At its meeting on July 10, the Escambia County Commission approved a contract to develop a Pensacola Beach Traffic Congestion Management Plan, a response to mounting traffic issues that have worsened as the area experiences unprecedented growth.
- Background: In 2024, the area saw record-setting days with vehicles passing through the toll plaza, and 2025 has already surpassed that mark. The number of days exceeding 20,000 vehicles through the toll plaza has more than quadrupled since 2018.
Details: The board awarded Mott MacDonald Florida a $604K contract to provide design concepts for traffic solutions or improved traffic flow onto and off of Pensacola Beach, and for potential parking solutions to increase parking capacity at Casino Beach.
No Roundabout?
- The commissioner attributes the traffic surge to two primary sources: new residents drawn to the region and record numbers of visitors attracted to the area’s beaches.
Hofberger points out proposed roundabout and a parking garage “faced significant public opposition and failed to account for the area’s rapid growth.” Instead, she wants to optimize “existing resources, such as better utilization of the expansive Casino Beach parking lot, as a more efficient and community-conscious solution.”
- “I remain committed to ensuring Pensacola Beach stays accessible for all,” said Commissioner Hofberger. “This new plan offers a forward-thinking approach that respects our community’s input while proactively addressing the realities of growth.”
She added, “I look forward to working alongside residents and stakeholders to create a more efficient, accessible, and enjoyable experience for everyone who visits our beautiful beach.” Read Pensacola Beach Traffic Congestion Plan Press Release.
- Will Hofberger “manage” Mott MacDonald Florida or let the engineers do their work without interference?
Roundabout History
Going through our archives, I came across a set of plans drawn by Baskerville-Donovan that the Santa Rosa Island Authority (SRIA) discussed in June 2007.
- The plans show a four-level parking garage on the Quietwater Boardwalk’s parking lot and a roundabout replacing the traffic light. The proposal would have added 444 parking spaces, while the roundabout would have only taken 9 spaces from the Casino Beach lot.
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For the next seven years, the SRIA would continue to study various roundabouts for Pensacola Beach.
- In 2012, engineers proposed building a flyover that traveled east and west and took the vehicles above the pedestrians, but the $70-million price tag was too high.
In April 2017, Portofino co-developer Robert Rinke advocated for a $22-million plan, which included two roundabouts, four pedestrian underpasses, and no traffic lights.
- He said, “Well, for seven years we’ve sat on committees and the Escambia County Commissioners have spent over one million dollars on two separate independent sets of engineers. We know all the issues. You sit through those meetings, and it’s very apparent very quickly; there’s two bottlenecks. Both engineers say the same thing. You fix both bottlenecks or don’t bother.”
Of the new plan, Rinke said, “You bring people onto the beach. They go east. If they’re going to go east, they get out of the core. They go west. If they’re going to go west, they get out of the core. Now you’re dealing with just the people that want to be in the core.”
I interviewed Rinke on “Pensacola Speaks” –
Local leaders and stakeholders expressed concerns. The plan didn’t win approval.