JACKSONVILLE, Fl -- Carmen Street has a railroad crossing used by trains, cyclists and motorists.
Phil Collins lives in the Springfield area and uses Carmen Street on a regular basis.
"There are already ten closures across the track and this will be one more that will close off the Eastside from the rest," Collins said.
He wants it to remain open. He said if the issue is the condition of the crossing, which is in bad shape, closure is not the solution, the condition is the result of poor maintenance.
"It is going to create more issues for people trying to get from one side of the neighborhood to this side," he said.
Carmen Street is one of only two connections between Springfield and the Phoenix communities, 8th street is the other.
The closing will have an impact on the commute to those who use it.
On Your Side timed the travel from Evergreen Avenue to Walnut Street using Carmen Street and it took 58 seconds.
If it is closed, the time it takes to drive from Walnut Street to Evergreen Avenue will more than double- it took two minutes and thirty four seconds.
Emails to the mayor's office revealed that the Florida Department of Transportation and CSX are offering incentives to the city to close the road.
Collins said they should keep the incentives and repair the road instead.
"At the very least get this to where people can walk across, bike across, drive across, safely," he said.
On Your Side reached out to both CSX and FDOT.
This is the statement from CSX:
“At CSX, safety is always our top priority. Every year, thousands of people are involved in grade crossing collisions across the U.S., and hundreds of people lose their lives in these incidents. To help prevent these collisions, CSX and roadway authorities like the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) work to consolidate redundant grade crossings and reduce the opportunities for vehicles and pedestrians to cross a train’s path. FDOT in close coordination with the City of Jacksonville, CSX, and Norfolk Southern, identified Jacksonville’s Carmen Street as a prime candidate for permanent closure for several reasons. The street crosses several lines of railroad tracks owned by CSX and Norfolk Southern; it sees a low volume of vehicular and foot traffic; and the nearest alternate access over the railroad tracks is less than half a mile away. CSX will continue to work with FDOT as it advances through the state’s grade crossing closure process.”
This is the statement from FDOT:
The Florida Department of Transportation is authorized by Florida State Statute 335.141 to govern the regulation of public railroad-highway grade crossings. Safety is always a priority and reducing accident/incident frequency and severity is paramount. While the Department of Transportation is overseeing the closure, the City of Jacksonville will the responsible party paying for the proposed maintenance of the tracks in this location. A meeting is scheduled for Monday, July 23, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. at the Long Branch Senior Center to discuss this closure. The meeting is being hosted by the City of Jacksonville and is open to the public.