Pay attention to traffic separators, bicycle safety, runaway bamboo | Street Scene
Q. Diana, another who appreciates and saves our Street Scene column, has a safety solution for drivers turning left onto northbound Thomasville Road from eastbound South Ride. The concrete median doesn’t allow enough room to protect the rear of a vehicle from southbound traffic and at the same time be able to smoothly enter northbound Thomasville Road. Consequently, one must place the front tire next to the curb which requires a wide swing (radius) taking a vehicle nearly into both northbound lanes instead of being able to merge into the inside northbound lane. The median should be moved back to allow a safe turn.
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A. The concrete median to which you refer is actually known as a traffic separator since this location is designed with a dedicated left turn lane south to east. Traffic separators are generally constructed with mountable curbs meaning vehicles are able to run up and over the separator without confronting a steep curb which can destroy tires and wildly shift front-end alignments. Mountable curbs are used anywhere a vehicle might inadvertently contact a curb and water runoff is not compromised.
There is evidence of vehicles running over this separator to such an extent the separator is breaking apart at the southernmost point and needs to be cut back sufficiently to provide a safer east to north transition. For the benefit of southbound drivers turning eastbound into Greenbrier Lane we need to use reflective paint to delineate the traffic separators previous southernmost end (bullnose) after cutting the concrete back about 5 feet.
Accidents at Pedrick Road
Q. Diana also reports a seemingly inordinate number of accidents at the intersection of Mahan Drive at Pedrick Road/ Champagne Drive. Diana wonders if anyone is analyzing this location to recommend preventive measures.
A. We can assume our Tallahassee traffic engineers are staying ahead of all high traffic crash locations for the purpose of finding crash patterns and designing remedies.
Bicycle safety basics
Q. As a longtime resident of Tallahassee, Diana is astonished at the number of bicyclists who are oblivious to basic traffic laws. Growing up in Northern New Jersey Diana had to attend bicycle safety classes and pass tests to get a license to ride a bike and could receive a fine if no license was presented.
A. I’m sad to acknowledge we have, for the most part, managed to dismantle driver education in public schools and, save for the Florida driver handbook, have turned a blind eye to bicycle safety classes.
Blinded by bamboo
Q. Tom would like to bring attention to the lack of visibility at the intersection of Colonial Drive and 7th Avenue due to the large bamboo growth obstructing the line of sight when stopped at the Colonial Drive stop sign.
A. Tom I believe you are northbound on Colonial, stopped at the stop sign looking east for westbound traffic on 7th Avenue. Although the 7th Avenue south shoulder is kept nicely trimmed the spread of the bamboo center and tops is a problem at this location because a driver crossing south to north must look through the bamboo thicket which is the same elevation as a critical point of the hill allowing vehicles to hide behind the bamboo. Yes Tom, some westbound drivers fall off that hill at very high speed.
We ask our Tallahassee public works department to, if necessary, work with the property owner, and without injury to the bamboo, trim this overgrowth between 40 to 60 feet above ground level much the same as would be the case if power lines were running along the south side of 7th Avenue at that critical sight distance elevation. This is an immediate safety concern.
Thank you for bringing this to our attention Tom and know we appreciate your kind words.
Safety rules for walkers, bikers
Q. Pete thought he would send us some of his observations regarding road safety. After COVID many people are walking for exercise often with (the flow of) traffic when there are no sidewalks. I was taught to walk on the left side of the road facing traffic. Are kids no longer taught that bikes travel with traffic and pedestrians travel against traffic?
Secondly, I’ve noticed that many drivers do not use turn signals. When I took drivers ed, use of a signal for lane changing and impending turns was made habitual. Do you think there’s any way to emphasize use of turn signals?
A. Pete I know Street Scene makes its way into thousands of homes in print and online telling us our column is attached to refrigerators and bulletin boards. We also know Street Scene is brought before students in schools at varying age groups when we address things like bicycle safety and pedestrian safety.
Florida Statutes 316.130 (1) (4) states exactly the way you learned it. To paraphrase: where sidewalks are not provided walk on the left side facing traffic.
In Georgia, by code (law) bicycles are legally classified as vehicles and must be operated according to Georgia code 40. You have given an unknown number of kids and adults more important lifesaving safety information in one day than they possibly have learned all year. And you have emphasized the importance of using our turn signals.
Overhead sign confusion
Q. JT has a couple of not-so-great things to consider.
Item one: Surgeons Drive approach to Miccosukee Road. Both street arrows and overhead signs facing the center lane indicate you can go to the left onto Miccosukee as well as straight. The straight arrow will direct you to the parking lot of a quadplex rather than into a street. Who dreamed up these directional signs?
A. The overhead signs are regulatory JT. If by signing and pavement markings, we don’t include the straight through option anyone gaining access to the apartments would be in violation of Florida statute.
Item two: The multi street intersection of Thomasville Road - 7th Avenue and Meridian. South to west Meridian traffic has a yield sign which slows turning traffic to a halt. If one maintains lane to lane turn, traffic on 7th cannot legally move right and cross the solid white line. Placing median separators (post delineators) on 7th would keep drivers in their lane and the yield sign could be removed.
A. Item two: “If” and “legally” are two operative words when we speak about drivers of automobiles. Your idea of post delineators has merit however would create a shorter merge area approaching Monroe Street increasing the opportunity for sideswipes and cursing. Patience comes to mind here.
Q. Item three: Same intersection. The stop bar for southbound Thomasville Road thru traffic needs to be painted further back from the stop bar governing south to west turning traffic. This would open up a line of sight of the west to north 7th Avenue traffic and allow south to north Thomasville Road traffic a clear view of conflicting traffic entering the intersection from 7th Avenue.
A. Item three: I agree moving the stop bar about five back would accomplish your desired result allowing a safer right on red for south to north Thomasville Road however I can’t promise best behavior. Most drivers don’t stop at stop bars already. Thanks for your thoughts to enhance traffic safety.
Philip Stuart is a retired Florida State Trooper, Traffic Operations Projects Engineer and Forensics Expert Witness. Write to crashsites@embarqmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Traffic separators, bicycle safety and runaway bamboo | Street Scene
