JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A busy crosswalk in San Marco has gotten an upgrade to prevent accidents with pedestrians.
San Jose Boulevard and Hendricks Avenue is an area where people crossing the street are at risk of getting hit by oncoming cars.
That's why the Florida Department of Transportation is putting the finishing touches on a new crosswalk for pedestrians.
"People going south on Hendricks Avenue that veer off to the right are usually going at a high rate of speed, so that's a real problem," San Marco resident Ellen Gatling said.
The new crosswalk was installed because the community asked for it.
"We got the complaint and then we looked at it and said, 'Yeah, we can put additional markings in on the situation," FDOT spokesman Mike Goldman said.
Goldman said a San Marco woman went to FDOT after her son was hit by a car on his bicycle late last year. Although her son wasn't badly hurt, she decided something should be done about the intersection.
"In that particular part of town, there are a lot of bicyclists and pedestrians, it's a popular recreation area in the San Marco section of the city," Goldman said.
Some of the most visual elements are the new fluorescent yellow pedestrian crossing signs with downward pointing arrows. The first pair of signs are placed where cars begin to veer off Hendricks Avenue to the right onto San Jose Boulevard.
Another pair of signs flank the newly striped crossing. Additionally, two more bright yellow signs indicate it is "the state law to stop" when pedestrians are in the crosswalk.
"I think the crosswalks are a good thing," Gatling said. "There are children here in the morning that go to Hendricks Avenue Elementary School that cross. I've seen them cross many times with their bikes."
"Safety is the premiere issue here, and it is something that we take seriously, and in that particular case there was a correctable fix," Goldman said.
The project is complete, for the most part, but FDOT said its adding a few more visual tweaks for drivers.