SEMINOLE – Consultants working on revised plans for the widening of 102nd Avenue submitted a pair of options to Pinellas County commissioners at an Aug. 7 workshop.
Engineers from CH2M Hill and Bayside Engineering submitted two scenarios for county officials to consider in lieu of the original $33 million plan that would have four-laned the roadway from Seminole Boulevard west to Antilles Drive.
Following a Feb. 26 workshop, county commissioners ordered staff to rethink the plan.
According to county spokeswoman Meg Korakis, the two options will be presented to residents during a public meeting (probably at Seminole High School) later this year. County officials will compile comments from residents, put together a report and present the results to county commissioners.
The commission will choose one of the two, or defer the issue for further comment.
Under the first suggested scenario, 102nd Avenue would be four-laned from 113th Street west to Ridge Road. Improvements would be made to intersections at Seminole Boulevard, 113th Street, Ridge Road, 119th Street and Antilles Drive.
Signals would be installed at the intersections of Ridge Road, 125th Street and Antilles Drive. In addition, the light at the Pinellas Trail crossing would be upgraded and synchronized with the Ridge Road signal.
Under the second scenario the roadway would be four-laned from 113th Street west to 119th Street. Intersection improvements would take place at the same intersections as the first scenario with traffic signals at Ridge Road, 119th Street, 125th Street and Antilles Drive.
Improvements would be made for bicyclists and pedestrians at the Pinellas Trail crossing where the current traffic signal would be removed.
Probable cost of the first scenario was put at $5.86 million and $6.64 million for the second scenario.
“I’m not a big fan of it going (west) through the trail,” said Marjorie Bulone, founder of Preserve102, a neighborhood organization seeking to halt the proposed project. “It (the second scenario) would eliminate the light at the trail and put it at 119th Street. If it stops prior to the trail, I think that would correct the problem.”
Dennis Petkiewicz of 11791 102nd Ave. and a co-founder with Bulone of Preserve102 agreed with Bulone’s assessment.
“Scenario 2 would encroach and cause more traffic,” Petkiewicz said. “Scenario 1 is much more preferred. Once you widen a road, you create more traffic. There are issues involving safety, noise and loss of property values. Plus, access to Pilgrim’s Cemetery would be less.”
Petkiewicz went on to say neither scenario is needed.
“Six million dollars is still a lot of money,” he said. “We would still like to see the county declare the road a constrained corridor so it has exception status for the county’s long-range plans, which is to provide relief to Walsingham Road and is no longer valid. This is a waste of money.”
As part of the evaluation, engineers studied traffic delay along 102nd Avenue during both morning and afternoon peak periods. Most significant was the morning period on the eastbound approach to 113th Street and to Seminole Boulevard. Traffic was most heavy in the afternoon on the westbound approach to 113th Street.
Consultants also completed a crash study along the roadway from 113th Street to Antilles Drive during a three-year period from 2005 to 2007.
The highest number of crashes reported in 2007 at intersections without traffic signals was 125th Street with six. Five crashes were reported at Ridge Road during the same period.
The highest number of crashes at intersections with signals was nine at 113th Street. The next highest number was five at 131st Street.
The report concluded Scenario 2 would provide a better level of service than Scenario 1.
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