Central FL Roads and Highways

[JFW657]

https://www.wftv.com/news/local/no-build-community-rally-tuesday-stop-florida-turnpike-extension-sumter-county/LGGFIFWDARF2XAX43Z5S6HHOKM/

 

https://www.villages-news.com/2022/07/22/opponents-of-florida-turnpike-extension-to-protest-at-sumter-commission-meeting/

[spenser1058]

5 minutes ago, JFW657 said:

If the turnpike project is the one I'm thinking of, there are some people out that way who are objecting to it on the grounds that it will destroy some historical areas, including a cemetery, possibly.

Heard the story briefly but didn't give it a good, close listen. 

There are two cemeteries that I’m aware of out that way - Woodlawn* and Dr. Phillips. If there are others , I’d love to know which they are. It’s quite possible there may be Jewish or African-American ones from the segregation days I don’t know about.

Beulah, a very small community south of 50 and east of Fowler Groves, might also have had one.

*I worked briefly at Woodlawn right after hs and then went on to work at Haunted Mansion. I’m tight with dead folks!
 

[JFW657]

52 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

There are two cemeteries that I’m aware of out that way - Woodlawn* and Dr. Phillips. If there are others , I’d love to know which they are. It’s quite possible there may be Jewish or African-American ones from the segregation days I don’t know about.

Beulah, a very small community south of 50 and east of Fowler Groves, might also have had one.

*I worked briefly at Woodlawn right after hs and then went on to work at Haunted Mansion. I’m tight with dead folks!
 

The issue I heard about is in Sumter County near The Villages.

The town they're trying to protect is called Royal.

[spenser1058]

2 minutes ago, JFW657 said:

The issue I heard about is in Sumter County near The Villages.

The town they're trying to protect is called Royal.

 I think that’s an African-American community up there with quite an amazing history. I think that ties in to the Turnpike Extension, which is one of the pork barrel road projects which got mermercifully torpedoed. This one (and maybe one other?) came out the other side.

[JFW657]

59 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

 I think that’s an African-American community up there with quite an amazing history. I think that ties in to the Turnpike Extension, which is one of the pork barrel road projects which got mermercifully torpedoed. This one (and maybe one other?) came out the other side.

Well, I don't think it's torpedoed yet, as it's still an open issue.

[HankStrong]

Don't mess with cemeteries.  As my grandpa used to say "The cemetery is the most popular place in town.  Everyone is just DYING to get in there!"  He'd crack himself up every time with that one.

[jgardnerucf]

15 hours ago, HankStrong said:

Everyone is just DYING to get in there!

You're stealing my fence joke.... ahem!

[AmIReal]

It appears the State is not pursuing the Northern Turnpike Extension (for now) and will focus on improving I-75 instead.

https://www.ocala.com/story/news/2022/08/04/state-drops-possible-routes-north-extension-florida-turnpike-wildwood-levy-marion-county-dunnellon/10230854002/

This may belong in another section...?

[spenser1058]

17 minutes ago, AmIReal said:

It appears the State is not pursuing the Northern Turnpike Extension (for now) and will focus on improving I-75 instead.

https://www.ocala.com/story/news/2022/08/04/state-drops-possible-routes-north-extension-florida-turnpike-wildwood-levy-marion-county-dunnellon/10230854002/

This may belong in another section...?

I’m pleased to see that. If they can finally dismantle Rodman Dam and protect the springs in the area (a national park is being proposed), that whole area could be a treasure for the state.

[spenser1058]

CFX is phasing out exact change toll machines by 2024:

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/transportation/os-ne-exact-change-toll-machines-20220816-6acpnpxfujao5g2evdd6oei7i4-story.html

From The Sentinel 

Mainline plazas are first in 2023, followed by ramp exits in 2024. Thank God - it’s scary the number of folks exiting the E-W at Mills EB (you can’t really see as you exit since it’s downhill if someone’s stopped, especially if you’re still going 60+ mph) that almost crash into idiots with local tags who don’t have transponders (c’mon, people, CFX will give you one FREE) and, to make matters worse, they didn’t bother to plan ahead and take ten minutes rummaging through their car for change.

There’s no one who hates tolls more than I do but in this GQP-controlled state we’re stuck with them so don’t make it worse by holding up the exits, please.

 

[codypet]

The ramp plazas altogether will be going bye bye as demand for R/W increases at the interchanges.  Narcoossee at 417 may already be gone.  Manned barrier plazas will stay for a little while longer which is the opposite of what FTE did.  

[jrs2]

On 8/16/2022 at 1:00 PM, spenser1058 said:

There’s no one who hates tolls more than I do but in this GQP-controlled state we’re stuck with them so don’t make it worse by holding up the exits, please.

Um, look at a map of Chicago/ Chicagoland...aside from the interstates within the city limits, most all of the rest of the expressway system is tollways...and Illinois is a blue state...

[spenser1058]

8 minutes ago, jrs2 said:

Um, look at a map of Chicago/ Chicagoland...aside from the interstates within the city limits, most all of the rest of the expressway system is tollways...and Illinois is a blue state...

It’s changed over the years. The big city machines loved tolls and controlling that money. Nowadays, as the Democrats have become more progressive, it’s recognized that tolls are a huge drag on the working class.

