Residents upset by drivers' shortcut

Officials acknowledge the problem and will look at options for limiting drivers, and speeds, on 53rd Avenue.

By WILMA NORTON

© St. Petersburg Times, published April 4, 2000

SEMINOLE -- Residents on 53rd Avenue are tired of traffic whizzing down the quiet, tree-canopied street.

The street, which lies between 113th Street and Seminole Boulevard, apparently is being used as a shortcut by commuters, especially between 7 and 8 a.m. and between 4 and 6 p.m.

"People cut across here all the time," said Sandra Ellis, who has lived on 53rd about 18 months. "A lot of times they are going at speeds that are not appropriate."

The county's traffic engineering division said 53rd Avenue qualifies for its traffic calming program, which could offer several ways to slow or reduce the number of vehicles using the street. County officials will meet with residents to discuss the options Thursday night at 7 p.m. at Seminole United Methodist Church, 5400 Seminole Blvd. "We agree that there is speeding and cut-through traffic on the street," said Pete Turgeon, traffic operations manager for Pinellas. "We're going to tell them what tools we have in our toolbox . . . Then we'll let them tell us what they would like to see."

The options include speed humps, striping of the road to make it appear narrower, raised intersections and curb sections that bulge into the street, forcing vehicles to slow down to negotiate them.

Turgeon said his staff has not made a recommendation. "We need to hear what (residents) have to say," he said. "We don't have the whole picture."

The posted speed limit on 53rd is 25 mph.

The county did a speed check recently during peak hours. In the morning, it found drivers weregoing an average of 30 mph with one going 48 mph. In the afternoon, when 68 cars used the street during an hour, the average speed was 36 mph with the fastest driver hitting 43.

Parallel 54th Avenue is designed for arterial traffic, with traffic lights at both Seminole Boulevard and 113th Street. Some residents said drivers apparently don't like to wait in the turn lanes on the larger roads, choosing instead to use 53rd.

And, Turgeon said, when people take cut-throughs, they tend to speed. The street is somewhat rolling, descending fairly steeply at 113th. Driving even 5 mph over the limit on the street can be a hazard, he said.

There is a stop sign at 53rd Avenue and 110th Street, but that doesn't seem to be a deterrent either.

Stephan Pryor said he sees cars whizzing by as he works on his grandparents' lawn on 53rd. "They just come speeding through here," he said. "There goes one now."

Turgeon said the residents, who got the county's attention with a petition, have a legitimate concern. "It directly affects the quality of life," he said.

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