Blueprint has Bannerman Road widening project slated for 2024 | Street Scene
To Janice and all duly concerned about the deterioration of Bannerman Road, there is good news, a widening project is in the mix. The not so good news is that project construction is not scheduled to begin until the spring of 2024, running to the end of 2027. Which may be optimistic.
If I understand correctly this Blueprint project consists of widening Bannerman Road to four lanes from Quail Common Drive to Preservation Road and adding a median to provide left turns lanes from Preservation Road to the planned Meridian Road circular intersection (roundabout).
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Existing Summerbrooke residents will be very grateful for the conclusion of this project, however, I envision the Summerbrooke development to work its way into prime undeveloped real estate to the west.
Also, if history teaches us anything there is every reason to believe the vacant property east of Meridian Road and north of Bannerman will explode with development.
Actually all properties adjacent to this intersection. It is these two eventualities which should guide planners and engineers at Blueprint and Leon County to extend the full four-lane project to Meridian Road. We have a perfect opportunity to get ahead of the influx of people and traffic instead of waiting for traffic saturation to materialize.
Why no optimism for a project already behind the development curve?
Right-of-Way acquisition. Taking private property is historically a stumbling block for road construction and I don’t anticipate this project to be any different.
So, in the interim, let’s ask the Blueprint engineers to dress the north and south shoulders and stabilize the edge of pavement by adding 12 inches of asphalt between Tekesta Drive and Meridian Road. We’ll all be safer for it.
Confusion on Lafayette Street
Q. Lee has found he is not the only westbound driver on Lafayette Street approaching the Franklin Boulevard/ South Meridian Street intersection to be confused when looking at a green traffic signal thinking he may continue a smooth transition around the single free-flow lane west to north only to have horns blaring at him.
Drivers rounding the corner west to north believe they have the right of way resulting in fender scrapes and near misses with westbound cars sweeping off South Meridian Street into northbound Franklin Boulevard. When this happened to Lee his attention was brought to a yield sign sitting in the physical island separating westbound thru traffic from the west to north turning traffic. Lee admits he never noticed the yield sign.
A. Lee I believe you and others haven’t noticed the yield sign because it blends into the background exactly at the place everyone is looking left to focus on traffic approaching from the left.
We are accustomed, actually taught, to expect traffic control signs governing our lane to be on our right. I’m sure the thinking was honorable in trying to provide the best target value when placing the yield sign to face drivers head-on. The position probably works very well at night. Let’s ask our Tallahassee traffic safety guys to install another yield sign on the righthand shoulder letting the one in the island be the backup.
Hats off to first responders
Q. C. Henry shares his own experience with the efficiency and dedication of our first responders at Tallahassee International Airport. C. Henry was flying in the vicinity of Tallahassee when he had reason to request the TLH controllers clear him for an immediate landing. Which was granted.
He didn’t declare an emergency and didn’t request emergency equipment be dispatched. However, as he got closer while preparing to land he noticed the emergency response team was in position to render any help necessary. C. Henry takes this opportunity to thank the tower controllers and first responders at Tallahassee International Airport.
A. Thanks, C. Henry. Yes, hometown Tallahassee air travelers and our many visitors may rest assured when seconds count TLH first responders position themselves seconds away. We in aviation salute you Tallahassee fire-rescue for placing yourselves at the incident before the incident happens.
Roundabouts again
Q. Obviously a proponent of roundabouts (circular intersections) Robert shares some interesting statistics. They save drivers time and are much safer. They are more common in Europe where the U.K. has one roundabout every 3.6 square miles, France one per 8.3 square miles while the U. S. has just one every 1,300 square miles.
A. Incorporate into the design flyover pedestrian walkways and I’m in. Studying these things over several years has revealed a good number are at intersections where school children must cross twice each day.
I ask everyone involved in planning roundabouts, designing roundabouts or demanding roundabouts be constructed to go to a busy multilane intersection. Position yourself next to the road ready to cross, crouch down to the altitude of a child so you get the wind, dust and debris in your face.
This perspective will terrify the most daring adult as you constantly swivel your head looking for a break in traffic so you can run like mad to get your little 3 foot frame across 4 lanes of battleground without getting smushed into the pavement.
After you get an actual dose of what a child experiences then come back to me with your roundabout demand. I believe your idea will include overhead pedestrian walkways. You may even come back wanting a 4-way signalized intersection with protected pedestrian crosswalks.
Robert, you are mixing apples and oranges when you compare 3.8 million square miles of America when all of Europe is 4 million square miles. Also, people in Europe travel short urban distances by bus or trolley or on bicycles. Children in Switzerland travel to and from school on trains. There is little to no opportunity for that in America.
Everyone asking about the proposed intersection design at Miccosukee Road and Dempsey Mayo Road. It is to be a roundabout.
Philip Stuart is a retired Florida State Trooper, Traffic Operations Projects Engineer and Forensics Expert Witness. Write to crashsites@embarqmail.com.
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Blueprint has a Bannering Road widening project in the works
