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Roadways unfriendly to drivers

Wake up, Pinellas County Commission! What have you done to our roads?

I find that the lights are not timed and construction is not coordinated for any of the major north-south corridors.

Traveling south on Belcher Road, I am stopped by lights at Nebraska Avenue, Tampa Road, Curlew Road, Solon Avenue, State Road 580, Greenbriar Boulevard, Top of the World and Sunset Point Road. I was told by the Pinellas County Transportation Department that the lights are not coordinated because I am traveling through the cities of Dunedin and Clearwater.

You allowed construction to close down Belcher in front of the Long Center at the same time southbound U.S. 19 was reduced to two through lanes.

Within days of County Road 1 and Keene Road being opened south of Sunset Point, you closed it for construction between Tampa Road and Nebraska Avenue. It's over a year later and we are still waiting for County Road 1 to open. Help!

Traveling north on U.S. 19, the light at Sunset Point Road is not timed and all traffic stops.

At rush hour there is a bizarre train coupling that stops all traffic on Belcher by the Long Center when a train randomly travels back and forth just long enough to really back up the traffic.

And to top it all off, on the few roads that are complete, there is a Pinellas County sheriff's deputy waiting with his handy-dandy speed gun. Drivers, watch as you are traveling north on U.S. 19 at the Countryside flyover; it's the sheriff's latest speed trap.

And we have the perennial favorites, Alderman Road west of U.S. 19 and County Road 1, where the speed limits are a ridiculous 30 mph in some places.

Solutions from Northerner just not practical here

Re : Drivers, not lights, are the cause of roadway fear and frustration, letter, June 23.

Jack Brown states we should do more walking to ease traffic. Well, I work in Tampa, so the 40-mile walk might be kind of hard.

Public transportation? Look around, we don't have any.

Pollution and consumption? Southern California installed timed traffic lights more than 30 years ago to cut back on pollution. Guess what they found, Mr. Brown? It works.

Mr. Brown, I see that you are from New Hampshire. Why don't you do all of us in Pinellas County a big favor and stay up north?

Construction goes smoothly at Enterprise and Bay-to-Bay

We all love to complain about everything that frustrates us, but I, for one, must voice praise for the state highway department, the construction company and everyone else connected with the giant overpass project now taking place on U.S. 19 between Enterprise Road and Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard.

I think it is nothing short of amazing how they reroute the highway and create new lanes overnight. The traffic never slows down or seems to miss a beat.

Great job! It's fun to see the progress.

Walk light timers at intersections prevent confusion

I just wanted to say that I think it was a really good idea to put timers on the walk lights at certain intersections. It saves a lot of confusion.

Plans to rebuild schools an unnecessary mistake

Re: Largo High to get new building, story, June 28.

Why would anyone even consider demolishing Largo High School?

We were the second graduating class in '59. In this area, it's still a new complex. It sure hasn't been here as long as North Ward or South Ward schools, Largo Middle School, Mildred Helms or Anona.

Demolishing High Point Elementary and rebuilding across the street is wrong. What the Times photo didn't show was the electrical high-tension field that would be right up against the new school on 150th Avenue N. Not good for the kids.

Fix the system you screwed up. If we go back to neighborhood schools, we could eliminate those child-killing buses. If parents in St. Petersburg want their kids to go to Palm Harbor, it should be their choice to do so, but it should also be their responsibility to transport the kids.

In New York, I transferred to a Catholic school two blocks from a public school and could no longer take the school bus. I walked the 2 miles twice a day. My family's choice.

Try thinking of the low- to middle-income families. I guess this is the reason families are going to home schooling. They couldn't do a worse job.

[Last modified July 4, 2005, 01:42:23]