Pensacola Asking FDOT to Review Safety Concerns at 14th & Gregory

Pensacola, FL (Newsradio 92.3) -- Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves says the city is asking the Florida Department of Transportation to take a closer look at safety concerns at 14th Avenue and Gregory Street, where crashes have climbed sharply this year.

The intersection sits just north of the three-mile bridge, where drivers head into the city at high speeds. Reeves says removing the old traffic light improved traffic flow, but it also created an unintended consequence: vehicles are now coming off the bridge much faster than the intersection can safely handle.

Reeves told the Pensacola Morning News that the area has already recorded around 22 crashes this year, surpassing totals from the previous three years.

“We’re seeing it in terms of accidents,” Reeves said, adding, “We can’t sit idly by with that type of crash number trajectory.”

The mayor said he will ask FDOT traffic engineers to study the location and consider whether closing a small section of 14th Avenue or making other changes could reduce risk. He did not recommend a specific solution but said the city believes action is needed.

Reeves emphasized that state engineers will ultimately determine what changes are feasible, but he wants the data and the rising crash numbers taken seriously.

“We’re not trying to dictate an outcome,” he said. “But something needs to be done.”