Aggressive drivers invading Tallahassee neighborhoods | Street Scene
A new problem is brewing in Tallahassee. Street Scene has learned residents of what were, until recent months, safe, quiet, and peaceful neighborhoods are becoming more intimidated by speedy cars and aggressive drivers. This trending-up bad driving has parents not only concerned for their own safety while driving to and from home but wondering if it’s become too dangerous to have their children walk a couple of blocks to the school bus stop.
Traffic law enforcement is essential and Street Scene asks our Tallahassee police increase traffic patrols in our residential neighborhoods. At minimum, on a rotation, make a showing during morning school bus loading times and after five o’clock in the afternoon.
Under the leadership of Angela Baldwin, Transit Director, Tallahassee Star Metro, a good public transportation system is becoming even better. The more time-flexible Dial-A-Ride program brings unique door-to-door bus service for those with disability. A disability can render an individual unable to recognize a danger or to physically get out of the way of an out-of-control vehicle.If you have a family member with a disability check with Tallahassee Star Metro to qualify for a more personal transportation service. If your family currently relies on Dial-A-Ride and your street is plagued with dangerous driving, write to Street Scene and we will see what can be done to keep your family out of harm's way.
Meridian Road tree dangers
Q. Owen drives Meridian Road several times a week and writes: we do not use that road after or during a storm for fear a tree will fall on us. I know people love canopy roads but sometimes they need more than a simple drive-by to assess what needs to be done. There are trees hanging onto the lip on a high bank. Limbs hanging over the road with no leaves and several dead trees on the right of way that need to go.
A. Street Scene likes canopy roads and has suggested Old Bainbridge Road north of Tallahassee be classified as a canopy road. However, I also agree with Owen. When it comes to protecting the motoring public from falling trees and heavy tree limbs and trees teetering on the verge of toppling onto a road, an obvious danger must be removed prior to it losing grip and falling onto a passing motorist.
If a falling tree misses all passing vehicles, it will certainly end up blocking the road. Not just trees and limbs falling but trees lining the edge of pavement is proven to result in fatalities when struck by a vehicle traveling within the speed limit.
Owen tells of a four-foot section of tree limb falling onto his wife’s car breaking the windshield. Very fortunately for Owen’s wife and for those responsible for keeping the public safe, there wasn’t a critical injury or worse.
There is a legal term used in critical injury cases brought to trial, the danger “was known to the responsible governing body, or the governing body should have known.” “Should Have Known” is important here because Street Scene has published and is again laying out the danger to the motoring public tree limbs over the road can represent when not properly maintained.
The beautiful tree canopies we all enjoy can exist when the trees are trimmed regularly and trees growing against the pavement edge are removed. Street Scene has made a year’s long thorough investigation of canopy roads in Tallahassee / Leon County and has concluded the trees lined up behind the culprit trees at the edge are indeed already providing a secondary canopy with extended branches reaching overhead from tree trunks further back from the edge of pavement.
The most prudent activity for citizens safety when it comes to canopy roads is regular inspections, regular trimming and removing trees with zero setback. This danger is known.
Pedestrians in peril
Q. Anthony estimates nearly half of the drivers headed east on Tharpe Street ignore the No Turn On Red sign at Monroe Street. I’ve come close to being struck four or five times in the last 4 years.
A. Anthony, I believe you are speaking as a pedestrian crossing Tharpe Street south to north. As you get the walk light and are ready to step off the curb into the crosswalk you first look left to see the violator not slowing — therefore probably not stopping. So, you wait to be sure as he whisks right past you. You breathe — you are still alive!
I commend you for your astute perception and situational awareness. Yours is but another sad documentary of vehicle operators’ reckless behavior becoming lethal behavior. A note to all pedestrians: as troubling as it is to have to write this, please follow Anthony’s example of awareness. A walk light and sound doesn’t always mean walk.
It’s OK to walk if no driver is running the red light. For Sila and those paying attention, this type of vehicle operation is on your radar and we find the No Right On Red mandate is not the complete solution. Not all vehicle operators follow the law. It takes education, serious driver license testing and law enforcement to remove these reckless drivers from our streets. Each vehicle v. pedestrian crash is monitored throughout the U.S. which might indicate law abiding drivers are closer to losing the right to turn right on red.
No trucks on Betton?
Q. Brian wants to know how to read the No Trucks sign facing southbound Centerville Road at Betton Road. The sign has a picture of a delivery truck with diagonal line through it indicating no trucks and a black arrow pointing toward Betton. Are delivery trucks not allowed to continue south or are they not allowed on Betton road?
A. Good question, Brian. It seems almost left up to interpretation of the driver. I’m sure Betton Hills residence want delivery trucks to bring their packages, however prohibiting delivery trucks from Centerville Road south of Betton is also unrealistic. This sign might be a holdover from the recent Betton Road construction. We will ask our traffic engineers to help with this.
Tallahassee traffic engineers, are delivery trucks prohibited from Betton Road or Centerville Road at this intersection? Or should this sign come down?
Philip Stuart is a retired Florida State Trooper, Traffic Operations Projects Engineer and Forensics Expert Witness. Write to crashsites@embarqmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Aggressive drivers invade quiet Tallahassee neighborhoods