[AmIReal]

13 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

Nowadays, as the Democrats have become more progressive

Not entirely. That is just a segment of the party. I feel most of the party is more centrist than progressive.

[jrs2]

1 hour ago, spenser1058 said:

It’s changed over the years. The big city machines loved tolls and controlling that money. Nowadays, as the Democrats have become more progressive, it’s recognized that tolls are a huge drag on the working class.

I don't think there a political template for that anymore.  if there was, CA would have never built an HSR and gotten into that $120M boondoggle.  It's about money.  Parking $$$ is one of the big ones for the big city machines...especially that place Frank wrote two songs about...

[spenser1058]

 

Prepare to stop, instead of yield, in Orange County neighborhoods
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/orange-county/os-ne-orange-yield-stop-signs-20220825-vx3dgg2b4rhxzlobny2na6nzsy-story.html

From The Sentinel 

OC is replacing yield signs with stop signs to slow down traffic in neighborhoods countywide.

 

[HankStrong]

11 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

 

Prepare to stop, instead of yield, in Orange County neighborhoods
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/orange-county/os-ne-orange-yield-stop-signs-20220825-vx3dgg2b4rhxzlobny2na6nzsy-story.html

From The Sentinel 

OC is replacing yield signs with stop signs to slow down traffic in neighborhoods countywide.

 

If my neighborhood is any indication whatsoever, they will ignore those as well.

One of the kids in ours did a science project where they observed hundreds of cars at the main entrance stop sign.  I'm approximating but I believe it was 90% didn't come to a full stop and 40% didn't even do a rolling stop, but just went through at a full speed.

The HOA hired a cop to sit there, but they sit with their solid red & blue lights on, facing the incoming traffic.   Of course, everyone stops.  I'm not sure the point of that exercise.  They could sit  to the side with their lights off and write tickets until their fingers bled.

[spenser1058]

It seems at least someone doesn’t love the new diverging diamond on I-4:

“After months of work and millions of dollars Exit 58 on I-4 is still a horrible traffic jam. Traffic is backed up from way before the State Road 417 entrance westbound and from before Exit 55 going eastbound. So far the divergent diamond is a miserable failure. Who planned this thing? As the counties keep issuing building permits for thousands of apartments it will never get any better. Plus traffic on ChampionsGate Boulevard is a horror, taking 20 minutes or more to go from Ronald Reagan Parkway to I-4 entrance.”

From Ticked Off! At The Sentinel 

Edited September 6, 2022 by spenser1058

[HankStrong]

Are you posting your own Sentinel complaints?

[codypet]

11 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

It seems at least someone doesn’t love the new diverging diamond on I-4:

“After months of work and millions of dollars Exit 58 on I-4 is still a horrible traffic jam. Traffic is backed up from way before the State Road 417 entrance westbound and from before Exit 55 going eastbound. So far the divergent diamond is a miserable failure. Who planned this thing? As the counties keep issuing building permits for thousands of apartments it will never get any better. Plus traffic on ChampionsGate Boulevard is a horror, taking 20 minutes or more to go from Ronald Reagan Parkway to I-4 entrance.”

From Ticked Off! At The Sentinel 

They're nowhere near done.  They still have to make an aux lane along I-4.  I'd recommend that dude practice some deep breathing.

[spenser1058]

8 minutes ago, HankStrong said:

Are you posting your own Sentinel complaints?

Thankfully, that’s not a part of town I ever go to.

[aent]

Yeah, there's still like a year left on that project, its far from close to done.

[dcluley98]

The NB Colonial exit onto Garland is rather poorly designed. Basically, because of the short distance from Amelia exit to Colonial, they had to push the off-ramp closer to Colonial/diamond turn lanes. So in effect, you have cars that are trying to go to Eastbound on Colonial getting off the ramp and trying to jump across 4 lanes of traffic to the right turn lane in a very short distance.  This gets really bad at rush hour.  And the stacking lanes for the turn effectively block any ability for through traffic to properly queue, so there is usually unused space in the Garland through lanes due to them being blocked by people trying to turn each way and blocking the rest of the lanes.  It is a poor design in practice. They would probably have been much better off without the extra direct Colonial ramp and just make everybody get off at Amelia to get to Colonial, with more capacity and more time to cross lanes/merge if necessary.  

[smileguy]

7 minutes ago, dcluley98 said:

The NB Colonial exit onto Garland is rather poorly designed. Basically, because of the short distance from Amelia exit to Colonial, they had to push the off-ramp closer to Colonial/diamond turn lanes. So in effect, you have cars that are trying to go to Eastbound on Colonial getting off the ramp and trying to jump across 4 lanes of traffic to the right turn lane in a very short distance.  This gets really bad at rush hour.  And the stacking lanes for the turn effectively block any ability for through traffic to properly queue, so there is usually unused space in the Garland through lanes due to them being blocked by people trying to turn each way and blocking the rest of the lanes.  It is a poor design in practice. They would probably have been much better off without the extra direct Colonial ramp and just make everybody get off at Amelia to get to Colonial, with more capacity and more time to cross lanes/merge if necessary.  

 

That's how it's used, but traffic heading east on Colonial is supposed to exit on Amelia, giving them a couple of blocks to get into the proper lanes. 

 

[dcluley98]

I understand that was the design intent. It's not working.