This week has been dominated by Blue Angels coverage as the team performs its annual air show at Pensacola Beach. So, we wouldn't blame you if you happened to miss some of our best stories of the week.
In 2018, a woman and child were killed while crossing West Cervantes Street, prompting a response from both the community and the city. After years of going back and forth on a plan to improve safety measures, the community is now split on the implementation.
The latest U.S. Census from 2020 shows that Pace grew a whopping 23% since 2010 - evident from the deluge of traffic woes and new development. We chronicle Pace’s evolution from bedroom community to commercial-friendly suburbia.
TROUBADOUR is closing its doors. We’ll pause for time to process. Fear not, not only is there time to grab one last dinner, the couple is also planning a new concept once they get back from their honeymoon.
And finally, Escambia County has started a new program to assist with bonding people out of jail. We tell the story of Michael Jones, who was arrested for petit theft and marijuana possession, and how the program helped him have a second chance.
New pedestrian barriers on West Cervantes cause community concerns
New traffic lights and pedestrian barriers were placed down West Cervantes Street and the reaction from the community has been mixed.
After a woman and child were killed while crossing the street in June 2018, immediate plans were implemented to help with safety measures.
The Florida Department of Transportation worked with local governments to implement a $7 million project that added new traffic lights, seven lighted midblock crosswalks, ADA-compliant ramps, and a wider multi-use path along a 2.2-mile section of West Cervantes Street between Dominguez and A streets.
The project included 2,800 feet of concrete median at a few identified trouble spots designed to keep pedestrians from crossing improperly, as well as "chicanes" — back-and-forth curves in the street that aim to slow down traffic.
Still, some members of the community were hoping for more.
Pace transforming from bedroom community to a destination
While people who live and work in Pace would be the first to tell you how bad the traffic is on U.S. 90, Woodbine Road and Chumuckla Highway, they would also be the first to credit the area with turning itself from a bedroom community for Pensacola to a more commercially-friendly suburb.
Santa Rosa County Commissioner Sam Parker, who represents the Pace area, has lived in the county virtually his entire life. He said the turn of the millennium was the true shift in growth experienced in Pace. Once a Walmart and Home Depot come to the U.S. 90 corridor, plenty of other companies began planting their roots in the community.