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Dr. Delay

Merging too late can irk drivers and worse

By LORRIE LYKINS
Published November 13, 2005

A great display of motorists behaving badly is occurring on eastbound Bay Pines Boulevard, just before the bridge at the entrance to the War Veterans Memorial park.

Eastbound Bay Pines is a three-lane roadway that becomes two lanes at that point, and anyone who drives it regularly knows this. But many motorists insist on staying in the far right lane until the last possible moment - usually right to the point where the lane ends, and then they abruptly cut left into traffic, usually with no signals. Some patient and kind souls let the drivers in. Some do not. During rush hour, this sets the scene for much horn-honking, cursing, head shaking and, of course, the requisite displaying of the middle finger.

Here's my question: If you know the lane is going to end, why not merge over early like a sane, rational person? Why stay in the lane that is about to end and then attempt to bully your way into the flow of traffic, usually at ridiculously high speeds? I know you get to whiz by that long line of traffic already in the lane you will eventually squeeze your way into, and that somehow makes you feel like you've won something, I guess, but do you really get to work or wherever it is you're headed faster? I doubt it.

Wow, those are big. And brown. Some readers have taken note of the newly erected traffic signal "arms" or poles on First Avenue S.

Courtney Waller wrote: "I recently noticed on First Avenue S and 60th Street that they put up two huge yield lights on those big brown poles that they are now using for stop lights. There's a crosswalk there and I am assuming it's a school zone. I was wondering if you knew if the city had any plans to put the same thing up on First Avenue N?"

Mike Frederick, manager of the city's neighborhood transportation department, said the new signal arms will be activated next week. The purpose of the signals is to assist with managing the pedestrian traffic generated by the Mortgage Investors Corp. (MIC) call center in the 59th block of Central Avenue and First Avenue. The owner of MIC purchased the signal arms and paid for the installation.

"There are no plans for a similar installation on First Avenue N. We will, however, be installing these at 17 other locations around the city to address pedestrian safety as part of our CityTrails program," Frederick said.

The city and Mayor Rick Baker are planning a news conference about new pedestrian signals next week.

Unstable soil is the culprit with many of the maladies that occur on and around area roadways. One good example is 22nd Avenue N.

Reader Brett Page wrote to me about the condition of the roadway. Page said he's wondering about the stretch between Interstate 275 and U.S. 19, and he's more than a little concerned since recent improvements on the street appear to be completed.

Page wrote: "There hasn't been any work for months, so I can only presume it's "done.' But almost all of the manholes on that stretch are recessed below the roadway one inch or more. Great way to destroy everyone's suspension, jar the weights off their rims and aggravate people who travel it often. Also the roadway is buckling around a manhole in front of a storm drain just west of Home Depot on the eastbound side. Does anyone have any plans on repairing that?"

I shared Page's question with the folks at the city's engineering department and engineering director Thomas Gibson responded by e-mail: "Regarding 22 Avenue N between 34th street and 25th Street, we have determined that there is a subsurface problem developing at the drainage manhole near 25th street, and city stormwater operations will investigate and make corrections. Additionally, several city drainage manholes are too low in the eastbound outside lane, these will be raised to improve the driving conditions. Progress Energy recently completed the raising of a manhole cover for their utility in the westbound outside lane, near the RaceTrac gas station."

Road work in Pinellas Park has got the phones ringing at City Hall.

The roadway restoration and paving of 78th Avenue is causing traffic backups around Pinellas Park Elementary and folks trying to get in and out of the post office are encountering a "road closed" sign that, because of its placement, may lead some to erroneously assume there is no access to the post office.

According to a memo released by Pinellas Park's city engineers, closure of the road at the intersection of 78th Avenue and 53rd Street for installation of a new culvert is "nearly complete and final connections are being attended to."

A call to the city's engineering department confirmed that the one lane of traffic eastbound on 78th Avenue is scheduled to reopen Tuesday, depending on the weather and soil conditions. Detours will continue for westbound 78th Avenue traffic.

Pinellas Park spokesman Tim Caddell said a temporary entrance has been created for the post office. Postal customers can enter the parking lot from 53rd Street and use the regular eastbound exit, he said.

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 November 13, 2005, 03:00:43]