The Citizens Traffic Task Force (CTTF) is wrapping up two years of research and study into the long-term traffic and roadway needs of Ponte Vedra and Palm Valley, and plans to release the results of its efforts at a public meeting in late April.
To be held at the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall, the meeting will feature a presentation by traffic consultants, who will discuss the study’s findings and present recommendations on how to improve local roadways. The meeting will also enable local residents to ask questions and offer feedback.
“Traffic in our community has become everybody’s problem,” task force Chairman Garry Phillips said. “If you think that’s an exaggeration, try driving into the Ponte Vedra Beach community any weekday afternoon from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. It’s wall to wall traffic on A1A all the way from the JTP expressway to Solana Road.”
Comprised of citizens and community leaders, the task force was created in 2014 as a way to gain consensus on how to address the long-term traffic needs as the Ponte Vedra area’s population continues to grow. According to county statistics, the population in the northern part of St. Johns County east of US1 has increased nearly 200 percent since 2000.
According to CTTF members, the group’s traffic study examines all critical roadways from JTB to Mickler’s Landing and from the Atlantic Ocean to the Intracoastal Waterway. It will also incorporate data gathered for the 2016 North Ponte Vedra Beach Coalition study focused on roadways in the JTB, Marsh Landing and Ponte Vedra Lakes areas.
Ponte Vedra Beaches Coalition President Jim Sabo said that local state and county officials are expected to attend the April meeting along with representatives from the Florida Department of Transportation.
“We encourage everyone to come and bring a friend,” Sabo said. “This is the best opportunity to make your thoughts known and be a part of making near-term traffic flow improvements to a situation that is only getting worse.”
