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$420,000... Traffic lights cost what?!

The city and the developer of the school, Summit Construction Management Group, Inc. will split the cost at $210,000 each.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - What would you do with $420,000? Turns out, the City of Jacksonville and River City Science Charter School plan to spend that much money to put up a traffic signal at a troublesome intersection near the school. The price tag, however, has some rubbernecking.

"Nu-uh," said Sasha Napier, who was stopped at the proposed site: the intersection of Old Saint Augustine and Livingston Roads. "Maybe we can just deal with the stop sign."

The plans are making their way through City Hall. The Department of Public Works supports the idea after a traffic study. The City Council pushed the bill along at Tuesday's meeting.

The city and the developer of the school, Summit Construction Management Group, Inc. will split the cost at $210,000 each.

But is $420,000 unusual for a traffic signal?

Georgia taxpayers pay about $150,000 for a traffic signal, according to the Georgia Department of Transportation.

In Washington, families dish out between $250,000 and $500,000, according to transportation officials there.

With the school's contribution, Jacksonville's half of the check is cruising along the median, even if some taxpayers would rather see the city tap the brakes.

"A traffic signal would help this area but not at $400,000," said Henry Livingston who lives near the intersection. "That's a lot of money."

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