San Juan road improvements focus on pedestrian safety

FDOT's proposed safety improvements on San Juan Avenue between Roosevelt Boulevard and Herschel Street
FDOT’s proposed safety improvements on San Juan Avenue between Roosevelt Boulevard and Herschel Street

One local businessman had harsh words for the Florida Department of Transportation’s plans to install a mid-block median and pedestrian crossing near his business on San Juan Avenue (State Road 128) near the Ortega neighborhood.

Viktor Gjergji, owner of Viktor’s Payless and Groceries, which is located at 6612 San Juan Avenue, was the only member of the public to comment during two back-to-back hybrid public hearings sponsored by FDOT at its Edison Avenue offices Jan. 12. During the hearings, FDOT spelled out two specific sets of road improvements that it plans to make to San Juan Avenue between Lane Avenue South and Herschel Street.

Gjergji had plenty to say, and none of it good, about FDOT’s plans to build a mid-block pedestrian crossing and median in front of his commercial establishment. “This project, which is in front of my businesses, is interfering with daily parking and daily deliveries to my business,” he said, during the second of the two public hearings. “I think that this project is nonsense. It is not worth it and is a waste of taxpayers’ money. It is jeopardizing my business. I’ve been there for years and there is never anyone crossing there,” he said.

In the area on San Juan Avenue near Noble House Assisted Living facility and Westside Methodist Church, FDOT plans to install a mid-block pedestrian crossing and median, complete with a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) and updated striping, signage, and lighting to alert drivers to the crossing. The project is planned to be built directly across from where Gjergji’s shop is located and will require the closure of a portion of median on San Juan Avenue to allow for construction of the “traffic separator.”

The purpose of the “traffic separator” is to provide a pedestrian refuge for protection and additional crossing time as part of a two-stage crossing. The existing 11-foot travel lanes in both directions will be maintained as will all driveways and sidewalks. Pedestrian lighting will be updated within the project corridor.

The cost of the median project is estimated to be $308,170. Construction was slated to begin in the summer of 2020 and completed in the spring of 2021. To minimize the effect on residents and business owners in the area, lane closures will not be permitted between the hours of 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. during construction, said the FDOT representative.

In the hearing, a 2017 traffic study found a “high level of pedestrian traffic including seniors, disabled residents, and children” traversing the road at that point. Most of the pedestrian traffic occurred in the late morning hours, and three pedestrians were struck by cars between 2012 and 2016 at the location. A 2018 traffic study recommended installation of the mid-block crossing based on five-year crash data, existing site conditions, and the fact that the nearest crosswalk is more than 1,000 feet to the east and west of this section of road, said the FDOT representative.

Pedestrian safety, crash reduction

Crash data was also a factor in FDOT’s desire to improve San Juan Avenue between Roosevelt Boulevard (U.S. Route 17) and Herschel Street (State Road 211). A total of 50 vehicle crashes have occurred along that stretch in the four years from 2013 to 2017, according to FDOT. “The crashes often occur near the entrance to the Roosevelt Shopping Center (Ortega Park), Fair Street, and the intersection with Euclid Street,” said the FDOT representative, who noted that 31 crashes were related to access and involved either angle crashes, vehicles being rear-ended, or drivers attempting to make a left turn.

To make the roadway safer, the FDOT plan includes a reduction in the number of lanes from four to three and the installation of a center-turn lane for residents and business clientele to use near the shopping center. Studies by the Federal Highway Administration have shown that reducing the number of lanes will cut the number of crashes by 47%, said the FDOT representative.

Also included in the project will be the construction of a crosswalk, pedestrian refuge median, and RRFB signal at the intersection of San Juan Avenue and Fair Street.  Having fewer lanes to cross and the opportunity to have a refuge island installed will be a boon for pedestrians, according to FDOT. The study concluded that the yielding rate by drivers for pedestrians increases 20% to 80% when an RRFB signal is installed, said the FDOT representative.

The design enables bike lanes to be striped along the roadway in the future. The estimated cost of the project is $420,000. Construction is expected to start in the summer of 2021 and be complete in the winter of the same year.

No residents or business owners spoke during the first public hearing.

By Marcia Hodgson
Resident Community News

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading...