With the Keene Road extension between Drew Street and Sunset Point Road finally done, commuters now have one more alternative to U.S. 19, which is a beast in the best of times, and a likely nightmare for the next three years because of major roadwork.
But which of the other three routes is easiest and fastest?
To find out, three intrepid Times reporters did the morning rush-hour drive from Alderman Road in Palm Harbor to Bryan Dairy Road in Largo on Thursday. These are their reports, respectively, from Alt. U.S. 19, County Road 1/Keene Road and Belcher Road:
ON ALT U.S. 19:
AARON SHAROCKMAN: I wasn't even 100 feet from the intersection of Alderman Road and Alt. U.S. 19 when I saw a smashed-up red sedan being attended to on the side of Alt. 19.
Down the road, a high-top sneaker sat in the middle of the road.
This didn't look good, just as my editor predicted.
I had been assigned to drive down the scenic waterfront route that snakes through the downtowns of four cities. There are sharp lefts and rights, and in one stretch, the speed limit slows to 30 mph. There were bicyclists to avoid, crossing guards to heed and platoons of Scientologists to observe as they trooped through Clearwater.
Of course, there's also construction.
In all, I beat my editor's prediction by 20 minutes.
And I even got a view.
While my colleagues revved harder and went faster on six-lane concrete free-for-alls, I cruised, sometimes at 25 mph, down a scenic stretch with my radio on, my windows down and my mind on the beach.
As I passed Schiller International University in Dunedin, I watched an ibis dipping in the intracoastal waterway. Behind the bird rose Clearwater Beach condos and hotels, where spring breakers were probably just headed for bed.
I was already into Clearwater when I stopped for the first time. I never made it over 45 mph, but I didn't come to a halt until Sunset Point Road, 8 miles and 12 minutes into my ride.
From there, it was a breeze.
I pulled through downtown Clearwater with relative ease 18 minutes into my drive, and when I hooked a left turn on West Bay Drive, I had traveled 13 miles. As I turned right on Seminole Boulevard, a construction sign said my lane - the right lane - was closing ahead. But as I approached, splitting my attention between my notepad, my rearview mirror and the road ahead, there were no cones or construction workers in sight. The road was empty.
And by 8:38 a.m., I had driven 17 miles and crossed our imaginary finish line, which was only the start of my drive back.
ON KEENE ROAD
MEGAN SCOTT: When my editor came over to me grinning, I knew something was up.
The assignment? Drive down County Road 1/Keene Road starting at Alderman Road and time how long it takes to get to Bryan Dairy Road. The kicker? Do it during morning rush hour.
At 7:59 a.m., according to my cell phone, I headed south on Omaha Street, where County Road 1 begins at Alderman Road. It was only two lanes, but traffic was moving. The first light to stop me was Curlew Road. I was only there a few seconds, long enough to take some notes.
There was hardly any traffic. The speed limit was 35 mph. And while I'm no speed demon, I found it hard to maintain that speed. Guess I have a heavy foot.
I arrived at State Road 580 at 8:11 a.m. I glanced at the odometer: 5.1 miles.
By the time I rolled up to the light on Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard, I had gone 9.1 miles. It was now 8:21 a.m.
East Bay: 12.1 miles. I looked at my cell phone. 8:26 a.m.
The ride was boring. Still not much traffic. Maybe I started too late, but don't people generally start work at 9?
Perhaps because it's close to spring break, snowbirds have started heading back north, and most people probably travel on U.S. 19 and McMullen Booth Road. Why come all the way over to Keene Road to go south?
Now I hit Ulmerton Road. Almost there. I had traveled 13.6 miles. Another look at the cell phone: 8:30 a.m.
Is this Bryan Dairy Road? I squinted my eyes. Nope, dang. Where is this road?
This must be it.
I stopped at the light. 15.2 miles.
I waited until the light turned green, as I passed through the intersection, I clocked the time. 8:32 a.m.
Not bad.
I made a U-turn and proceeded back to the office.
Of course, that's when I hit the traffic.
ONBELCHERROAD
ADRIENNE P. SAMUELS: I have a theory that you can go anywhere in Pinellas County in 40 minutes or less.
It took me 40 minutes from my central county home to the intersection of Belcher and Alderman roads, my starting point for the driving exercise.
It took me 40 more minutes to finish the drive.
Driving Belcher Road is almost scenic. The street is smooth and nearly pothole-free for the entire 16-mile route.
I left at 8 a.m. and encountered only two school buses, four minivans driving slower than the 45 mph speed limit and three people talking on their cell phones.
Traffic was light for much of the two-lane route.
I'm not sure how many people actually ride on Belcher all the way to south county. The county's larger problem appears to be with the east-west streets.
Every time I passed a major intersection - Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard, East Bay Drive, Sunset Point Road and Ulmerton Road - most of the cars turned. That left me in the middle, cruising down the street with no one in front of me and hardly anyone behind.
Things got a little heavier around Main Street in Dunedin, which I reached at 8:11 a.m. after a stretch in a 35 mph zone. I waited at the light for quite some time and eventually got to Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard at 8:26 a.m. The stretch to East Bay Drive was quick. I got there at 8:33 a.m. I arrived at Ulmerton Road a mere four minutes later, including lights.
By the time I crossed Ulmerton, there was no one on the road but me. Even though I slowed for some rather large potholes, I got to Bryan Dairy Road at 8:42 a.m.
