Mobility Task Force starts with public criticism

As mobility planning gets underway, the makeup of City Manager John Regan’s Mobility Task Force appointments and continuing frustration with cut-through traffic in city neighborhoods drew negative public comments at Monday’s City Commission meeting.

St. George Street resident Lee Geanuleas noted, “40 percent of this task force doesn’t live in the city.”

Susan Rathbone, president of the St. Augustine North Davis Shores neighborhood association criticized City Manager John Regan’s failure to appoint two Davis Shores’ residents to the mobility committee.

“This study will take one year, but there are immediate concerns. We have spillover parking from businesses and cut-through traffic,” Rathbone noted. “People are using our tranquil residential streets to get to the bridge of lions.”

Rathbone has announced that she is challenging incumbent Commissioner Leanna Freeman for her seat on the St Augustine City Commission, as Freeman seeks a third four-year term.

“We have all the different stakeholders that, in effect, the former Parking and Traffic Committee represented,” Regan said, defending his Mobility Task Force appointments. He offered to, but put off, describing each member and the diversity they bring.

Davis Shores resident Jay Bliss called cut-through traffic “massive intrusions” and noted St. Augustine police in one 24-hour period counted 479 vehicles on Oglethorpe Boulevard.

“Why not signs, No Cut-Through Traffic,” and a speed limit of 20 mph, and speed bumps on Flagler and Oglethorpe Boulevard,” asked Bliss. “Littlejohn may arrive at these conclusions in a year, but these problems are occurring here and now.”

Bliss said that he believes we need people to exercise “mobility” and “civility”.