Surf related due to getting you in the water slower as a result of these road "upgrades".

OK, so pretty obvious how I feel about this debacle.  I have not talked to anyone that is in favor of how any of this is being implemented.  I really liked the idea of adding medians and crosswalks, but the FDOT has done a royally horrendous job IMO.  Somehow, there seems to be no accountability to the cities or county.  FDOT just seems to get to do things however poorly they want and, no matter how screwed up it is, no one has any authority to halt them and get things done correctly.  

 

A few examples: 

- placing new medians right over existing medians from 20 or more years ago.  For example, at Pinetree (by Lowes) the left turn lane heading North always backs up into A1A.  They had ample room to make the turn lane 3 times longer than it is was to fit more cars, yet they poured it in the same exact footprint as the old one.  Not to mention it actually sticks out into the lane.

- medians are placed in areas that dont have enough room for cars to slow without almost coming to a stop on A1A first, this clogging traffic even more on A1A.

- crosswalks were put in places pedestrians wont use.  If you walk down your street to cross A1A, if you have to walk 50 yards south/north to the crosswalk, no one is going to use it.

- the crosswalks are now mandatory car stops on A1A.  This is impractical for this section of A1A where people are goiing 50+ mph to stop 4 lanes of traffic.  IMO its a deathwish to walk out in front of a stopped car on A1A.

- the south entrance/exit was blocked with a median at Pelican Park so cars from the south entrance can no longer turn South.  Yet, the angled parking in Pelican forces you to come out the south entrance when you exit if you park on the west side of the parking lot (creating more congestion in Pelican Park by looping cars trying to get to the North entrance to turn south).

This names but a few.  Would love to hear opinions.

Yeah the Pelican situation is a mess...I always like to give the benefit of the doubt and assume these things were done intentionally and it's just me that doesn't get it, but that one is a head scratcher for sure.

I fully agree. Between work and surf missions, it takes me about 40 mins to get through this mess every morning during work hours. "- placing new medians right over existing medians from 20 or more years ago. For example, at Pinetree (by Lowes) the left turn lane heading North always backs up into A1A. They had ample room to make the turn lane 3 times longer than it is was to fit more cars, yet they poured it in the same exact footprint as the old one. Not to mention it actually sticks out into the lane." I saw a car literally bounce off that median where it sticks out and somehow by the grace of god there was no cars to the right of her, when her car shot directly into the right hand shoulder after she hit it. They need to shave that thing off or there is going to be a serious accident there one day.

If they think people are going to stop for pedestrians at the crossing areas they are going to have to lower the speed limit tp 35mph. I have a feeling it is coming.

Complete waste of money and makes the road more dangerous. Plus, the median often isn't even flowing with the lane, having pieces of the geometry hanging out in the lane. Ridiculous!

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If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.

Up near the Brdwlk there is a crossing and 99% of the cars do not stop for peds?

.

My beach access has no lights, crosswalks, etc.  So far 2 people have been killed by being hit by cars as speeds reach 50+ mph in this section. 

.

Most dangerous thing about surfing my break is crossing A1A.  One thing I stopped doing long ago was crossing half way to the turn lane then waiting again to cross...that was dumb. Not sure what would fix this other than a stop light to keep people reaching max speeds. 

Is there a site that details what they are planning for the Indialantic seection of A1A?

I wonder too about the speed limit.  That is the only benefit so far is that it has/will slow the flow of traffic on A1A which often exceeds 55 mph.  But poor engineering to slow people down is not right.  

 

Here's a link to the project.  Completion date was Summer 2018.  They better start humping.  Imagine that, they are behind schedule.

 

http://www.cflroads.com/project/428753-1/SR_A1A_Miramar_Avenue_from_North_of_SR_500_US_192_to_South_of_SR_404_Pineda_Causeway 

Spot-on Karma!

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Surfing is my passion...obsesssion... addiction! Can't imagine life without it!

Thanks for the link sfds, no changes at my neighborhood beach access except drainage improvement, you would think after 2 deaths in this area from cars hitting people crossing A1A they would do something to allow for a safer crossing. Lost a surfing friend and a neighbor down the street. Another neighborhood surfer barely missed being hit when a car lost control..not sure what they could do other than a light or speed cameras/police to slow everyone down to 45.  With the 2 new oceanfront condos being built on this stretch traffic is just going to get worse/more dangerous.

I cross routinely at the Crosswalk by the ABC in Indialantic.  I can't tell you how many times I just paitently wait and someone (usually from out of state) will politely stop and I will cringe as the local's behind them squeel their tires as they slam their brakes in disbelief that someone actually stopped for a ped.  I'm going to see something bad some day.  It's a given.

