ATLANTIC BEACH, Fla. — The mayor of Atlantic Beach presented plans to renovate one of the most walkable Streets in Atlantic Beach with widened sidewalks and protected bike lanes. Residents who live on this street expressed their mixed emotions with Action News Jax.
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The development for Ahern Street will begin from the East Coast and will end at Ocean Boulevard.
The estimated cost of construction as of May 2023 was $500,0000.
Mayor of Atlantic Beach Curtis Ford said, “We’re going to beautify it, but we’re also going to widen it and include a multi-use path, so we have mobility bicycles and foot traffic.”
Ahern Street is a narrow area mixed with residences and commercial buildings.
Neighbors said that’s what makes it difficult for people to walk or peddle on this street because drivers are too close to pedestrians and cyclists.
The neighbor said, “People are coming here way too fast.”Neighbor David Gettis said, “It is hard to see if the car is going to stop or if I have to stop.”
In this diagram, it shows how the street will look:
The existing sidewalk will be widened to five feet and another sidewalk will be added. Additionally, a four-foot bike lane will be constructed. The travel lanes will expand as well as the parking space for residents.
One neighbor we spoke with is not excited about the construction his neighborhood will undergo.
Neighbor Jeremy Maile said, " I think it will turn into a complete nightmare. Everyone can already get through with no problem. I don’t know why we have to rip up the street just to make it look nicer.”
Connie Langston has been living on this street most of her life. She said it needs an upgrade.
Langston said, “It’s going to be an inconvenience for a while, but this is a very walkable area. To keep things safe, to keep the beauty of a walkable neighborhood you have to make the improvements.”
Mayor of the Atlantic Beach Christ Ford, said this project will begin later this year.
The city will hold a public meeting on April 13th to discuss how this project will affect businesses and residents on Ahern Street.
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