Safer Streets for All: Robin Rowan Fights for a Safer East Hill Neighborhood

Photos, interview, and graphic by Dakota Parks for Bike Pensacola

Since moving to Pensacola in 1982, Robin Rowan has always been involved in her community, blending her passion for local history with a commitment to safer streets and environmentally conscious infrastructure.

As a former travel writer, she promoted the city she loves by writing about it in Florida vacation guides and tourism pamphlets, while also building a career as a journalist, radio DJ, and voice actor. Rowan recently channeled these skills into a new mission: addressing the speeding cars that plagued her East Hill neighborhood. Determined to make a change, Rowan successfully campaigned for traffic calming measures on Cross Street, which resulted in the installation of five speed tables with 75 percent neighborhood support. Her work extends beyond traffic safety; she's also involved with the Scenic Highway Foundation and the Pensacola Heritage Foundation— both dedicated to preserving and protecting historic sites. Rowan’s advocacy highlights the power of community engagement and her deep love for Pensacola.

How did you first get involved in advocating for historic preservation, safer streets, and infrastructure design?

Rowan: Back in 2013, at Scenic Highway and I-10, there was a major improvement project where they redid the bridge. In the process, FDOT cut down 300 heritage oak trees, and I was furious. They didn't inform the City, the County, the Scenic Highway Foundation—nobody. We were outraged and caused a stir. We even went to the Chipley FDOT office and met with them. We told them, “You cut down all these trees and replaced them with a cement retaining wall. Don’t you know trees are better than cement for sound barriers on top of absorbing carbon dioxide and helping calm storm surge?”

We presented a list of native trees—Tupelo, gum, magnolia, and others—that they were going to plant instead of palm trees, which aren’t native. We also insisted that they maintain these trees permanently. They agreed to everything. On top of that, we asked that from now on, any highway project in the entire State of Florida must include a landscaping plan with native plants as part of the original design, not as an afterthought. I’m proud that The Scenic Highway Foundation made that happen.

Which neighborhood do you live in, and what are the traffic conditions like near your home?

Rowan: I live in East Hill on Cross Street, which runs across town from Catholic High School to Bayou Texar. Drivers were constantly speeding—40-60 miles per hour. I got so fed up, I put out signs in our yard that said, “This is a neighborhood, not an interstate. Slow down. 25 MPH.” I was that neighborhood curmudgeon yelling at cars to slow down. Eventually, I decided to take action. Back when I first researched it, you had to pay for traffic calming measures yourself, and no one was going to do that. But now, you just need a petition signed by 75 percent of your neighbors. With help from a great neighbor, we went door-to-door for months getting signatures. I kept bringing more stacks of signatures to Jared Moore, our City Council person, until we finally got enough.

What inspired you to start advocating for safer streets?

Rowan: It got to the point where I’d come home from walking the dog with a hoarse voice from yelling at speeding cars. It was just out of control, especially at night when you couldn’t see anything in the road. My husband would just say, “Okay dear, I’m here to support you,” but it was always a problem. They eventually did a speed study, and 86 percent of the cars were going at least five miles over the speed limit. That was the proof we needed that something had to be done.

How was your experience contacting the City of Pensacola or other government bodies about slowing down the cars near your home?

Rowan: Once we had the necessary petitions, the City was incredibly responsive. Two representatives from the City came out to walk the street with us neighbors, and we shared our concerns. We’ve had pets killed by speeding cars, and many neighbors have young kids they worry about. The City quickly came up with a plan to install speed tables, which are great for cyclists and families pushing strollers because they’re flat, not round like traditional speed bumps. After a year and a half of getting signatures and following the process, the speed tables were approved unanimously by the City Council. They installed them in just a couple days, so now we have five speed tables for five blocks stretching the main part of Cross Street between 17th Avenue and the bayou. It was a smooth experience, and I can’t praise the City’s responsiveness enough. Jared Moore and his team kept me updated every step of the way.

What was the response from your neighborhood?

Rowan: The neighbors on Cross Street are thrilled. One of my neighbors behind me on Hatton Street drives an alternative route to avoid the speed tables, but I love them. I’m responsible for them, so I’m proud to drive over them! It’s been a great change.

Can you describe what living in a safer, traffic-calmed neighborhood would mean for you and your community? How would it change your daily life?

Rowan: I feel like I’m already living in a safer neighborhood thanks to the speed tables. People who don’t want to drive over them just take another route, and that’s fine with me. Now, cars have to slow down in five different spots on our street, which makes me happy. I owe it to my neighbors, especially Jeff, who helped me get the petitions. It was definitely a group effort. Going door-to-door was a good way to meet people, and it wasn’t that hard. It just takes someone willing to start the process.

What other kinds of changes would you like to see to slow down the cars and make our streets and neighborhoods safer and more pleasant for walking and bicycling?

Rowan: In the core of Downtown Pensacola, I think they've done a pretty good job. It’s a night and day difference from what Downtown used to look like back in the 1980s. A few years ago, there was a walkability expert who came to Pensacola and really highlighted the benefits of “road diets,” where roadways are narrowed to slow traffic and encourage more pedestrian-friendly spaces. Although that specific project didn’t take off, I think we are moving in the right direction.

You have a lot of experience navigating requests with the local government and larger agencies like FDOT. What advice do you have for people navigating similar processes?

Rowan: I am pretty outspoken and opinionated, which helps, but I want people to know it’s really not as hard as you think. You can download the petition forms from the City’s website, take them around to your neighbors, and explain what you’re doing. Most people were supportive, and I only had one person say no, likely because they didn’t want to drive over the speed tables.

Is there anything else you would like readers to know about?

Rowan: I want people to know about the plans for a hiking and biking trail along Scenic Highway. There is so much unused, City-owned waterfront property stretching from East Pensacola Heights to Chimney Park. Part of the challenge is that some of the land is in the City, and some is in the County, so you need permission from both to move forward. There is also the issue of crossing the railroad tracks, which is considered trespassing, so you’d need a solution arranged with the railroad. It would require a lot of coordination, but I think it’s possible. It’s been in conversation for years, but several organizers have teamed up to support The Bluffline, which is a project to build a 10-mile, multi-use path that would stretch from Scenic Heights in East Pensacola through Downtown and end in the Jackson Lakes area of West Pensacola. It’s a big vision, but it would be such a great addition to our community.

*This interview and the Safer Streets for All campaign were made possible thanks to a grant from The Last Mile.