County Encourages Public Safety Ahead of First Day of School at Trout Creek Academy

• 8 August 2024
• Category: SJC News Infrastructure Public Safety
• Tags: 2024

The first day of school is Monday, Aug. 12, and the newly built Trout Creek Academy, located at 855 Timberwolf Trail St. Augustine, will welcome its inaugural class to campus. Drivers traveling in the vicinity of Trout Creek Academy on County Road 16A and Timberwolf Trail will notice new signs and flashing beacons installed by St. Johns County Public Works. This is the newly installed intersection conflict warning system, and it’s the first warning system of its kind on St. Johns County roads.

The St. Johns County Office of Public Affairs produced the following video to highlight this new safety feature.

This new warning system uses radar to detect vehicles on Timberwolf Trail that are approaching CR 16A. When a vehicle is detected on Timberwolf Trail, the system will activate flashing yellow warning beacons on CR 16A. This will prompt drivers on CR 16A to slow down and watch for vehicles coming out of Timberwolf Trail. On Timberwolf Trail, the stop sign has a 24-hour continuous flashing beacon to remind drivers to come to a complete stop before entering onto CR16A.  Drivers on CR 16A will also be alerted by the newly installed oversized signs that read, “VEHICLE ENTERING HIGHWAY WHEN FLASHING.”

“Public safety is our top priority,” St. Johns County Public Works Director Greg Caldwell said. “The newly installed vehicle detection system will help promote more cautious driving and elevated awareness in this area.”

Drivers should take note that weekday morning drop-off starts at 7:40 a.m., and afternoon pick-up begins at 2:20 p.m.

Approximately an hour before and after these times, drivers should anticipate a higher volume of traffic with sudden slowdowns and intermittent back-ups.

“Patience and planning are paramount during the first days, sometimes weeks, of school,” Dr. Brennan Asplen, Deputy Superintendent for the St. Johns County School District, said. “Students will arrive to Trout Creek Academy as car and bus riders, walkers, and bikers.”

The St. Johns County School District encourages the public to carefully review the attached arrival and dismissal overview map provided here. Trout Creek Academy parents also received a copy of these materials via the School District’s internal messaging system in advance of the school year.

In addition to the intersection conflict warning system, there will be a public service assistant at Trout Creek Academy for the beginning of the school year to monitor traffic flow and provide assistance if needed. Schools in the St. Johns County School District have a Youth Resource Officer assigned to them from the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office or the City of St. Augustine Police Department. Trout Creek Academy has designated areas for both the car line and the bus line for walkers, bikers, and cart riders to travel safely.

“The overall safety of students, staff, and visitors at our schools is a priority for the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office (SJSO), and traffic safety is a major component,” Sheriff Rob Hardwick said. “Plan for the usual delays that come with the first few weeks of school as families are establishing their routines, and we are evaluating the traffic flow at new locations to determine if additional resources are needed. In addition to the increase in traditional vehicle traffic, there will be an influx of school buses, pedestrians, bicycles, and golf carts on our roadways, and it’s important to understand the related laws and regulations. SJSO resources will be in full force, and we look forward to a safe and productive school year.”