ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is revisiting its plans for a major intersection redesign in downtown St. Augustine, following substantial public pushback. The $8.2 million project, initially intended to revamp the intersection at the western end of the Bridge of Lions, has been met with criticism from local residents, including Allan Bishop, who find the concept perplexing and counterproductive.
In November, during a public presentation of the project, over 40 attendees expressed their concerns, predominantly about the potential worsening of traffic conditions. These community voices have prompted FDOT to reconsider the intersection’s redesign, a process that has already drawn significant taxpayer funding.
Bishop, a resident living about 15 minutes from downtown, is among those who are vocal about their dissatisfaction. He views the project as an unnecessary expenditure that fails to address traffic issues effectively. “It’s just going to be really confusing,” Bishop remarks about the proposed design.
Despite FDOT’s projections indicating the new intersection could handle 9,747 vehicles during rush hour, up from the current 9,550, Bishop and others remain skeptical. They believe the designs under consideration could lead to increased confusion rather than easing traffic flow.
In response to these concerns, FDOT, in collaboration with the city of St. Augustine, is preparing to present alternative concepts for the intersection project at the city commission’s meeting next Monday. Hampton Ray, a community outreach manager with FDOT, emphasizes the importance of local input, stating, “You live here, you work here, these are your roads, and we want you to feel that way.”
FDOT’s commitment to community feedback is clear, with Ray confirming that the agency will not move forward with a design that lacks local support. This stance reflects FDOT’s dedication to ensuring any infrastructural changes align with the needs and preferences of St. Augustine’s residents.
The agency’s projections suggest the proposed redesign could reduce total drive time through the intersection by 1,062 hours during peak periods. However, the debate continues as community members like Bishop stand firm in their opinion. Bishop’s stance, echoing a common sentiment, is succinctly put: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”