diverse marketing plan and strategy.

vi. Expand shuttle locations:

1. Downtown to Beach.

2. Other off beach parking locations in other parts of the County.

d. Threats:

i. Lack of parking options could deter people from visiting the beach

ii. Visitors may choose other beach towns to visit

iii. Daytona beach, allowing beach driving, does not have a capacity limit

iv. Capacity challenges could create a negative image of the beaches.

IV. Marketing Strategies:

The Reach the Beach Shuttle Program will be marketed through print, broadcast, radio,

and electronic media outlets in the local and regional markets. All three holiday weekends

will be packaged together in the first press release and media distributions. After Memorial

Day weekend, the media distributions will be revised to only include the remaining holiday

weekends in the season.

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V. Market Segmentation:

a. Internal-St. Johns County Government

i. St. Johns County Website

1. Home Page

2. News Feed

3. Photo Rotator

4. Beach Services Page

5. Parks and Recreation Page

6. Tourist Development Council Page

7. Public Calendar

ii. St. Johns County Social Media

1. Facebook

2. Twitter

3. Instagram

iii. Beach Services Social Media

1. Facebook

2. Twitter

3. Instagram

iv. Parks and Recreation Social Media

1. Facebook

2. Twitter

3. Instagram

v. Board of County Commissioners E-Newsletter

1. Summer 2016 Edition

vi. Parks and Recreation E-Newsletter

1. June Edition

2. July Edition

3. August Edition

4. September Edition

5. Three additional Special Editions to highlight each holiday weekend

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vii. Reach the Beach Mobile Application

viii. Government TV

1. Bulletin Board

2. Video PSA

ix. Government Tax Collector Offices

1. Ponte Vedra

2. Julington Creek

3. Main/Lewis Speed Way

4. Dupont Center

5. Hastings

b. External Agencies

i. 103.1 WSOS St. Johns County Today Radio Show:

1. May Segment

2. July Segment

3. September Segment

ii. Tourist Development Council

iii. Council on Aging

iv. Visitor Information Centers

v. Police Departments:

1. St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office

a. Social Media: Facebook

2. City of St Augustine Beach Police Department

a. Social Media: Facebook

b. Community Announcements

3. City of St Augustine Police Department

a. Social Media: Facebook

b. Community Announcements

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vi. City of St Augustine Beach:

1. Community newsletter

2. Website

vii. Community Associations:

1. Ponte Vedra Municipal Service District

a. Website

2. St Augustine Beach Civic Association

a. Website

viii. School

ix. Churches

x. Community Centers

xi. Hotels

xii. Bed and Breakfasts

xiii. Beachfront House/Condo Rentals

xiv. Blogs

1. Flagler County

2. St Johns County

3. Duval County

xv. Libraries

1. Website

2. Social Media

3. Bulletin Boards

c. Media Outlets

i. Distribution to more than 150 local and regional broadcasters, reporter

assignments, editors, and producers locally and regionally.

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Attachment A: Press Release

St. Johns County Offers Free “Reach the Beach”

Shuttle Service during Summer Holiday Weekends

St. Johns County, Fl – With the demand of off-beach parking expected to exceed capacity during

the holidays this summer, St. Johns County is offering a free shuttle service to Mickler’s Beachfront

Park and the St. Johns County Ocean and Fishing Pier from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the following

weekends:

Memorial Day: May 28 – 30

Independence Day: July 2 – 4

Labor Day: September 3 – 5

The Mickler’s Beachfront Park shuttle will transport beach visitors between Cornerstone Park, 1046

A1A North, and Mickler’s Beachfront Park, which provides direct access to the beach. The Pier

shuttle will transport beach visitors between St. Augustine Beach City Hall, 2200 A1A South, and the

Pier parking lot, which provides direct access to Pier amenities and the beach. The shuttles will run

every 20 minutes with the final shuttles departing at 4 p.m.

Both shuttle service routes will be provided by the St. Johns County Council on Aging, Inc. DBA

Coastal Transportation and will be subject to inclement weather. Service updates will be provided

via the St. Johns County Reach the Beach mobile website, Twitter feed, and Facebook page. St.

Johns County and the Tourist Development Council provide the Reach the Beach shuttles to relieve

congestion at the Mickler’s Beachfront Park and the St. Johns County Ocean and Fishing Pier, and to

give St. Johns County residents and visitors a more safe and convenient beach experience. For

additional information, please visit www.sjcfl.us/Beaches or call 904.209.0331.

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Attachment A: Flyer

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