If approved, Barmby said there would still be the cost to resurface South Florida Avenue. It was paid for by the FDOT and the Lakeland Community Redevelopment Agency. The road diet pilot cost approximately $1.7 million to construct over a period of about six months. "We don't like building things then knocking it down." "Historically, it's not the preferable thing to do," FDOT head spokesman Andy Orell told The Ledger. "It doesn't conform to any of the current design standards," Pichette said.ĭuring the construction phase, FDOT told Lakeland residents the concrete curb extensions installed on both sides of South Florida Avenue could be later removed if the road diet was not approved. From 2014 to 2016, there were a number of cars that crashed into businesses. Bomar Trophy and, more than once, the Oates Building were hit and sustained damage. This often resulted in sideswipes between vehicles, particularly the larger mirrors of box trucks, and vehicles passing dangerously close to pedestrians on the sidewalk. The Dixieland corridor measured about 46 feet from curb to curb, according to Barmby. "It doesn’t mean the road diet is the permanent solution." "The road as it existed before was not acceptable," Barmby said. Can it be put back? Probably notįDOT and Lakeland officials agree that South Florida Avenue's previous layout is far from ideal: two travel lanes going north, two lanes going south and a center turning lane. South Florida Avenue reverting back to its five-lane configuration is not likely, but not impossible.
"That's an important part of the decision-making process." "What is Option B? What are the alternatives?" he said at the city's Strategic Planning Retreat last week. The commission will then be asked to draft and approve a recommendation for the state roadway's future to be sent up to FDOT.Ĭommissioner Chad McLeod has asked for one vital piece of information. The state agency anticipates holding a public forum in April to allow Lakeland residents to give their feedback on the road diet, according to FDOT spokeswoman Tricia Pichette. An exact date or location has yet to be determined.Īfter the April meeting, residents' comments will be combined with the agency's traffic data analysis into a report for the city. "We wanted to get through this peak season to see on South Florida Avenue what travel looked like."įDOT officials estimated that COVID had reduced the number of vehicles traveling along the Dixieland corridor by 5% to 10% during the first five months of the trial. 'We were concerned about making a decision too quickly," Barmby said. Commissioners expressed concerns COVID might have reduced the number of vehicles on the road, according to Chuck Barmby, Lakeland's business development and transportation manager. FDOT extended the study into 2022 at the request of city commissioners last summer.
Streets of rage 4 trophies trial#
The trial period was slated to run for a year, from October 2020 to October 2021. What's Downtown West anyway?: Lakeland wants a vision for 3 fast-changing areas
One year ago: Accidents up, travel delayed in early stages of Dixieland road diet
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