Several residents told the City Commission on Sept. 25 that a recently installed pedestrian hybrid beacon at A1A and Eighth Street South is operating as a 24-hour blinking red signal rather than only activating when a pedestrian pushes the crossing button.

Resident Roseanne Stalker said the unit’s continuous blinking is “not an improvement” and is out of character for the area. She said the devices are typically used at busier, higher-speed intersections and told the commission she could not find documentation of 24-hour blinking installations on FDOT’s site. Deputy Chief stated the police chief had already contacted FDOT about the issue; the chief confirmed FDOT was working on the concern but did not provide a timeline.

Why it matters: the beacons are intended to improve pedestrian safety but continuous operation can create nuisance lighting and reduce the intended signal effectiveness. Commissioners agreed staff should continue communications with FDOT to ask whether the beacon can be configured to activate only on demand or otherwise adjusted to reduce nighttime disturbance.

Next steps: staff will follow up with FDOT and update residents; commission directed staff to request FDOT consideration of on-demand activation in order to restore dark-sky considerations for the neighborhood.