ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — The St. Augustine City Commission discussed potential changes to the popular “Nights of Lights” celebration after significant traffic congestion and cost overruns during this past holiday season.
City officials are reviewing the impact of the event, which left the city $325,000 over budget.
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The “Nights of Lights” celebration, a major tourist draw, has grown in popularity, but local businesses and residents are calling for changes after the city spent more than expected.
The city’s annual budget for the event was exceeded by hundreds of thousands of dollars, with much of the excess costs tied to increased traffic congestion and inadequate parking.
Brittany Mixon, a local employee at Bonita Boutique, says the heavy crowds and traffic have made her commute more challenging.
“It made me triple my commute. So, it used to be about a nine to 10-minute drive here to work, and on some days, it’s taken about 45 minutes, if not longer, just to find parking,” Mixon said.
She has even resorted to using an electric scooter to avoid the crowds.
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“There’s been several times that, you know, I’ve had to park neighborhoods away and walk or use an electric scooter recently just to get to work because it takes about a 25-minute walk if I don’t,” Mixon added.
The city is reviewing a presentation that outlines the $325,000 in cost overruns, much of which is attributed to congestion and inadequate infrastructure. In addition to traffic issues, other concerns include theft, overcrowding, and a lack of public restrooms and law enforcement resources.
Rick Wenney, a visitor to the event, expressed his concerns about safety, asking, “How can the police, with all the best intentions to deter that when people are crowded together like that?”
Wenney chose to avoid the event this past holiday season due to overcrowding and safety concerns.
“It sounded like it was going to be overcrowded, and the pictures that we saw were overcrowded—like Times Square, shoulder to shoulder. Just because of the way the world is today, there’s going to be criminal activity.” Wenney said.
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Despite these challenges, some residents, like Martha Killeen, support the event for its positive economic impact.
“I think it’s a wonderful event for the city. It brings a lot of tourists, it lights up the city, and people actually come from all around just to see it. It brings in a lot of tourist money,” Killeen said.
Mixon noted that her workplace has experienced both the benefits and downsides of the event.
“It’s profitable. You know, there are some losses, like I said, with shoplifting here and there. When you have 30 or 40 people in your shop, it’s wonderful, but it’s definitely hard to keep an eye on everything,” Mixon said.
At the Monday City Commissioner meeting, the City Commission decided to adopt the City Manager’s short-term recommendations, to be instituted in time for the Fourth of July, to close off Cathedral Place, and Treasury Streets to through traffic, including working with FDOT to close another busy street. The city will also ask about a temporary lease of the Bank of America parking lot for space for public restrooms.
The city also plans to hire a consultant to advise on other ways to handle vehicle and pedestrian traffic during festivals/events. Some officials also want to form a heritage tourism task force.
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