JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – People who live in the South Riverside area near San Marco have become so frustrated with speeders that they’re taking matters into their own hands.
They are now posting signs reminding drivers to slow down.
Davidson Street is one of several streets without stop signs that run east and west between Hendricks Avenue and St. Augustine Road. A lot of times during the morning and evening rush hours, drivers will turn off of Hendricks Avenue and zoom down the narrow streets to connect with St. Augustine Road. When that happens, pedestrians sometimes have to walk onto people’s yards to avoid getting hit.
Given the fact that there are no sidewalks along Davidson Street, South Riverside resident Angelica DeFullers walks her dog in the street with extreme caution.
“Usually there is a bunch of people who try to zoom past," DeFullers said. "I just immediately go to the grass.”
It’s a potentially dangerous reality that many pedestrians walking, jogging or bicycling between Hendricks Avenue and St. Augustine Road are faced with. In fact, it has become so dangerous that many homeowners have planted signs in their front and side yards, warning drivers to slow down.
“You see a lot of neighbors out walking their dogs, a lot of kids riding their bikes, especially since everyone is home due to the pandemic, and we see a lot of people avoiding the main street and flying down this one," said South Riverside resident Sandra Sabatier. “It’s not unusual to see them going well in excess of 40 mph.”
That is why many neighbors have taken to social media to discuss their demand for stop signs on streets that run east and west. Only side streets that run parallel to Hendricks Avenue and St. Augustine Road have stop signs. But Sabatier questions whether stop signs will be enough.
“I have a stop sign right here on my corner and saw someone blowing through it — both going and coming back," Sabatier said.
In July 2019, a pickup flipped over after a collision with a car in the area. The truck driver told News4Jax he accidentally ran the stop sign when he was hit by a speeding car that was traveling west down Sheridan Street. It’s an example of why some residents believe stop signs may not totally solve the problem.
“I think speed bumps will be a better deterrent at this point," Sabatier said.
“Stop signs, people don’t really pay attention to that often, and it’s not like a cop can sit here for an entire day and get people," DeFullers said.
News4Jax reached out to the city to see what’s being done about this and is waiting for a response.