URGENT attention must be given to the safety issues in the area between the entrance to Eckerd College and the toll both on 54th Ave. S. The problem is complex and at least two fold: 1) The speed of the traffic and 2) the volume of traffic, especially on weekends.
Entrance and egress from Eckerd College is a major safety issue, involving commuter and residential students, faculty and staff, Special Program participants (Evening Students, Adults in the ASPEC and OLLI programs, International Language students, Leadership Development participants, and Special Conference attendee), and evening cultural programs for the community.
In addition, just a few hundred yards from the Eckerd College entrance there are serious entrance and egress hazards for the residents and those who provide services to Dolphin Cay on the north side and Marina Bay and The Allegro on the south side. Add to this are the challenges provided by the newly developed bike path which now “dumps” on to the Bayway.
Professional traffic engineers must come up with workable solutions. Among them may be:
• Speed warning and (school zone) blinkers at the toll booth, going north
• Speed warning and (school zone) blinkers on the Bayway going W. just pass the 275 ramp.
• An appropriate control light at the entrance to Eckerd College. This may include some combination of:
a) A standard Traffic Light
b) A Traffic Light timed to reflect the varied volumes of traffic during the week days and also the special requirements of weekend.