INDIALANTIC, Fla. — A Brevard County man says speeding on his residential street has increased since the state decreased the speed limit on a nearby highway.

What You Need To Know

  • Addi Vignis says drivers are speeding on Riverside Drive in Brevard County

  • Vignis says drivers are choosing Riverside Drive after SR-A1A’s speed limit was reduced

  • Brevard County blames the COVID-19 pandemic for changing traffic patterns, not the speed limit

From his home, Addi Vignis says he sees and hears drivers speed along Riverside Drive on Brevard's barrier island every day since the speed limit on State Road A1A was reduced to 35 mph.

“They're taking Riverside to take a shortcut because it's quicker,” Vignis says. “You don't have the traffic lights, and you don't have the congestion on A1A.”

Even though both roads have a 35-mph speed limit, Vignis says drivers are choosing Riverside over A1A as a north-south route on Brevard County’s barrier island and speed up on the stretch of Riverside Drive connecting U.S. 192 in Indialantic to Eau Gallie Boulevard in Melbourne.

“I've twice almost gotten hit head on coming out of a side street,” he said.

In 2020, the Florida Department of Transportation installed marked crosswalks with flashing beacons on A1A along with reducing the speed limit to make it safer for pedestrians crossing the highway.

Brevard County took a look at the traffic volumes, before and after the A1A changes were made.

In 2018, nearly 25,590 vehicles used A1A a day, and Riverside had more than 12,218 vehicles per day, the county reported.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, traffic volumes went down, and they haven’t recovered yet.

In 2023, A1A had just under 20,995 vehicles per day, while Riverside saw just under 11,944 vehicles, according to Brevard County.

The county blames the reduction on A1A on pandemic traffic patterns — not the speed limit reduction.

“I would like to, all of us would like, to see the sheriff out here more,” Vignis says.

To add to the issues, Riverside Drive is in three different jurisdictions. A Brevard County Sheriff’s office spokesperson says deputies will try to patrol their segment more often.

“It's not if, it's when, we're going to have a bad accident. I just don't want that to happen,” Vignis says.

If you’ve got a traffic problem spot, let us know about it here.