JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Ironman Triathlon wrapped up a busy weekend in Jacksonville, drawing nearly 2,000 athletes from around the world.
Many competitors and organizers praised the River City as a host, but some local officials, businesses, and residents say race-day traffic and safety concerns caused major headaches.
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A big part of the race was in St. Johns County, where athletes biked 112 miles through areas like Nocatee and Ponte Vedra Beach.
St. Johns County Commissioner Krista Joseph said that she appreciated the athletes and families who participated, but had major concerns after Saturday’s event.
Joseph went to Facebook and posted this feedback:
“The BCC (Board of County Commissioners) did not vote on this Jacksonville event. I can tell you all right now, after sitting in traffic for 3 hours and watching the close calls of car vs golf cart vs bikers that approval for something National like this needs to come to the BCC. Not only did I just get off the phone with the County Administrator and she was unaware of this event but also conveyed my concerns to the Sheriff.”
Those traffic concerns were echoed by businesses in Five Points, where Riverside served as a major transition zone from swimming to biking, so there were plenty of closures.
Mayor Donna Deegan addressed the traffic, acknowledging frustrations and saying city leaders will work to improve communication.
“I know some people have been a little upset about some of the traffic issues,” Deegan said. “Events like this are always going to be a little disruptive for one day. But the return on investment we get for that is tremendous… we’ll try our best to make sure we’re communicating.”
Business owners and employees along Park Street told News4JAX they supported hosting a major event but felt overlooked by the closure plan, saying customers canceled appointments, workers arrived hours late and parking became difficult for staff and visitors.
“Nobody really knew what to do because we thought that it was going to be a lane impact, and it was the entire street,” Five Points employee Taylor Johnson said. “So like they had the whole thing blocked off, so I know like they were people that were basically just hanging outside and not really knowing what to do.”
Johnson added that some customers and employees were forced to park farther away.
“I know a lot of people didn’t like it because they had to park really far away… it’s a little unsafe to have to walk so far,” Johnson said.
On social media, residents and business advocates voiced similar frustrations and urged more advance notice and clearer detour routes.
News4JAX has contacted the city and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office seeking a fuller traffic report and any changes officials plan to make for future large-scale events.