Yeah, and I ride a bike as much as I surf now due to shoulder issues I hope to resolve soon.  The bike/turn lane into Paradise and up at Radisson have been chewed pavement for a year?  Seriously?  

And the right angle medians so periously close to the lanes?  Granted, there have been studies that show skinnying lanes forces people to pay attention and slow down.  Until we get (hard to believe it will ever happen) people off their damn phones, I will continually see crazy close calls and people hitting the medians.  Saw a truck about kill a car up by Desoto last week when he "readjusted" after hitting the median.

I was at one of the planning meetings sponsored by the city a few years ago. I was telling their traffic engineer that nobody would use those mid-block crossings.

He replied that a study showed fewer dogs died if they crossed mid-block rather than at intersections where streets and sidewalks dump into highways like A1A. True story.

The geometry and length of the left-lane turn medians is piss-poor. Maybe good in concept, but terrible in implementation. Not to mention traffic light timing; it's now a 2-cycle wait to turn left at some of the red lights.

The short left turn lane turning west onto Sunrise requires slowing down to 35 mph (while in the left, passing lane) of A1A in order to make the turn. Barely acceptable when there is no traffic, but incredibly dangerous at peak hours when backed-up cars waiting to turn left are stopped in the passing lane.

Numerous people have expressed desire for a 35 mph speed limit on A1A throughout the mid-reach area. It would support more density and development along the corridor, potentially making it easier for cars to stop and support new businesses. The cynical side of me suspects some of this may be a trojan horse to necessitate that end.

From a beautification perspective, the increased signage (NO U-turn, STOP for pedestrians, and so on) is rather busy and unattractive. I sincerely hope they find some way to spruce that up.

It sucks. I live across from pelican and have to do the brake/swerve into the turn lane to avoid getting rear ended on A1A. We also now have people making U turns in the entrance of Royal Palm making it even more adventurous. Summertime is going to suck with all of the Pelican beach traffic since there si really only one usable entrance now. I've heard multiple rumors of the 35MPH speed limit, doubt it will do anything but raise the money for the local PD.

Maybe they're fixing the fix?

Yesterday, while waiting to turn left on A1A from Eau Gallie, I saw this guy fine-tuning the curb with a sledge hammer.

The road seriously has been quite dangerous for many years imo. 

Like others have said, after the Nancy Chance incident, I stay well off the side of the road and NEVER STOP in the median. Believe it or not it's quit fortunate the light at Paradise just changes every 60 seconds or so or I would never get across. 

For these crosswalks to become viable will absolutely require a reduced speed limit and more signage. 

They added larger bike lanes but the SUVS and trucks barely fit in the lanes, let alone the every 4 vehicles is a lawn service trailer or offshore fishing boat.  Where are they, half in the bike lane. I don't use them.

It doesn't help the situation that drivers here don't follow the law about yielding to pedestrians crossing the road. State law says that if they have one foot in the crosswalk, then automobiles are required to stop and let them cross. 

I'm not a fan of how tons of signs look, but they do tend to be a bit more effective. Where I lived on the guld coast, they put up a ton of crosswalks and signs with lights. It looks way too 'busy', but no one has gotten hit that I know of since then.

Florida is the worst state for pedestrians.  

A1A was designed on the notion that there would be no pedestrians.  I'm not sure that design took into account that speed limits would be ignored.  

 

At the locations with signs that read "stop here for pedestrians", it will require a flashing yellow like they have on 192 in old Melbourne. Otherwise people won't know what to do.

That monstrosity at Pinetree & A1A is the biggest piece of shit I've ever seen hahaha

I'm definitely glad that I don't need to turn there for work anymore, because they absolutely F'ed that left hand turn lane up into a dangerous and annoying joke.

The old "island" at least was low, and allowed you to slowly roll over it if you needed to get into the turn lane.

Now, it holds about 2 cars, which means if there are 3 cars going straight, you cant get into the turn lane because the curb is 24" tall hahaha.

SO.. you have to hold up the whole intersection waiting for the next green arrow. Which in turn holds up the next guy, and so on.

What's more, its so tall, that if you graze it, you are going to actually rip up your rim.

I have taken to simply crossing through the LOWE's parking lot now to make that left turn rather than deal with the POS they have plopped there.

I wonder if the traffic engineering geniuses saw THAT obvious outcome as part of their safety evaluation

Somebody simply needs to take a sledgehammer to it.

and while we are on the subject of the median at A1A & Eau Gallie- is that a weed and trash garden they've had goin on there for the past 20 years?

I mean, has there ever been an uglier traffic island? I've seen nicer median landscaping in Riveria Beach. Way to go Eau Gallie! Represent

That's a good point. You gave me the idea to look into sponsoring that little median for the pub. Cheryl can landscape it and I can sell chicken wings and NA beers to cars waiting at the red light. Cha-ching!

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