A month ago, a reader asked us to take a look at the timing of the traffic lights at the intersection of Park Boulevard and 49th Street N in Pinellas Park. We noted that even during nonrush hours, the green arrows for motorists turning left from southbound 49th Street on to eastbound Park weren't long enough to clear the traffic most of the time - even though there are two left-turn lanes.
Well, the ever-lovin' state roadies picked right up on that and took a look for themselves. They found that about eight cars per lane, or 16 cars in all, were able to complete the southbound to eastbound left turn, which was not clearing the traffic 70 percent of the time.
So Pinellas County took five additional seconds and gave it to that southbound left-turn movement. Wow! We only asked for three seconds.
So those of you who drive through that intersection should be noticing a big, big difference. Hats off to the state and county roadies for hearing your pleas.
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We did not do as well with the concerns about the length of the green left-turn signal from eastbound Park Boulevard to northbound U.S. 19. The state and the county roadies put their heads together over that one, too, and decided they just couldn't afford to take any time away from U.S. 19 traffic to benefit Park Boulevard.
But at least they went and looked and studied the problem, and we can't ask for more than that.
Oh, brother, this is getting really sappy.
Let's move along.
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Got a couple of Eyeball Jigglers of the Week for you this time.
How about that manhole cover in the left lane of eastbound 38th Avenue N just before arriving at 49th Street. I didn't see it coming and it bit me hard.
One day very soon we are going to spend a good part of this column exploring why it is manhole covers rarely seem to fit flush to the pavement and sometimes are so far out-of-phase that they're a threat to wheels and axles.
Not to mention eyeballs.
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Second EJW:
Turning left onto 66th Street N from eastbound Central Avenue there are some monstrous holes in the pavement.
I mention them only as a warning, since I think they'll probably be fixed when the big paving project in that area kicks in later this year. But in the meantime, be careful out there.
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Here's a weird one that is confounding Dick Lewis of Madeira Beach, and we have to confess, it is confounding us, too.
Driving south on Park Street N, approaching First Avenue N, there is a sign at the right curb declaring, "Lane Ends, Merge Left." But that's a big fib. The right lane becomes a right-turn-only lane at Central Avenue, but the lane doesn't end.
If you obey the first sign and move left, you won't be able to turn right. Your choices will be to turn left or go straight. If what you really wanted to do is turn right, well, too bad.
Dick suggests that the errant "Lane Ends" sign be removed as a simple solution. I would suggest, in addition, that it be replaced by a sign that says, "Right Turn Only Ahead."
That would be the truth.
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Okay, let's go back up north for a few.
We have asked readers on several occasions to let us know when they find line-of-sight problems on the roads, and we didn't get to check them out during the winter because without leaves, many of the offending plants are easy to see through and couldn't be evaluated. Now we're working our way through the list.
This week our search took us to the Applebee's restaurant just west of U.S. 19 on the north side of Park Boulevard. A reader had complained that the exit shared by the restaurant and the gas station next door was bounded by shrubs that went to the street and created a line-of-sight hazard.
There is a row of pink oleander along Applebee's driveway to the left of people leaving the restaurant for Park Boulevard. As the bushes stood when we checked them out three days ago, they were blocking all the roofs of oncoming cars and all but the top third of vans and pickups. Headlights were totally obscured.
A couple of more inches of growth, and the cars will disappear altogether. Mitigating that somewhat is the traffic signal at the foot of the driveway. Under normal conditions, when the light is green for the restaurant and gas station traffic, all motorists on eastbound Park Boulevard should be stopped.
Whether they will be is quite another question. It might be tres cynical of me, but if I were coming out of that driveway and the light had just turned green, I might hesitate for a beat before proceeding, just to make sure there are none of those notorious red-light runners barreling down on me.
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And Gregg Frangipane asks a question worth repeating. With all the growth going on inside Carillon, why are the five lanes of northbound 28th Street N at Roosevelt Boulevard set up the way they are? Two lanes are marked for left turners, two for right turners, and only one for traffic going straight through to Carillon.
That poor, lonely single through lane gets badly backed up during morning rush hours.
Can no one help?
- Dr. Delay can be reached by e-mail at docdelay@sptimes.com by fax at 727 893-8675 or by snail mail at 490 First Ave. S, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.
