TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. — On Monday, the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) welcomed Tybee Island locals and visitors to voice their opinions on proposed safety enhancements for Highway 80. The gathering took place at the YMCA Gymnasium, where a bustling crowd gathered between 5 and 7 p.m. to engage in discussions about the improvements suggested for the stretch from the Lazaretto Creek Bridge to Tybrisa Street.

During this open house event, attendees had the opportunity to closely examine detailed maps and visual renderings of the proposed changes. They engaged in direct conversations with project engineers, providing their input and discussing potential solutions to enhance safety, streamline traffic flow, and improve access along the island’s primary thoroughfare.

Highway 80, familiarly referred to as Butler Avenue by islanders, is divided into three distinct segments, each with its own set of improvement proposals. Segment 1 extends from Lazaretto Creek to Teresa Lane, Segment 2 spans from Teresa Lane to Jones Avenue, and Segment 3 continues from Jones Avenue to Tybrisa Street. For each of these segments, three specific proposals have been put forward for consideration.

There are three segments to Highway 80, also known as Butler Avenue on the island.

Segment 1 stretches from Lazaretto Creek to Teresa Lane. Segment 2 starts at Teresa Lane and ends at Jones Avenue. Segment 3 picks back up at Jones Avenue and stops at Tybrisa Street. Each segment has three proposals.

Segment 1 proposals look to address the need for wide sidewalks and bike lanes. These options would reduce the number of lanes coming on and off the island, according to GDOT graphics. Proposals for Segments 2 and 3 also address the need for a two-way left turn lane and parking options.

GDOT found that there are safety needs on the island through collecting traffic data, Samuel Harris, a state traffic engineer, told News 3. Harris said pedestrian and bicycle safety was the most concerning.

“Some of those crosswalks in the middle of the summer, they have well over 500 to 600 people crossing in a given day,” Harris said. “What we did find out from looking at the data is about 71% of the pedestrian crashes are happening when people are in those crosswalks. This typically is not the nature. Typically, pedestrians are hit outside of crosswalks.”

GDOT found there were 683 crashes from January 2013 to July 2024, including 16 pedestrian related crashes and 10 bicyclists related crashes. They also found crash hotspots near 2nd Avenue and Tybrisa Street.

However, some residents, like Russ Gerber, said this data was not that alarming and feels it does not constitute change.

“I think they should not do anything unless they can make the case that there really is an increased frequency and rate of vehicle crashes or look at other alternatives,” Gerber said.

Melissa Johnson is one of the residents who is excited for the improvements. Johnson said she thinks the proposals would protect kids who often use the sidewalks or crosswalks on the island.

“I like the options for having bike lanes and multi-use trails,” Johnson said. “We just care about our kids’ safety. Traffic calming techniques are a real thing. They do work.”

Officials said without this project, the number of vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian involved crashes are anticipated to remain above the state average and there won’t be any accommodations for bicyclists. They also said that emergency response times may continue to be impacted and delays leaving the island during peak season will continue.

Residents and visitors of the island are very passionate, Mayor Brian West and State Representative Jesse Petrea both told News 3. Both elected officials said they understand both sides of the issue.

“It might not be easy to see the ways they’re creating safety, but [GDOT officials] are making the roads safer,” West said. “Another overall thing they’re trying to do is make us more bike and pedestrian friendly here on the island.”

Tybee officials often use traffic cones to reduce travel lanes to one in each direction during peak holiday times to create a center lane for emergency vehicle access.

The alternatives under consideration would not result in a substantial impact to road operations or travel time, GDOT officials said.

“The challenge with Tybee is that there’s a lot of traffic, but only intermittently,” Petrea said. “It’s at certain times of the year and then just on certain occasions during those times of the year. People have long since I’ve been elected wanted us to make it a four lane, that whole highway. The traffic surveys just don’t show the need for that.”

If you can’t attend in person, comments will be accepted through Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. You can visit the GDOT website by clicking or tapping here.

All comments will become part of the public record and will receive a response from GDOT, according to a spokesperson.