Palm Coast will be permanently closing Slow Way, effectively ending a popular shortcut for motorists that connected US-1 to Palm Coast’s S section. The Palm Coast City Council voted unanimously (5-0) to close the road Tuesday morning.
CR-325, marked with red arrows, was the dirt road that motorists cut through to get to Slow Way, shown circled and in red. ⓒ Google Maps
In the past, the shortcut was quite simple. Motorists would first turn off the traffic circle located at US-1 and Old Dixie Highway onto County Road 325, a dirt road. Driving straight north on 325 past residential properties, drivers would then turn left onto the paved Slow Way, which connected to Slow Drift Turn and placed them just two turns away from Seminole Woods Blvd. Though Seminole Woods meets with US-1 just a short ways up the road, CR-325 was becoming increasingly popular in the buildup to the Council’s decision. Traffic began to greatly exceed what had originally been planned for CR-325.
Thru traffic on CR-325 and Slow Way ballooned to its greatest when Seminole Woods was under maintenance late last year. The influx in cars, trucks, and motorcycles was frustrating especially to residents of Slow Drift Turn, one of whom met with an AskFlagler field team. Vehicles coming north onto Slow Way increasingly cut into the corner of the resident’s lawn, driving her to reach out to AskFlagler through a mutual contact in the city government. Upon arrival at the corner, it became apparent that vehicles had done significant damage both to the roads and to her own property.
The street corner at Slow Way and Slow Drift turn had been severely damaged by heavy vehicle traffic. Images from prior to the traffic circle’s construction and the temporary closure of Seminole Woods Blvd confirm that the damage had not existed previously. ⓒ Stephen Helfrich
“When we first moved back here, it was nice and quiet and peaceful. Just normal local traffic. When they put the roundabout in we started getting vehicles cutting through…when they closed Seminole Woods, it got even worse,” the resident told an AskFlagler field team.“There’s no reason for [Slow Way] to exist.” As of Tuesday, that wish has been granted.
For many, the shortcut had been a significant convenience to tighten up their daily commute. One such commuter told AskFlagler: “I’ve started going around this way for maybe three, four weeks…I was hoping I could find something that could go and bypass the construction and end up on Seminole Woods, then I saw people coming in and out from here. So I just drove down there and was pleased to see that it came out around the roundabout. It really helped.”
The city will soon be fencing off Slow Way, adding provisions to allow only pedestrians and cyclists to pass through. Long a hotbed issue in the S section, Tuesday’s decision was a win for residents and a loss for savvy motorists.
A line of vehicles come north up CR-325 as I speak to a nearby homeowner about the issue. ⓒ Stephen Helfrich
