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U.S. 19 light repairs must be done ASAP

By Times editorial
Published January 10, 2007

The prospects for a brighter U.S. 19 are now dampened. Literally. And, presumably, temporarily. To ensure that, the state Department of Transportation should expedite repairs to illuminate the darkened highway again as soon as possible. Failing to do so makes Pasco's most deadly road even more dangerous for pedestrians and motorists alike.

As Times staff writer Jodie Tillman reported recently, at least 214 streetlights along U.S. 19 from the Pinellas County line north to State Road 52 in Bayonet Point are not functioning.

The lights, some of which were installed in 2005, were part of a stepped-up safety campaign on the highway that followed a spike in pedestrian deaths. It turns out, however, the light poles' safety precautions didn't provide enough caution around water.

DOT said water seeped into the underground boxes that encase a safety component intended to shut off the power to the poles in the event an accident leaves live wires exposed. The water damaged the safety devices' circuit breakers, each of which control up to 10 lights. The result is one wet box could take out nine lights around it. The equipment was out of warranty by the time the state figured out the problem, which carries an expected $50,000 repair bill.

Lighting the highway is imperative. A Times analysis of accident statistics showed 69 pedestrians were killed walking on or near U.S. 19 over an 11-year-period ending in 2001 when state and local governments moved to make the road safer. The most common factors in the fatalities were jaywalking and nighttime accidents. The lack of street lighting, few sidewalks and frequent curb and median cuts that allow universal traffic access to U.S. 19 all contribute to the dangerous conditions.

Adding the lighting, first announced four years ago, but just completed in 2005, was one of the key steps to try to improve safety along the road. More are coming, including a continuous right-hand turn lane and channelized medians cuts, both of which are multimillion-dollar projects. At one time, volunteers handed out flashing lights to pedestrians to increase their nighttime visibility, and the county installed large-numbered street address signs to assist motorists.

As stated here previously, social issues beyond the scope of public safety and transportation officials are significant as well. The lack of connecting streets among some neighborhoods west of the road forces all local traffic onto U.S. 19. Toss in high residential density, poverty, the lack of reliable transportation, and substance abuse, and the propensity for accidents won't go away simply with capital spending.

In the meantime, DOT needs to get the poles fixed and the lights back on as quickly as possible. It is of little use to shine a light on the road's shortcomings and then leave one of the solutions in the dark.

[Last modified January 9, 2007, 22:52:32]