TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

No Green Light For Crosswalk Plan

ADVERTISEMENT

By HAROLD VALENTINE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 30, 2008

NORTHDALE Frank Giordano had a vision when he became president of the Northdale Special Taxing District in 2005.

"One of my ambitions at the time was not only to improve the look of shopping centers at Northdale Boulevard," he said, "but to try to incorporate a town home kind of feeling and make it safer for people who live close to businesses and those who work at commercial properties."

To that end, Giordano and other members of the district want to see a crosswalk at Northdale Boulevard and Premiere Drive, where neighborhood residents and business employees often cross the south side of Northdale to get to restaurants and retail stores, especially during lunch hour.

Giordano has petitioned the county to get traffic-calming measures installed at the intersection. He said, after speaking with county engineers, ideas such as a crosswalk, flashing signs indicating a crosswalk and possibly a speedometer sign would make the intersection safer for drivers and pedestrians.

Giordano said the taxing district saved money to pay for part of a possible county project at the intersection. He did not recall how much has been saved.

After years of pleading his case, the county says the intersection is not a viable candidate for the crosswalk Giordano has in mind. Engineering specialist Robert Wood said not enough pedestrians crossed the intersection. He said he was there for six hours - including between 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. - on a week day and counted only 15 pedestrians.

Wood said because money is short for traffic-calming measures in Carrollwood neighborhoods because of other projects in the area, 15 pedestrians isn't enough.

Buz Barbour, Hillsborough's traffic services manager, said even if pedestrian traffic was more, the intersection does not meet the engineering criteria because Premiere Drive meets Northdale in mid-block.

"Mid-block crossing can be dangerous," Barbour said. "In that area, you come off of a large looping curve, then all of the sudden you would have a pedestrian crossing there."
Barbour said he understands that restaurants are located directly across from office buildings such as the Northdale Executive Suite, and "it's a matter of people crossing where they want to cross."

But he added there is a crosswalk 100 yards east of the intersection at North Dale Mabry Highway, as well as a crosswalk 100 yards west of Premiere Drive at Northdale Park, which is placed within the large curve on Northdale Boulevard.

He said the Northdale Boulevard and Premiere Drive intersection is "a dangerous place, to be truthful."

Northdale's community resource officer Michael Russell said he has noticed the intersection is busy for car and pedestrian traffic. He said getting some sort of traffic calming there would enhance Northdale.

"It's a four-lane street," said Russell about Northdale Boulevard, "but people drive it like a highway."

Russell's manager, Maj. Louis Hollinshead, sent Giordano a letter agreeing with the district that the intersection is dangerous, noting that while patrolling the area pedestrians were seen stepping from hedges onto oncoming traffic. Russell said he would like to survey the intersection over a few days when he has the help of additional deputies.

"I'd like to have traffic-calming measures in place to slow drivers and make them realize this is a community," Russell said.

Though Barbour said his department concluded a crosswalk there is not viable, he said Giordano could take his case for a crosswalk directly to the county commission.

"Of course, we work for the commissioners, so we'll do what they say," Barbour said. But he added that commissioners are not likely to implement a crosswalk if engineers say it is not warranted.
Barbour said calming measures outside of a crosswalk are a viable option at the intersection in the future.

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

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT