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- This 4th of July, Stay Safe!
- 4th of July Crosstown Hours
- I-75 Southbound Reopened at US-301!
- I-75 Southbound Bridge Over US-301 Opening Early
- Dads Ride Free on Father's Day
- Paving Work on the Crosstown
- Guard Your Life - Drive Alert on I-75
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- Your Questions Answered
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WOW! As many of you may have heard me mention, on Wednesday, Matt and I took the drive out to Cape Canaveral to see my first shuttle launch. And what an amazing sight it was to watch Endeavour blast off from Kennedy Space Center.
The weather was perfect for the crew. At exactly 6:36 p.m., the sunset sky glowed from the fiery burst of energy that sent Endeavour soaring. And what you can’t fully hear or feel when you are watching it on television is the amazing sound and vibrations that rumble the entire earth below as the shuttle climbs upward toward the sound barrier.
I am really glad I had the chance to experience this ... and check out our pictures below. We had a perfect view of the action, sitting on the west side of the Indian River directly across from Kennedy. Good luck to all members of the Endeavour mission!
And by the way, a big thank you to Ryan (my all-star morning producer) with TBO Traffic ... he gave me the best directions to the east coast and helped me score a great shot of the shuttle. Ryan, I definitely owe you a cup of coffee.... thanks 
Endeavour’s Picture Perfect Launch
Endeavour Leaving Kennedy Space Center
Endeavour Lights up the Sunset Sky
Matt and I Before the Endeavour Launch
Alicia Roberts with members of the Tampa Carrollwood Rotary Club
Special thanks to the members of the Tampa Carrollwood Rotary Club for their hospitality to me. On Friday, I was invited to speak at their weekly meeting - we talked shop: Channel 8 gossip, traffic and life! It was a lovely afternoon of good food and company!
This July, the State of Virginia increased the monetary penalties for Virginia drivers caught speeding on Virginia roadways. For those drivers speeding 20 MPH or more over the designated speed limit… tickets will be issued in the amounts of $1050 up to more than $3000. It is a measure voted upon to avoid raising taxes for roadway projects.
We want to know what you think? Is this excessive? Is this fair for those with limited income? What does it say if the state is relying on these offenders for their income? Should Florida enact such a policy to avoid another tax hike? Post your thoughts here…
Fletcher Avenue Railroad Construction
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While Pinellas County drivers know all too well now about the hassle of highway work given the recent projects along McMullen Booth and Bryan Dairy Roads, Hillsborough County Drivers have been spared this summer… that is until now.
It’s frustrating news for the nearly 60,000 drivers who use Fletcher Avenue each day – CSX railroad officials will be shutting it down beginning Thursday morning to make repairs on the Nebraska Avenue railroad crossing. I spoke with Steve Valdez, Hillsborough County’s Communications Manager, about the upcoming work:
“What we have here is a railroad track that spans the whole roadway that literally is jumping up and down as cars go over it,
and it has become an unsafe condition.”
As a result of these safety concerns, crews will begin a 1 month project that will close Fletcher Avenue just east of Nebraska Avenue in order to replace the crossing and raise the railbed. Motorists should plan for extensive delays in the area and choose an alternate route if possible including Bearss Avenue to the north and 131st and Fowler Avenue to the south.
County officials do note the hassle of this closure and promise to work as quickly as possible. Offficials typically try to schedule major construction projects during the summer to avoid the extra traffic from the school year and tourist season. And although the Fletcher project is scheduled to wrap up August 19th, one day before the start of classes for Hillsborough county students, Steve wants to ease the worries of many parents and students:
“This roadway will be opened up by August 20th, the first day of school. Whatever it takes it will be open.”
For more information on the Fletcher Avenue railroad construction, call Hillsborough County’s telephone hotline at (813) 635 – 5400.
