ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – Nearly one week after St. Johns County leaders met with Durbin Crossing residents to address growing traffic safety concerns along Longleaf Pine Parkway, crosswalk signals have been installed near Patriot Oaks Academy.
The signals will require pedestrians to press a button to activate flashing lights, signaling to drivers that someone is attempting to cross.
The installation marks the first safety improvement since a 12-year-old child was struck and killed in a crosswalk outside the school while riding a small, gas-powered dirt bike.
At a meeting last Wednesday, nine residents stepped forward during the meeting to share their concerns about traffic on Longleaf Pine Parkway, including Durbin Crossing resident Leonie Halstead.
“I just have a lot of concerns about the traffic volume and speed on Longleaf Pine. I think it’s gotten really excessive in the last few years,” Halstead said.
Halstead also expressed worry about future development in the area and its potential impact on traffic, but expressed gratitude toward decisions like the one to place flashing pedestrian lights in front of Patriot Oaks Academy.
District 1 Commissioner Christian Whitehurst said the beacons are a step in the right direction, but emphasized that children must also remain alert.
“Children need to use it judiciously,” he said. “They need to make sure that they’re paying attention as much when they use the beacon as they did when there was not a beacon.”
St. Johns County Sheriff Rob Hardwick shared during the meeting that deputies have increased their presence along Longleaf Pine Parkway since the crash.
“We’ve had a lot of complaints that people bring into our attention about speeding of course on Longleaf Pine Parkway, and we always try to put people at ease sometimes by showing a presence in the area,” Hardwick said.