Town workshop tackles traffic solutions

The town of Windermere on Thursday, April 6, hosted a virtual public workshop to gain input on the final permanent diversion options for the intersection of Oakdale Street and Ninth Avenue.

Mike Woodward, representative from Kimley-Horn, presented three options to consider — the utilization of only signage, a diverter with a middle pass-through and a diverter with a side pass-through.

According to a short poll conducted by Town Manager Robert Smith at the end of the meeting, a majority of residents expressed favor toward option three, the diverter with a side pass-through.

Tonya Elliott-Moore, director of public works, said the department is estimating the project will cost about $20,000. 

“However, this is a small project, so until we get the plan details and can quote that out to contractors, we aren’t sure exactly of the cost,” she said in an email. “Concrete work is in high demand, so for a small job, it is hard to say what they will provide as a quote for the project.”

Smith said staff will have a workshop with the Town Council, and if the council is favorable to the changes, the plan would have to go through two ordinance readings before construction is started. 

CONSIDERING CONCEPTS

Regarding signage, Woodward said the town could remove the temporary barriers and keep signage in place, as well as possibly add signs in more locations, with a focus on more signs in advance.

Woodward said the diverter with a middle pass-through could be on the northwest, middle or southeast side. This option would allow for golf carts, walkers and bicyclists to pass through the diverter. The landscaping is to be determined and would be coordinated with the town’s Garden Club.

The diverter with a side pass-through would provide a larger area for planting and is easier to build and maintain, Woodward said. Having the diverter on the southeast corner, as opposed to the northwest corner, would allow for less washout and better constructability, he said. 

“This shows the tight amount of space that would be here for golf carts — while still allowing enough space for vehicles,” Woodward said of the rendering for the diverter with a side pass-through. “If there’s ever a condition where all three vehicles arrive at the same time, there will have to be some communication. … I think that with this here, once people learn that there is no ability to cut through, it’s not going to be a super busy intersection.”

Woodward said this is all something that could be accomplished not only within the existing right-of-way  but also using the existing edge where the road meets the yard. It will not require extra space.

RESIDENT DISCUSSION

Residents voiced both concerns and praise for the diverter.

Brandi Haines said her concern is that if the implementation is low, people will still choose to drive over the area.

“There are still 15 or so cars a week that still drive over the existing barricade,” she said. “I think that whatever landscaping is there needs to be substantial enough that it’s going to prevent people from driving over it. And as much as I understand the situation with the police, I thought that … we had checked all that out. That if this road was closed, like permanently, that they were able to get around, they were able to maneuver, so I think the better the landscaping, the higher it is, the better.”

Betsy Whittington said she has been a resident of the town for 30 years and has witnessed the traffic issues the area faces. However, she said she is opposed to the pass-through. 

“I’m a resident; I think I should have access to all the streets,” she said. “You’re not doing anything to help me and the traffic on Main Street. Why should we divert more of that traffic to me and take it off of Oakdale? That is just totally not fair.”

Bill Bardoe said as a resident for 40 years, the diverter is “the best thing that’s ever happened for traffic in our neighborhood.”

David Sharpe believes the issue comes down to a slight inconvenience in exchange for a safer neighborhood. However, he does think the landscaping needs to be substantial for the proposed plans and the area for golf cart access should be made smaller. 

“It has significantly reduced the amount of speeding traffic, cut-through traffic and just complete disregard for the residents that live in this neighborhood,” he said. “The roads are much safer, they are much quieter, they are hopefully to a point where there are mostly residents on there. … And we’ve eliminated the folks (who) don’t care about any of us.”

Roberta Martin said she lives almost at the diverter on Oakdale and her property has been one of the most negatively impacted by the diverter. 

“If we could do something to reduce the turn-around traffic, the parking, obstructing my driveway. … Just wanted to put it out there that it’s not all rosy for those on Oakdale,” she said. 

BACKGROUND

Residents along Oakdale Street have expressed issues with cut-through traffic, speeding, stop sign running and aggressive driving behaviors for years.

The Town Council passed a temporary traffic-calming program to alleviate traffic concerns along Oakdale Street at their July meeting.

The approved temporary measure included only the use of a diverter with no road closures and authorized flexibility to Smith to implement the program, providing for a re-evaluation period after three and six months and requiring an ordinance for permanent traffic-calming measures. 

The 30-day review, discussed in October, showed that traffic was reduced in the area by 55.91%. 

According to data collected by the town, traffic traveling down Oakdale has continued to trend downward over the 90-day review period. The number of vehicles per day during the peak hours in the first 30-day review was 34.56 vehicles per day. From Sept. 18 to Nov. 16, the town collected 40 days of data and averaged 28.3 vehicles per day during the same peak hours.

Council members approved to move forward implementing the diverter as a permanent solution at their meeting in December.

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