What improvements are needed on Tiny Road?

Orange County hosted a community meeting to discuss the Tiny Road Roadway Conceptual Analysis study Thursday, Nov. 2, at Bridgewater Middle School.

The RCA study is to evaluate improvements to the existing two-lane section of Tiny Road from the southern property line of Bridgewater Middle School to Tilden Road, which is about two miles. 

The study also evaluates improvements to the intersections of Tilden Road, Orchard Hills Boulevard, Hamlin Groves Trail/Cypress Hills Road and Bridgewater Crossing Boulevard with Tiny Road. 

Improvements may include intersection upgrades; improvements to bicycle and pedestrian access and mobility along the corridor; and other improvements such as amenities, landscaping and sustainability.

The study also will assess social and environmental impacts associated with proposed road improvements. The improvements are intended to enhance traffic flow and safety in the area for all users. 

By the end of the study, a final preferred alternative will be presented that incorporates public input with technical evaluations assessing the net benefits of the improvements.

Construction for the project is estimated to start mid-2028.

District 1 Commissioner Nicole Wilson said safety is the No. 1 priority. 

“As we look for places that need improvement … (it’s important) that we do it in a way that’s thoughtful for all users and hopefully the quality of life that we signed up for,” she said. 

STUDY SYNOPSIS

Ian Phyers, Orange County project manager for the Transportation Planning Division, said safety, mobility, comfort and connectivity were the user needs identified for the improvements.

Currently, Tiny Road is a paved, two-lane roadway. 

The alignment has several hills throughout the northern portion of the corridor that limit sight distance.

There is an existing 10-foot multi-use path on the east side, from the southern limit of the project to before the State Road 429 overpass.

County zoning identifies the land use in the area as Planned Development District, Citrus Rural District, and Combination Mobile Home and Single-Family Dwelling District. The city of Winter Garden zones the area as Planned Unit Development and Single Family Residential District.

ALTERNATIVE ANALYSIS

Although alternatives were presented at the meeting, the second meeting, planned for early 2024, will showcase the preferred alternative method. 

“Access management and safety is an important part of the process,” Phyers said. “We have looked at different approaches to this roadway, and one of the approaches is a roundabout.”

Phyers said roundabouts have fewer conflict points compared to conventional intersections and can promote slower speeds through the intersection and along the corridor; crash severity can be reduced compared to conventional intersections; pedestrians only cross one directions of traffic at a time as they traverse a roundabout; and unlike conventional signalized intersections, roundabouts are not affected by power outages.

Phyers said pedestrian hybrid beacons also can be used at roundabouts to help with the crossing of the roadway. 

The preferred Tiny Road typical section includes two 11-foot-wide travel lanes with a 22-foot raised median, 10-foot-wide shared-use paths on both sides, a design speed set at 35 mph and a closed drainage system with stormwater ponds.

The preferred alternative analysis for Bridgewater Crossings Boulevard, Hamlin Groves Trail and Orchard Hills Boulevard is a roundabout. 

The preferred alternative analysis for Tilden Road is a traffic signal shifted east, which would create dual left turns onto Tiny Road and onto Tilden Road, with a multi-use path (east side) that would continue across Tilden Road and connect with the future trail project.

SAFETY FIRST

Wilson said the county has an ongoing problem with street racing.

“Everyone who lives in this county has felt like they’ve lived in a drag-race zone at some point,” she said. 

Resident Denise Martinez asked for a barrier to be placed under State Road 429.

“Having ridden my horse under the 429, years ago before there was all the traffic that’s on the road now, that is a very scary place to be,” she said. “If you’re going to have kids walking under 429, there needs to be some sort of protective barrier or something for them and better lighting. … When a car is driving by, you need a barrier between you and that car so that they can’t accidentally swerve over.”

Brian Sanders, chief planner for Orange County’s Transportation Planning Division, said the traffic analysis is a 20-year design evaluation.

“We were under the impression, starting off, that likely this could be a four-lane roadway; that’s the whole reason why we started this,” he said. “As we projected out the full analysis and consideration, it did fit the design year suitable as a two-lane roadway.”

However, resident Linda Sibley said solutions are needed now.

“We’re looking at 2028, but all of us are experiencing the situation now in 2023,” she said. “I hate this roadway, but I have to use it. … Something has to be done now for this area, because if we don’t, somebody else is going to be killed or seriously injured. … This is too long to wait for this.”

For more information about the study, click here.