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More Thoughts On Traffic Calming

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By HAROLD VALENTINE

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 5, 2008

CARROLLWOOD - CARROLLWOOD - More Carrollwood Village and Original Carrollwood residents have comments regarding a $4 million traffic calming project in both communities.

"I have lived here for 11 years, and while I do not like the idea of speed bumps, the alternative of trying to dodge cars going 60 mph and more is far worse," wrote Village resident Sharon Thrasher.

She visited a map of the community that outlines what measures are being implemented throughout the community. The online address is www.hillsboroughcounty .org/publicworks/traffic/ resources/publications/cwsub area2plan.pdf.

Thrasher is worried South Village Drive, a major connector for Ehrlich Road and North Dale Mabry Highway, is not getting enough calming measures without any new raised crosswalks or speed bumps.

"Just last week my husband and I witnessed a driver coming around the corner past Middle Lake Drive driving extremely fast, narrowly missing a driver pulling out from another road," Thrasher wrote. "The speedy driver did a complete 360 in the road and ran into a sign, completely destroying the sign and the right side of his vehicle."

Middle Lake Drive connects to South Village Drive.

Original Carrollwood resident Karen Code wrote that she was surprised to read in the Carrollwood News & Tribune residents from both neighborhoods complaining about lack of information and participation with the county project.

"The community had an opportunity to weigh in at a series of four widely publicized community meetings," Code wrote, "and from that input county engineers formulated a plan based on the residents' perceived needs."

Code said in her community residents voted well before measures were implemented this spring. Some Village residents, however, have complained they did not have a chance to vote.

Frank Phelan, a Carrollwood Village Homeowners Association member, wrote that he and other members canvassed portions on his neighborhood starting in 2005. He said the canvassing took years, and commissioners decided to move forward with the current plan because the door-to-door approach was taking too long.

"Despite fierce and sometimes slanderous complaints against traffic calming while canvassing or at the highly publicized public meetings, most were in favor of the measures," Phelan said.

County spokesman Steve Valdez said the vast majority of residents approved of the plan through canvassing, public meetings and hundreds of traffic complaints through the years, so commissioners requested and later approved a "global" or all encompassing project.

Work in Original Carrollwood is mostly completed, but construction will last in Carrollwood Village until fall.

WORK IN PROGRESS

•In Town 'N Country, bridge repair on Golden Drive, from West Clifton to Saline streets, is being done from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Aug. 21.

On Sheldon Road, from Westwind Drive to Waters Avenue, TECO is working between rush hours until July 30.

On West Idlewild Avenue, from Axelrod Road to Southern Comfort Boulevard, curb and gutter work is being done between rush hours until Aug. 8.

On N. Gunlock Avenue, between North Glen Avenue and West Paris Street, curb and gutter work is being done from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. until July 25.

On Wilshire Drive, from West Henry Avenue and Webb Road, curb and gutter work will continue between rush hours until Aug. 8.

•In Westchase, on Keating Drive between Middlebury and Wordsworth drives, curb and gutter work continues between rush hours until July 25.

On Racetrack Road, from Lafayette Boulevard to Ractrack's dead end, a wastewater pipe will be installed between rush hours through Dec. 30.

On Henderson Road, between Linebaugh and Waters avenues, railroad repairs will be done from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. until July 11. A detour connects Linebaugh Avenue to Anderson Road to Waters Avenue.

•In Citrus Park, road improvements continue on Gunn Highway, between Keystone Crossing Boulevard and Hixon Road, until Aug. 29.

•In Carrollwood, Carroll Cove Place, between Shore Place and Boot Lake Circle, curb and gutter is being done between rush hours until July 25.

On Marjorie Avenue, between West 127th and West 124th avenues, stormwater improvements continue between rush hours until July 18.

On McFarland Road, from Lacewood to Paldao roads, raised crosswalks are being installed from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Aug. 22.

On Paldao Road between Valencia and McFarland roads, curb and gutter work occurs between rush hours until July 31.

On Pine Meadow Court, curb and gutter repair will continue from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. until Aug. 14.

On Thornbrook Place, between Greenmoor Drive and Armenia Avenue, curb and gutter replacement happens in between rush hours until Aug. 14.

On Carrollwood Drive, from Picwood to Valencia roads, gutter work is going on from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. until Aug. 1.

TRAFFIC CONCERNS?

Are there local traffic or road issues that concern you? Construction projects you wonder about, or hazards other drivers should know about? If so, contact reporter Harold Valentine at (813) 865-1526 or hvalentine@ tampatrib.com.

Reporter Harold Valentine can be reached at (813) 865-1526 or hvalentine@tampatrib.com.

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