FDOT’s Waldo State Road 24 Changes Not All Popular, Residents Disagree Over Options

 

WALDO – A proposed road project in Waldo has created a stir among residents. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) held a community meeting on Thursday, July 20, at Waldo City Square to discuss State Road 24 northbound through the City of Waldo, starting at Northeast 141^st Drive. At that point the road would transition to a single lane by putting a turn lane into Northeast 141^st Drive. This would essentially end the right lane and make it one lane in the center of the two original lanes.

The project cost is $23.4 million, which covers the entire road project from Gainesville to Waldo, starting at the south entrance of the Gainesville Airport and ending in Waldo where State Road 24 and Highway 301 merge. FDOT’s anticipated completion date is in 2024.

Due to a request from the City of Waldo to slow down traffic and add a bike path from Gainesville through Waldo, FDOT engineers proposed to reduce SR 24 travel lanes, starting west of Northeast 141^st Drive to U.S. 301, from two eastbound lanes to one lane, adding pedestrian crossings and a parking/bicycle lane. Residents asking to slow down traffic also believe the change will encourage economic development in the downtown area.

While FDOT’s proposed changes may help accomplish that goal, there are significant issues with each of the proposed changes discussed. Traffic at certain times of the day is particularly heavy on the two existing lanes. Some residents expressed concern that narrowing the roadway to one lane would bottleneck traffic. Also of concern was parking in the area. If the parking lane is used as a bicycle lane, parking would be reduced in the downtown area.

Adding a turn lane in the area of Northeast 141^st Drive, which connects U.S. 301 to Waldo Road, could be helpful in disbursing traffic. But local residents in that area are against the additional traffic that would run through their neighborhood to connect on the small side street to State Road 301.

“Citizens expressed valid concerns,” said City Manager Kim Worley. While some residents want traffic slowed, others fear congested traffic and lack of parking may adversely impact downtown business owners and residents. “It’s difficult to know what is best because there are pros and cons to every option,” she said.

Residents suggested a traffic light, but FDOT is not likely to approve that option said Worley. Some citizens were concerned about the $23.4 million price tag for the project, but Worley said that FDOT is going to spend that amount on resurfacing and striping the roadway whether the road remains as is or whether the proposed changes are made.

FDOT accepted comments on the project until the end of July. FDOT Engineer David Tyler was not available to comment on other suggestions that may have been made online.

#     #     #

Email cwalker@

alachuatoday.com