Duval County Public Schools Board Member Cindy Pearson’s message about driver and pedestrian safety is clear as she urges, “Do better, Duval!”
Pearson is referring to the three pedestrian/vehicle accidents involving DCPS students that occurred within the first 10 days of the new school year. Tragically, one of the accidents resulted in the death of a young teenager.
This fatality, according to JSO, marked the 100th traffic fatality – and the 19th involving a pedestrian – in Jacksonville this year. Shortly after, JSO announced it is expanding its Traffic Enforcement Unit, increasing the number of traffic officers from 34 to 50 and its motor officers from 17 to 30.
DCPS Superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier released a statement on Friday, Aug. 15, regarding the two accidents – before the third one occurred – urging driver vigilance as students bike, walk, or bus to school.
“We have been reminding families through our ‘Be Safe. Be Seen’ campaign that safety starts with awareness and shared responsibility,” Bernier said. “The safety of our students – whether they are walking to school, riding a bike, getting on the bus, or being picked up at dismissal – is everyone’s responsibility.”
Pearson took to social media to share some of the issues regarding pedestrian safety and detailed the steps she has taken to help address them.
Pearson said safety concerns persist in the San Marco area, particularly along the Atlantic Boulevard corridor between Hendricks and Minerva avenues, with drivers often ignoring the flashing lights indicating a pedestrian is about to enter the crosswalk at Mango Place and Atlantic Boulevard – something she said she has witnessed firsthand – and pedestrians crossing where they shouldn’t.
“Parents continue to drop off students at Publix, on Atlantic, in parking lots, at the corner of Landon and Thacker, at the library,” she said. “This creates unsafe pedestrian crossing situations and disrupts the car line flow, [and] students and adults continue to cross Atlantic at Thacker. That is not a crosswalk. It’s not safe. The crosswalks are at Hendricks and Mango…”
Additionally, Pearson noted that while the Atlantic Boulevard carline runs smoothly, it can easily be disrupted by someone parking in the parallel parking spots along the road.
To that end, Pearson has taken immediate steps to help address and improve pedestrian safety, including coordinating with District 5 City Councilman Joe Carlucci about installing “no parking” signs for peak drop off/pick up hours (7:30 to 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.) for those parallel parking spots on Atlantic between Thacker and Minerva avenues and scheduling a [DCPS] District 3 Safety Town Hall with Carlucci and the PTSA presidents for Samuel Wolfson School for Advanced Studies and Julia Landon College Preparatory Middle School. Pearson’s additional requests include creating a “Be Safe. Be Seen.” pledge program for families and students and requesting Bernier look into expanding JSO’s school crossing guard program, which currently only encompasses elementary schools.
DCPS launched the “Be Safe. Be Seen.” campaign this past January, noting at the time that at least 13 students had been hit by vehicles since August 2024, with three of those accidents resulting in fatalities. The pedestrian and bicycle safety initiative involved a series of PSA videos and practical guidance for students to walk and bike safely to their destination.
Resident News will provide updates via its social media platforms regarding the date and time of the Safety Town Hall meeting and will continue coverage as details emerge.
