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Speed limit to rise on portion of Forest Lakes

By TAMARA EL-KHOURY
Published August 20, 2006

OLDSMAR - The City Council was split on its vote to raise the speed limit on a stretch of Forest Lakes Boulevard on Tuesday night.

The council voted 3-2 to raise the speed limit on a portion of Forest Lakes Boulevard from 35 to 45 mph.

Mayor Jerry Beverland, Vice Mayor Janice Miller and council member Jim Ronecker voted in support of raising the speed limit on Forest Lakes, from Lakeview Avenue to Pine Avenue, a stretch of less than 1 mile. The speed limit on the rest of Forest Lakes Boulevard is 45 mph.

A speed-limit study conducted by Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc. concluded that the average speed of the 85th percentile of drivers on Forest Lakes from Tampa Road to Pine Avenue is 46 mph.

Council members had seen a petition against the proposal signed by more than 200 people. But Beverland and Ronecker said they also had heard from many people supporting a consistent speed limit on the road.

Council members Suzanne Vale and Don Bohr voted against raising the speed limit. They agreed with several residents who said that raising the speed limit would only encourage drivers to go faster.

"You put it to 45, they'll be going 55," Bohr said.

The council also heard from former council member Brian Michaels, who ran against Ronecker in March. Ronecker was the one who suggested raising the speed limit.

Michaels handed out pages of material citing safety concerns, including a picture of a little girl running in front of a car with the caption: "The faster the speed of the car, the greater the chances Jenny will die."

The new speed limit will take effect as soon as the city can get new signs for the stretch of road.

[Last modified August 19, 2006, 11:42:15]