ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. - Community outcry has sparked change at a busy intersection near Nease High School. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has installed a new traffic light at US-1 and Ray Road.
This new traffic light is not fully functioning just yet.
Many people inside US-1 Nails Salon, which sits near the intersection, welcomed the light. They're people like Mom Jennifer Lyons who has children zoned to attend nearby Nease High School.
"I think it's a good idea," Lyons nodded. "I've heard children got injured, so anything to avoid that."
In November, two teenagers were seriously injured in a crash at that intersection. Before that, there were other crashes there too.
A petition and outcry from the community spurred FDOT to put up the traffic light.
If you had a concern with a stretch of a state road, do you know who to contact?
"Absolutely not," Lyons said. "No. I wouldn't know."
Cristy Butler, another salon customer, said: "I wouldn't even know how to get a hold of anybody for that."
You can contact your elected officials, such as county or city commissioners.
Ron Tittle with FDOT said you can also contact him at the public information office. His email address is ron.tittle@dot.state.fl.us and his phone number is 904-360-5457.
He said you can also post concerns to the FDOT Facebook page.
As for what goes into the state choosing to put up stop lights or changing traffic patterns, Tittle said there are essentially two categories: If the issue is based on long-term population growth, Tittle said it's often a long process that can take years, based on engineering studies, priorities and state funding from the legislature. But if there is a safety issue, such as the one at Ray Road and US 1, the state could move more quickly and fast-track projects.
It will consider traffic, safety concerns, crashes, and strong community input.