VIDEO: 4th of July Drunk Driving
I would first like to take a moment to thank Ruth and Drew Finn, Travis’s parents, for sharing their story with me and the Tampa community. My sincere and deepest expression of appreciation for their strength to tell Travis’ story with the hope other families might be spared their grief.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the 4th of July holiday weekend is the deadliest for drunk driving related crashes, even more so than New Year’s. Furthermore, according to research from Mothers Against Drunk Driving, alcohol-related traffic deaths are at an all time high. 17,941 people nationwide died in 2006, and that number is up by 2.4 percent from 2005. Here in Florida, the latest research from 2005 shows that 1,471 people died in that year as a result of drunk drivers.
Don Murray, Florida’s Executive Director of MADD, says the best defense to prevent drunk driving is to plan ahead:
“The problem frankly is that when you drink, your judgment goes away and you don’t think you are impaired… and once the judgment goes, you feel perfectly content to and confident that your abilities to drive are not impaired. People have to understand that that is the first clue that there’s trouble.”
Don encourages everyone this 4th of July to select a designated driver or chip in for a cab or other form of transportation. For more information on drunk driving related initiatives, legislation, resources and statistics, visit MADD’s website at http://www.madd.org.
The following is a partial list of cab services available throughout the metro Tampa area and its suburbs.
Affordable Taxi (727) 733-3333, 2647 Harbor Cir, Clearwater, FL
Action Cab & Shuttle (727) 845-3090, New Port Richey, FL
United Cab Company (813) 253-2424, 1701 W Cass St, Tampa
Yellow Cab (813) 253-3590, 502 N Oregon Ave, Tampa
A Americab Taxi, (813) 837-4455, 506 N Archer St, Tampa
ABC Taxi (813) 872-8294, 1701 W Cass St, Tampa
Florida Taxi (727) 896-5008, Tampa
Gulf Coast Transportation (813) 251-3107, 1701 W Cass St, Tampa
Cab Plus Incorporated, (813) 250-0990, Hyde Park, Tampa
Tampi Taxi Incorporated, (813) 888-5008, 4105 N Florida Ave, Tampa
United Cab Company (813) 251-6494, 1701 W Cass St, Tampa
Wishing you and your family a safe and relaxing 4th.
Alicia
Okay, so this is not really traffic related, but I just had to share. Earlier this week, News Channel 8 viewer Aimee Montanye sent me the sweetest email (see below) about her son Mason. It made my morning. He is such a cutie pie… just check out the picture. Thanks Aimee and Mason!
Received: June 26, 2007
Subject: Your youngest admirer
Hi Alicia!
I just have to tell you that every time you report the traffic, my 8 month-old son, Mason stops what ever he’s doing, and watches you intently. As soon as you are done, he goes back to playing. It is so funny! I’ve been noticing this for about a month, and I thought you would like to hear that you are my son’s first crush
Thanks for brightening up our mornings!
Aimee
Warranties ease the burdens of what if. But peace of mind doesn’t always come cheap, especially in the auto world…
Rick Hibbs, Regional Director of the Department of Financial Services, recently sat down me to talk about the pros and pitfalls of extended car warranties.
Experts agree, first and foremost, when purchasing an extended warranty, make sure you thoroughly read through the contract and terms. Before you sign on the dotted line, you should verify if the warranty company is licensed to do business in the state of Florida. Before Rick advises every consumer to “background check” your potential warranty company by calling the Florida Department of Financial Services Consumer Helpline at 1-800-342-2762. This hotline is open Monday through Friday from 8am-5pm. It is a free call.
Additionally, other points you should consider when purchasing an extended warranty include:
• How long you have had and plan to keep your vehicle
• How many miles you drive each year
• Whether you plan to solely lease or eventually buy.
• Bumper to bumper typically does not include wear and tear items
• Don’t be pressured into buying a warranty when you purchase or lease your vehicle, some companies offer this option at a later time.
• A big trend today is online or mail warranty solicitations… while they may be cheaper you have to make sure a company is licensed here in Florida… remember if it sounds to good to be true it probably is.
Ut-oh! Pinellas County drivers, brace yourselves. CSX transportation officials will be conducting another railroad crossing upgrade along a busy stretch of Bryan Dairy Road… and you know what that means… closures.
In fact, beginning Friday, June 29th, Bryan Dairy Road will be shut down at the railroad crossing just west of Belcher Road for a maximum 21 day period. Crews will work around the clock replacing the rail bed to ensure this intersection is safe for commuters.
