JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Several Jacksonville-based motorcycle groups are concerned over trends they've noticed on roads lately.
Motorcycle groups came together at Regency Square Mall Saturday afternoon to raise awareness for debris in Jacksonville's roads.
"I love it," Jacksonville motorcyclist Trey Busa said about riding his bike. "There's nothing like it. It's the freedom."
Busa says that sense of freedom is why he's spent 49 years riding motorcycles. Lately, he says he and his fellow riders have noticed debris in Jacksonville's roads.
"Debris or rocks or sand," said Busa. "I think that Jacksonville could do a better job cleaning up the streets so, these fatalities don't happen."
Busa mentioned a lot of the issues he's noticed have been on Interstate 95 and near J. Turner Boulevard so, First Coast News reached out to a spokesperson with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).
The FDOT spokesperson says contractors perform debris removal, street sweeping and mowing activities in six-to-eight week cycles.
Another big recurring issue for these riders is freshly cut grass.
"If you go and hit the grass, your bike's coming out from under you, guaranteed," said 'Motorcyclist Monster.'
The bikers are encouraging drivers to pay close attention if they're behind a motorcycle as well as notice if a crew is cutting grass.
"A lot of us see it, say we're in traffic driving, and we see grass, we're going to slow down," said Monster. "But, now you've got these cars behind you, so that risks us getting hit."
Busa hopes officials are willing to increase cleaning efforts as Jacksonville welcomes more and more drivers and riders.
"It's got to stop," said Busa. "It's got to stop. All I've got to say is we've got to clean these streets."
The FDOT spokesperson mentioned that in addition to the six-to-eight week cleaning cycles, road rangers patrol travel lanes to identify any debris issues that pop up.
You can always call a road ranger if you notice debris by dialing *347.
FDOT's full statement regarding the motorcyclists' concerns:
"The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is committed to safe and reliable roadways. With 97% of roadway crashes having human error listed as a contributing factor, FDOT routinely strives to educate motorists about safe driving behavior including following the speed limit, proper maintenance of vehicles and other safe driving initiatives.
With regard to maintenance of the roadways, FDOT contractors performing debris removal, street sweeping and mowing activities in six-to-eight week cycles. Travel lanes of the roadway are regularly patrolled by Road Rangers who can immediately identify safety concerns and take corrective action."