Residents say the intersection where a Lakeland teen died needed a signal years ago

LAKELAND — Some Lakeland residents said they knew it was just a matter of time until a fatal accident occurred at West Pipkin and Medulla roads.

"It was obvious straight off, two years ago that it needed a light," Riverstone resident Simon Pearce said. "It was obviously going to be some sort of fatality at that entrance. It's a young kid, it's terrible."

On Tuesday morning, a 15-year-old Central Florida Aerospace Academy student, identified by his family as Jaxon Crabtree, was killed on West Pipkin Road when he was struck by a bus while riding his bike to school.

"Both Polk County and the City of Lakeland are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of a young life this morning on West Pipkin Road. Our sympathies are extended to all those affected, but especially the family of the student taken much too soon," read a joint statement issued Tuesday evening by the county and the city.

Lakeland police said they think the teen was traveling east on West Pipkin Road, attempting to turn left to go north on Medulla Road to the campus.

Lakeland officials signed an agreement in March 2018 with Riverstone's developer, Atlantic Property Company LLC, to have a signal installed at the intersection. J.D. Alexander signed the document as manager of Atlantic Property Company.

"The developer shall be responsible for the signalization of this intersection when a subdivision phase causes warrant to be met," reads the development agreement.

Lakeland spokesman Kevin Cook said there are specific requirements in state statute as to when a traffic signal can be installed on a road, but he could not immediately provide more specific details.

Lakeland residents are left wondering when the promised traffic signal will be installed, and if it's "too little, too late."

"This is certainly not an ideal situation and it's frustrating the signal has not been installed," Theresa Schwartz, Lakeland's manager of traffic operations and parking, wrote in a September email to Pearce. "The developer will be installing signal equipment, but that will not occur until sometime in 2024."

Schwartz said there have been other people injured in crashes at the intersection and the number of crashes has "increased significantly."

Long-promised changes are coming, but delayed

Billy Friend, a Medulla Road resident, said he's spoken to Lakeland commissioners countless times about the need for traffic control devices at the intersection. Friend was a outspoken opponent of Morgan Creek Preserve in 2021, telling commissioners how drivers frequently used Medulla Road as a cut through, speeding along the rural road.

The development of Riverstone has added roughly 1,300 homes to the area and puts hundreds of more cars on the road daily.

"They moved at a much faster pace than I think we had ever imagined back in 2017," Chuck Barmby, Lakeland's business development and transportation manager, said at a March 15, 2021, City Commission meeting. "They are actually designing the traffic signal as we speak and we have asked, they have committed, to working with county's contractor on the four-lane project to incorporate into that project."

In July 2021, Polk commissioners approved a $42 million contract with Winter Park-based Hubbard Construction for the widening of West Pipkin Road from Medulla Road to South Florida Avenue. Lakeland contributed $6 million as part of a joint agreement.

Construction began in August 2021 and was expected to take up to two years.

When the concrete base and mast arms for the traffic signal were to be constructed outside Riverstone's Medulla Road entrance in roughly September 2023, Pierce said there was excited chatter among the community residents a traffic light coming soon. Then, there was nothing.

Pearce wrote an email to Schwartz on Sept. 21 to ask about the changes when he said seemingly overnight reflective delineators were installed to limit the development's entrance to right-turn-in, right-turn-out only.

"In September (2023), the City of Lakeland in conjunction with Polk County installed reflective delineators at the intersection to limit westbound turns from Riverstone to lessen conflict points and opportunities for vehicle crashes," read Polk County and Lakeland's joint statement.

Pearce said he's witnessed drivers who turn right onto West Pipkin Road, carefully navigate through the cones to immediately make a U-turn to head west.

"It's a ridiculous, half-baked plan," he said. "It's ridiculous, and to me they are making more of a chance for serious accidents on the side streets."

Pearce asked Schwartz whether it would be possible for the city to install a temporary traffic light until a permanent one could be installed, then asked whether Lakeland would consider reducing the speed limit.

"Installing a temporary signal was not an option because there have been shortages of some equipment and the county did not have the equipment on hand. There have been significant delays of 12 to 18 months to receive some types of traffic signal equipment once it's ordered," Schwartz wrote.

Lakeland offered to provide a temporary traffic signal for the West Pipkin and Medulla road intersection.

"The city offered to provide equipment to assist, but the county uses a different type than the city does, so that wasn’t an option," Schwartz wrote to Pearce. "It was determined that due to the long lead times for equipment, a temporary signal could not be installed much quicker than a permanent one."

If a temporary signal was purchased when the construction agreement was approved, it would have been available to install approximately between July 2022 and December 2022 based on Schwartz's estimates.

Friend said Lakeland city staff members several times quoted the costly nature of a temporary traffic signal as a deterrent.

In the joint statement issued by Polk County and Lakeland, officials said the installation of a traffic signal has been stalled by supply-chain issues in procuring the controller cabinet.

"Delays in the manufacture and delivery of specialized signal equipment such as mast arms, signal hangers, and controller cabinets is something that is impacting projects nationwide. Equipment delivery delays have pushed-back schedules on similar county and FDOT projects over the past two-years," the statement says.

The developer is quoted as stating the equipment is six months out from delivery, according to the statement. The Ledger reached out to the developer Tuesday but was unable to get in contact.

Once the signal is installed, it will be maintained by Polk County as West Pipkin is a county road. A pedestrian crosswalk will be added along with a signal installation. It will have a push-button-activated pedestrian crossing signal, Polk County spokeswoman Mianne Nelson said.

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Lakeland city staff reported they have reached out to the county to request West Pipkin Road's speed limit be at least temporarily lowered while construction work is underway. The request was denied.

The county, perhaps in light of recent events, has indicated a willingness to reconsider this option.

"West Pipkin Road is classified as an urban collector road. The posted speed changes from 45 to 55 MPH at Medulla, based on a study and subsequent resolution in 2015 indicating that 55 mph was appropriate in the four-lane section from Medulla to County Line. Polk County is considering lowering this section to 45 MPH pending further study," read the joint statement.

Sara-Megan Walsh can be reached at swalsh@theledger.com or 863-802-7545. Follow on X @SaraWalshFl.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Why is there no signal at the intersection where a Lakeland teen died?