Projects officials recommend Belcher, Starkey and Ulmerton Roads for alternate routes. Variable message signs will help warn drivers of the closure and detours.
And just like the Mcmullen Booth upgrade earlier this month, officials planned this project after the school year and tourist season to try and reduce the resulting traffic jams. As you’ll recall, that project wrapped up more than a week early, and officials hope to once again complete work on Bryan Dairy Road before or at least on-time.
For more information on the Bryan Dairy Road upgrade, call Pinellas County’s Roadwork Hotline at (727) 453 – 3320 or visit http://www.pinellascounty.org/roadwork.htm.
Mmmm… pancakes are always a yummy way to start your day… and now I have a yummy deal for you! Select Village Inn Restaurants throughout the Bay area are helping to take a “bite” out of gas prices. Beginning today through July 31, 2007, it’s all-you-can-eat pancakes for the price you pay for a gallon of gas. Just show your server your gas receipt.
The offer is available at participating locations only and is not valid with other offers or promotional discounts (including Senior Discount). For gas receipts not stating price per gallon, cost will be the state’s average price for regular gas based on prior week’s data from http://www.gasbuddy.com, Village Inn’s partner in this all-you-can-eat pancake promotion. Minimum price $2.99 per gallon.
The following is a list of participating Florida Village Inn Restaurants: Brandon, Dade City, Jacksonville, Land O’ Lakes, Largo, Neptune Beach, New Port Richey, Orlando (John Young Parkway location only), Riverview, Sarasota, Sebring, St. Augustine, St. Petersburg and Tampa (excluding 30th Street, Hillsborough or Dale Mabry locations).
For more information, visit Village Inn’s website at http://www.villageinnrestaurants.com/promo/gasrelief.html
Pinellas County officials are hoping you’ll see more green the next time you’re driving along their highways thanks to a new technology called smart traffic signals.
And Commissioner Karen Seel has been instrumental in making Pinellas County smart. The Commissioner helped persuade legislators to pass the one-cent gas tax to partially fund the Advanced Traffic Management System and smart traffic signals. These smart signals can be automatically changed by a traffic flow specialist to stay green longer in response to real time road conditions. The goal is to ease jam-ups.
With this technology, drivers are also alerted of incidents and closures on variable message boards.
Currently the smart traffic signals are up and running in Northern Pinellas County including along us 19, Mcmullen Booth Road and Gulf to Bay Boulevard. When the entire 85 million dollar project is complete by 2015, over 200 cameras will make more than 450 signals smart through St. Pete up to the Pasco County Line.
And Commissioner Seel also noted that information received from the cameras will be used for traffic control purposes only and not law enforcement. For more information on the smart traffic signals, visit Pinellas County’s website at http://www.pinellascounty.org. You can also view the cameras live on Pinellas TV 18 during the 7am and 4pm hours.
With summer just about in full swing, kids of all ages grab their bicycles and get out along Bay area roadways. Thanks to Michael Moule, President of Liveable Streets, for all of his safety recommendations.
If you are considering bicycling as your mode of transportation and are ever in need of an emergency ride home, don’t forget about the Emergency Ride Home Program which provides a free taxi ride home from work in the event of illness, unscheduled overtime or a family emergency.
If you have any questions concerning the program or if you would like to enroll, please contact Bay Area Commuter Services at 1-800-998-RIDE (7433).
And for additional cycling resources here in the Tampa area, visit the Tampa Downtown Partnership’s website at http://www.tampasdowntown.com/Default.aspx?S=4&P=3.
YIPPEE!!!! Okay, so it is official, I am a major traffic geek. But I do have to admit I was very excited to hear of the early reopening of McMullen Booth Road. The Pinellas County Public Works Director of Transportation announced Thursday that railroad and roadway repairs have been completed and all lanes of McMullen Booth Road just north of Ruth Eckerd Hall and south of State Road 590 are once again open to traffic.
