Jacksonville is not known as a particularly bike friendly city. In fact, according to the Transportation for America’s “Dangerous by Design” report, Jacksonville is the third most dangerous city in the country for pedestrians and bicyclists. Indeed, it seems there is a news report of an accident between a car and a pedestrian or bicyclist every few days.
The City of Jacksonville Planning Board is developing a new mobility plan that addresses many factors including bicycle and pedestrian safety. Jacksonvillle does have 170 miles of bike paths; however, many of them are not connected to each other. In addition, designated bike paths do little good if motorists do not observe them.
For nearby St. Augustine, the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization prepared a bike plan recommending additional bike lanes. That plan identified the most common causes of bicycle accidents as: riding on the sidewalk; riding against the flow of traffic; and riding at night without lights.
Hopefully, the measures being taken by Jacksonville and those proposed for St. Augustine will decrease the amount of bike and pedestrian accidents in our area.
If you have been injured in a bike or pedestrian accident, please call our Jacksonville bike accident lawyers for a free consultation.