At First Meeting, Citizens Say Walking and Cycling Safety Is Worse

By Mike Spino

At the first public series of meetings this week about walking and cycling safety in Fernandina Beach, citizens expressed concern that the city’s quality of life is slipping because our roadways are insufficient for the vehicle size, speed and volume we now have.

Residents said it is unsafe to walk or cycle on the state roads -- especially South Fletcher owing to poor street maintenance and deteriorating sidewalks.

Also, they pointed out, there is only one crosswalk on Atlantic Avenue between South 14th and the beach. They said crossing South Eighth Street for much of its length is unsafe. They said the state should do safety studies on these roadways and design infrastructure that slows down traffic. Some other issues from the meeting:

-- Lower vehicle speeds across the island.

-- Safety concerns on Citrona from vehicle speed, lack of crosswalks and stop signs.

-- Concerns about the lack of bike lanes and safe passage westbound to the Shave Bridge.

Also presented were three specific proposals to improve walking and biking safety:

-- A paved trail through the Lime Street park to connect Lime Street with South Seventh Street to allow safe passage off of South Eighth Street.

-- Development and implementation of the TextMyGov application allowing residents to text safety problems directly to city staff for quicker resolution.

-- A design study for Beech Street from South Eighth to South 14th to organize and improve parking, add a trail, slow traffic and provide trees.

Upcoming Citizens’ Task Force for Safe Walking and Biking in Fernandina Beach meetings:

May 23: 5-7 p.m. at the Peck Center.

May 31: 4-6 p.m. at City Hall, with a focus on selecting short-, mid- and long-term solutions.

June 12: 4-6 p.m. at City Hall; a draft task force report.

July 11: 6:00 p.m. at City Hall, presenting the final report to the city commission.

Besides these gatherings, citizens can make recommendations at www.FBFL.us/Citizens4Safety. Also, they can email Mike Spino at mikespino@bellsouth.net with questions or comments.