The early opening was made possible by the following combined factors:
· Favorable weather conditions, in particular lack of electricity-conducting lightning
· Extremely strong cooperation between Pinellas County’s contractor, E.L. Trevena, Inc., the county’s engineering consultant, TBE Group, and CSXT
· Around-the-clock availability of Pinellas County’s contractor
· Pinellas County contractor aid in the movement and placement of the main section of tracks, by supplying CSTX with multiple pieces of heavy equipment and labor
· Extensive coordination and assistance from multiple divisions within Public Works (i.e.) Engineering, Construction Administration, Traffic Engineering, Highway, etc.
· Advanced Traffic Management System/Intelligent Transportation System (ATMS/ITS) utilized on Gulf to Bay and US 19
· Extensive public information campaign that included multiple variable message signs placed at high-traffic intersections and roadways, citizen and business project information mailers and public service announcements
· Monitored traffic flow by Sheriff’s helicopter
· Hired “work train” to accelerate the rail compaction/leveling process
· Coordination with impacted cities and surrounding counties
As you can recall, this road closure began on May 25th and was scheduled to run through 15th.
The Road Rangers are a free service of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). These commuter cowboys patrol I-275, I-75, I-4, the Crosstown and Veteran’s Expressway here in the Bay area. There is also an outfit through Manatee County.
The Road Rangers provide free and reliable roadside assistance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. And these highway heroes stay busy helping as many as 9,000 Florida motorists a month statewide. The Road Rangers clear disabled vehicles from the travel lanes, remove roadway debris and assist the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) during traffic incidents.
If you need assistance from the Road Rangers, dial *347 on your cell phone. Make sure you are in a safe location and not driving while you make the call.
Getting your car ready for emergency weather is an important way to stay safe. PREPARATION IS KEY! Earlier this week, Gregg Laskoski, Managing Director for AAA Auto Club South, went shopping with me to help me prepare for my first hurricane season. Below is a complete list of Gregg’s recommendations from AAA. And remember, driving in bad weather should only be a last resort. Gregg reminds us that just a few inches of water can carry a car away and causing dangerous hydroplaning.
And for more information on any AAA services, visit http://www.aaasouth.com/insurance.asp?insProd=flood.
Here is a list of useful supplies to consider:
http://www.aaasouth.com/documents/emergency_supplies.pdf.
A complete Disaster Preparedness Guide is contained here:
http://www.aaasouth.com/disaster_preparedness_guide.asp.
This is the link for Florida’s evacuation routes:
http://www.floridadisaster.org/PublicMapping/index.htm.
Video: Google Directions On Phones
Compliments of the ever popular online search engine Google, a lesser-known directory assistance is available over your phone… one that can provide text messaging directions to you.. and the best part… it’s free.
Here is how it works. First, using your cell phone, send a text message to “46645” or “google” without the last “e”. In the body of the text type the starting point of your trip as specifically as possible. If you are unfamilar with your location, choose the nearest house or business address. Then type “to” followed by your ending point. For example, we entered our randomly choosen house address, then typed “to” and the address for our news station.
In just under two minutes google replied with a text message that included detailed directions, mileage and an estimated travel time. We followed the route successfully back to our station.
And if you want to text Google for directions, here are a couple of tips:
- First, to avoid confusion use a specific house or business address including the city and state or a major point of interest you are familiar with such as “200 S Parker St Tampa to Tampa Airport”.
Secondly, in several of our tries, the directions were a bit lengthy and required multiple text messages. The messages are labeled, for example 1/4 or 2/4, but they were not always received in order… so make sure you are reading the correct one.
This free Google service also offers a variety of other information over your phone including airline information, currency and language translations and movie listings. Below are list of suggested formats for various information:
Search Features - Example
Local Listings - sushi 94040
Weather - weather NYC
flight updates - LH454 or AA 2111
Airline information - lakers
Movies - the departed 94110
Stock Quotes - tgt
Glossary - define zenith
Translation - translate hello in french
Driving Directions - pasadena CA to 94043
Web Snippets - g hubble telescope
Q&A - abraham lincoln birthday
Calculator - 1 US pint in liters
Currency Conversion - 8 usd in yen
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