NEPTUNE BEACH, Fla. – The Penman Road Project was on the agenda at Tuesday night’s Neptune Beach City Council meeting.
The city hosted an open house event where people were able to speak directly with the development team before a public discussion with the city council.
“We’re trying to facilitate what the needs are and what’s important,” Consultant Project Manager Dow Peters said.
The idea of roundabouts being placed along Penman has been floated around for several years. Currently, the plan is to add roundabouts at five intersections in the area.
RELATED: 5 roundabouts proposed for Penman Road intersections in Jacksonville Beach
The intersections include:
- 4th Avenue North
- 8th Avenue North
- 12th Avenue North
- 15th Avenue North
- Florida Boulevard, where a five-way red light could be replaced with a roundabout.
The plan also proposes right-of-way sidewalks to improve pedestrian safety.
But several residents at Tuesday’s meeting said they aren’t sure it will make things safer.
“We have to stop the cars so people can go across safely,” one person said.
News4JAX spoke with locals who feel the current five-way is unique with a few minor issues.
“I think there is a need for improvement on the overall just kind of the congestive flow of traffic is definitely been building up, especially with a lot of the growth that the city’s seen,” said Neptune Beach resident Morgan Christiansen “However, the roundabout may cause a little concern, [but] I’m curious to see what the city comes together with.”
Another Neptune Beach resident, Valentin Romero, said he lived in Europe for a few years and said roundabouts definitely help the flow of traffic in his area.
“Roundabouts definitely help,” Romero said. “It’s just a term of how [Europeans] use it, and how people get used to getting in and out and respecting other traffic that’s already in the roundabout...So if people use it correctly, then traffic will flow, and it will help the area a lot.”
The plan would currently make Penman a 35 mph road. But they said the roundabouts would make cars go about 25 mph.
If this plan is approved, construction could start by January 2027 with the project finishing December 2028.
For more information about the project, visit: penmanroadproject.com.