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Clearwater neighborhood will get 4 traffic circles

The city originally wanted six; engineers said two would do the job, so council members compromise with four.

By AARON SHAROCKMAN
Published May 20, 2006

CLEARWATER - The City Council rebuffed the recommendation of city engineers Thursday and agreed to build four of the six traffic circles planned for a central Clearwater neighborhood.

The council agreed to build the roundabouts on Cleveland Street as part of a larger traffic-calming plan proposed by residents in the city's Skycrest neighborhood.

Roundabouts will be built at Lake Drive, Saturn, Corona and Aurora avenues.

City engineers had originally asked to build only two of the six traffic circles out of the plan.

Council members said Thursday their recommendation was a good compromise - less expensive than six circles, but still slowing traffic on the east-west road.

About 20 neighborhood residents attended Thursday's meeting, saying the proposal to eliminate four of the six traffic circles would solve little. Most were happy with the compromise.

"Six traffic circles were strategically located on Cleveland Street, each to solve a specific problem," said neighborhood resident Elizabeth France.

"To take away four will basically make the project ineffective," resident JoAnna Siskin added.

City engineers had proposed leaving only two traffic circles on Cleveland, a drastic change to the plan residents approved last year.

City engineers said this week they recommended cutting four of the planned circles because they were concerned the additional circles could deter drivers from using the road, forcing them to other east-west routes like Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard and Drew Street. Some 7,000 vehicles now use that portion of Cleveland daily, city engineer Mike Quillen said.

City engineers also said eliminating four of the six roundabouts would save $800,000. The project is about $1-million over budget, at a total cost of $2.95-million with six roundabouts, city officials said.

The City Council agreed to pay the costs of the additional roundabouts.

"The beauty of roundabouts is they do in fact slow people down, but the overall flow is better," council member John Doran said. "You actually get there faster by going slower."

Residents have worked for years to make improvements to the road, saying too many motorists ignore the current 35 mph speed limit.

There were 31 crashes reported at the six intersections where roundabouts were considered from 2002 to 2004.

The circles, the city has said, will slow vehicle speeds to 11 to 13 mph in circulating lanes and 14 to 16 mph at crosswalks.

"There are cars racing by on a daily basis," said Christina Wise, a mother of a 2-year-old son. "I am constantly worried."

Work on the project could begin this fall.

Aaron Sharockman can be reached at 727 445-4160 or asharockman@sptimes.com

[Last modified May 20, 2006, 01:58:12]