JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — In Ortega Hills, families on Collins Road continue voicing their concerns over heavy traffic and speeding.
This comes after JSO reported the body of a man found on the road early Sunday morning, believed to have been hit by a car.
“It’s really sad, it is an issue that we’ve been concerned about for so long,” Jennifer Mackinday said.
She told Action News Jax the news comes as no surprise.
Mackinday owns a house on Collins Road. She says she’s reached out to the city in the past, asking for rumble strips, speed bumps, more lighting, and signage. She tells Action News Jax she hasn’t had any luck getting through to city leaders.
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Action News Jax reached out to Randy DeFoor, city council member for District 14 to learn her plan to keep people safe. Action News Jax is still waiting to hear back.
“You’ll see little kids walking on the side of the road or an elderly person,” Mackinday added.
She says she’s concerned about heavy traffic with the Naval Air Station letting out in the afternoons, and nearby bars letting out in the early morning hours.
Action News Jax talked with another neighbor, Larry Drake.
“I do see quite a bit of foot traffic here,” Drake said, adding that he’s noticed the same problem; he’s lived on Collins Road over four years and says it isn’t getting any better.
“My wife rides a bicycle, and we actually put it on the back of our car and go elsewhere because you can’t ride a bicycle on this road,” Drake said.
Within the past six months, the city reports 25 requests on faulty signals and seven requests on broken or missing signs -- all of which the city says have been repaired or replaced.
The city tells Action News Jax it is planning on widening Collins Road from Blanding Blvd. to Pineverde Lane; it also says JTA is currently widening the road west of I-295.
But for Drake and Mackinday, both still want more action taken.
“It’s really sad, we serve better in Jacksonville,” Mackinday added.
Action News Jax requested crash reports from JSO on Collins Road and surrounding similarly-sized roads; JSO did not get back to Action News Jax by news time.
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