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A Near-Miss Epiphany
Posted Mar 30, 2007 by Sherri Lonon
Updated Mar 30, 2007 at 12:22 PM
Blinking at the semi-truck barreling full speed down the road in my lane, charging for a head-on collision with my car, I realized my boss might in fact have been on to something.
Not too long ago, he suggested we start a traffic column for the Carrollwood News, Northwest News and Town ‘N Country News. The column would be dedicated to discussing roadway issues in the northwest part of Hillsborough County. In the perfect world, I’d write a little about my experiences on the roads while residents and their concerns would take center stage, filling out the bulk of the regular feature.
After catching my breath and checking to make sure my 22-month-old wasn’t plastered to the ceiling after I swerved to avoid the semi and had to slam on my brakes to miss hitting a tree, I resolved to follow through on this suggestion.
So, here it is.
Through On The Road, I will report on traffic issues, road closings and upcoming meetings that might be of importance to my readers.
Although I’ll be the one behind the wheel, so to say, this column belongs to all the residents in my readership. To make this truly so, I welcome your letters and e-mails about issues of concern to you. If there’s a pothole driving you crazy, you want to know why a light hasn’t been installed at an intersection, or even if you want to congratulate officials on a job well done, I want to hear about it. You can call me at 865-1515, e-mail me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), or send letters to 5625 W. Waters Ave., Suite G, Tampa, FL 33634.
I will do my best to get to every letter, e-mail and call, and I’ll even try to hunt down some answers for you.
Since my car seems to have an intermittent Klingon cloaking device that renders it invisible to other vehicles on the road, despite its large size and daytime running lights, you’ll likely hear about some of my near-misses from time to time, as well.
Now, here are two upcoming public meetings residents in the area might want to mark on their calendars:
* A public meeting to discuss traffic calming on Northdale Boulevard from East Course Drive to Woodside Manor Drive has been set for March 29 at Northdale Recreation Center, 15550 Spring Pine Drive. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. A recommendation to the county commission will be based on the meeting.
* A public meeting about traffic calming on Countryway Boulevard from Race Track Road to West Waters Avenue is set for April 3 at 6:30 p.m. The meeting takes place at the Upper Tampa Bay Regional Library, 1121 Countryway Blvd.
According to Buz Barbour, manager of the traffic program section with public works, the Countryway traffic calming issue is a little more involved than the Northdale issue. Since Countryway is a major through road, traffic calming there is being addressed through the Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program. This means two public hearings are required. The April 3 meeting will be followed up by a balloting process. Ballots will be mailed out to effected homeowners, and if 60 percent approve additional traffic calming along Countryway, the issue will go before the county commission.
Some traffic calming on Countryway has already been completed, Barbour said.
“We did half of it under an emergency situation,” he said, adding the new measures will simply complete the project and bring continuity to the roadway.
If residents agree that more traffic calming on Countryway is needed, some things that might be included in a final plan are such measures as additional speed humps, more high-visibility cross walks and so on, Barbour said.
“We have a lot of residents out there, a lot of bike riders and pedestrians,” he said. “We have to do something out there.”
Although the speed limit is posted at 30 mph, that isn’t what most drivers recognize, he added.
Meanwhile, the Northdale Boulevard meeting is being handled under the Residential Traffic Calming Program, which means it’s a little less involved. Residents will still have the chance to have their opinions heard and a balloting process will still be necessary, but only one public hearing is involved.
Having residents turn out to express their opinions and learn more about proposals is important to Barbour.
“It’s the only way we know what they want,” he said.
Generally, residents do turn out.
“The people that live in that neighborhood, they show up and voice their opinions and we hear it.”
For more information about either public meeting, contact Steve Valdez at 272-5275.
Sherri Lonon is the editor of the Carrollwood News, the Town ‘N Country News and the Northwest News. You can reach her by e-mailing .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or calling 865-1515.
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