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Dr. Delay

Peeved by turns, manhole covers

By LORRIE LYKINS
Published September 18, 2005

Which St. Petersburg roadway has irked the most readers of late?

That would have to be 22nd Avenue N, hands down.

The new stripping at the intersection of 22nd Avenue N and 35th Street has several readers baffled. One reader wrote:

"When they resurfaced the portion of 22nd Avenue N between 34th Street N and 49th Street N, they painted the westbound stripes all wrong at the intersection of 35th Street and 22nd Avenue. They did away with the turn lane that allowed people to cross the oncoming (eastbound) traffic and head south on 35th. They've since gone back and made a half-hearted attempt to correct it, but it's still not right. Among other things, the turn lane is too narrow. It needs to be the way it was before the repaving, as that intersection is a particularly dangerous one due to the amount of eastbound traffic on 22nd Avenue. It's currently far too dangerous for those of us who live in the neighborhoods in that area."

I passed this concern on to Michael Frederick of the city's transportation department. Frederick acknowledged that during recent road work, "an eastbound left-turn lane was squeezed in after the initial markings were installed." Frederick said that the root of the problem is lack of space.

"Previously, before the recent resurfacing, there was no dedicated left-turn lane for eastbound traffic to turn north from. With the opportunity presented with the recent resurfacing we were able to re-mark this area and provide a minimum area. However, because of the narrow roadway immediately west of the intersection, a standard storage length cannot be marked. It was felt that a modest storage length would be safer than not providing one at all," Frederick said.

The "storage length" Frederick refers to is the space allocated in a dedicated turn lane for a vehicle to occupy while waiting to make the turn.

And while the explanation of the current stripping on 22nd Avenue N at 35th Street is helpful in understanding what's gone on there, the motorist who wrote in is less than satisfied.

"That explanation has left me with the nagging feeling that someone in a decisionmaking capacity in the transportation department has determined that it's better to do two things badly than one thing properly. I can't bring myself to endorse that philosophy. I am extremely unhappy at the loss of a proper westbound turn lane for southbound 35th Street N, as I rely heavily on that lane to get to my home safely. I'll go so far as to say the presence of that turn lane was instrumental in our decision to buy in that neighborhood. The loss of a proper, safe, turn lane is significant for my family," he wrote.

Another issue troubling motorists is the manhole covers on eastbound 22nd Avenue N between 35th Street and the interstate. Many have receded significantly below pavement level. In a recent e-mail, a reader noted:

"The pounding that results from hitting these things is enough to rattle your teeth - and everything inside the car. It's so bad that I can't even travel in the right lane anymore for fear of damaging my car. Trying to avoid them requires you to bob and weave like a drunk because they're placed all over the lane, not in one consistent location."

This question has come up often, with complaints about manhole covers that protrude well above the pavement level as well. I spoke with Dave McDonald of Transportation Management Services of Florida. McDonald said that fixing the problem is nearly impossible because manhole covers are not static - they move up and down as the surrounding pavement responds to weather conditions. "Another factor is all the water around us, which causes the manholes to sink, so it's an ongoing thing that we have to live with," McDonald said.

Why are two lanes barricaded on First Avenue S between First and Sixth streets? Some readers have noted the closed lanes but no work crew in sight. Progress Energy is repairing underground power lines and workers can only access the lines by going through - you guessed it - the manhole covers on First Avenue, said Cherie Jacobs of Progress Energy.

So you might not see anyone at street level, but rest assured that work is under way (pun intended). Jacobs said that the barricades have been up for over a week and the project is slated to wrap up by Sept. 23. Until next week, happy and safe motoring!

Please share your traffic concerns, comments and questions with Dr. Delay via e-mail at docdelay@yahoo.com

[Last modified September 18, 2005, 02:15:36]