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Residents deliver 200-signature petition urging St. Johns County to oppose FDOT U‑turn plan on U.S. 1
Summary
Residents presented more than 200 petition signatures and a technical analysis arguing FDOT’s proposed Restricted Crossing U‑Turn at U.S. 1 and Ponce Island Drive would shift crash risk to county intersections; the board listened and staff were asked to return options.
Residents of the Madeira neighborhood and Tennis Village presented a petition and technical objection asking the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners to oppose the Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) proposed Restricted Crossing U‑Turn (RCUT) at U.S. 1 and Ponce Island Drive.
Keith M. Hennek, who submitted the petition and a detailed corridor analysis, told the board the RCUT “introduces a severe, cascading regional safety failure” and argued FDOT’s analysis relies on outdated 2018 counts rather than 2026 telemetry showing higher volumes. Hennek asked the board to issue a formal letter of objection to FDOT District 2, pause construction until a comprehensive corridor analysis is completed, and request an AMRC (Access Management Review Committee) hearing.
County staff accepted the petition as part of public comment. The board did not take an immediate formal vote opposing FDOT’s project during the meeting, but commissioners directed staff to review the request and return options for formal action. The petition package included traffic volume comparisons (24,000 AADT baseline vs. a claimed 32,500 AADT in 2026), a neighborhood petition of 264 signatures, and a technical appendix alleging unmodeled conflicts with a nearby 170,000‑square‑foot commercial development.
The matter was raised during the general public comment period; commissioners asked county staff to coordinate with FDOT and legal counsel on next steps. Hennek provided contact information and requested the county demand an AMRC panel review and an operational pause pending an updated Traffic Operational Analysis.
The board’s follow-up steps, deadlines for county action, and any formal correspondence to FDOT were not specified at the meeting and remain to be determined.
