JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A common thoroughfare on Jacksonville’s Northside is causing some concerns for people who live in the area.
Dunn Avenue has seen quite a bit of development, and crashes are becoming more frequent.
William Reister, the pastor of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church on Dunn Avenue and VC Johnson Road, said crashes are commonplace.
“The traffic along Dunn Avenue has increased substantially,” he said.
The traffic -- some of the worst Reister has seen in 30 years of preaching on the Northside -- is from the new homes popping up in the area.
“We have witnessed quite a few accidents at this intersection,” Reister said. “The drivers coming from the neighborhoods here oftentimes have to wait a long time to get on the road and so sometimes they take chances that have led to the accidents.”
Just down the road at Dunn Avenue and Braddock Road is a similar situation.
City officials say between both locations, on average, there are around five crashes per month.
A makeshift memorial still stands on Braddock Road four months after police said a teen driver lost control of his car and hit and killed a lawn care worker who was edging the sidewalk in the middle of the day.
Councilman Reggie Gaffney Jr., who represents the Northside, said District 8 is the second-fastest growing district in the city.
“It’s not a week that goes by that I get a call from a builder or a developer about building in District 8,” Gaffney said.
He said along with that growth come growing pains.
He also said his office is working with state transportation officials to address the issues at these intersections.
“Right now, I am in the process of talking to DOT and trying to get a traffic light out here, to try to remediate some of those traffic concerns,” Gaffney said.
The Jacksonville City Council Finance Committee in August approved $1.5 million for infrastructure in the area, which residents hope will include funding for a stoplight.
Gaffney said installing stoplights could take between three and four years. He also recognizes that people are eager for a faster solution.
“It’s a city and state joint project and I have to work with the state. I am putting my feet on the gas pedal to try to speed this up. Hopefully, it can be before three or four years. Right now, I’m doing everything in my ability to get this accomplished,” he said.
Pastor Reister says hearing that from the councilman makes him hopeful.
“I was so happy to be able to meet him personally and to know that we have an advocate in city hall with the State of Florida to push these things through,” Reister said. “It’s a wonderful community. I have been privileged to serve here for 33 years, and we want to keep our residents safe.”
News4JAX reached out to the Florida Department of Transportation for comment. The agency responded with a statement:
“The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) planning process is directed by local governments and is dependent on available funding. Installing traffic signals is a complex process that requires engineering studies and intersection control evaluations before a signal can be considered. These projects are extensive and take time to evaluate the roadway thoroughly and thoughtfully to ensure a roadway application does not inadvertently impact other elements of the corridor. This process is consistent across the state of Florida to ensure all roadways are equitably analyzed and prioritized for safety.
It may be helpful to know that FDOT reviews all reported crashes on state roadways and interstates, with a special emphasis on fatalities and crashes with injuries. If there are improvements that can be made to enhance the safety of the facilities, FDOT will work to implement them. This process includes careful analysis by professional engineers and other evaluations or studies that may be warranted. Once proposed projects are considered candidate projects, they are submitted to the North Florida TPO to prioritize the project for funding.
The North Florida TPO consists of local elected officials and appointees and is the independent regional transportation planning agency for Clay, Duval, Nassau, and St. Johns counties. The federal government requires areas developed around cities with 50,000 or more people to have a “metropolitan planning organization” like the North Florida TPO to coordinate planning and funding. The North Florida TPO prioritizes funding of various projects, and the priorities are funded by the state legislature. This ensures funding priorities are made at the local level and that the entire region is treated equitably. These funded projects are contained in the Department’s Five-Year Work Program.
While the timeline of this process may not align with some expectations, the process is consistent across the state of Florida and ensures all roadways and communities receive thoughtful and carefully evaluated treatment for roadway improvements.
Motorists should continue to treat every roadway with a safety-first mindset. FDOT’s statewide Target Zero safety initiative encourages all roadway users to obey traffic laws and make responsible decisions to help prevent crashes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has determined that over 92% of all roadway crashes have human behavior as a determining factor, underscoring the importance of promoting safe driving behavior. Drivers should never drive distracted or impaired, always follow the laws of the roadway, maintain a safe speed and be considerate of all roadway users, including pedestrians and bicyclists."