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Meadow Creek Traffic At Issue

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By KENNETH KNIGHT

kknight@tampatrib.com

Published: December 10, 2008

NEW TAMPA - A letter from five homeowners on Glen Willow Lane has sparked a conversation about the need for traffic-calming devices in the Meadow Creek subdivision.

But that's not the final word. Before a decision is made, Hillsborough County wants to know whether the proposal has broad-based support.

A meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. Thursday at New Tampa Regional Library to give residents a chance to have their voices heard.

"I've lived in a neighborhood with traffic-calming devices before," said Richard McDonnell, one of the letter co-signers. "It can be a pain, but as a parent I'm all for it."

McDonnell, whose children range from age 2 to 14, said providing for their safety is his top priority.

Residents began a petition in January to draw attention to a speeding problem on Glen Willow Lane, a short street lined with 15 houses and a small playground on the corner.

"For a while we had young kids who would tear down the street," McDonnell said, "but it's been fairly calm for the last three months."

In a letter to county traffic officials in June, one of McDonnell's neighbors, Jorge Ortiz, said he feared for the safety of children and adults alike.

"We are exposing our self to situations that can have risky or dangerous results," the letter stated.

Residents bought and posted "Caution: Children Playing" signs to control speeding because there are no marked speed limit signs on the street, the letter said.

Ortiz also expressed concerns about occasional verbal confrontations between residents and the drivers they signaled to slow down.

Thursday's meeting will be moderated by an independent traffic hearing master hired by the county to review the request, assess the situation and issue a recommendation.

The hearing master will circulate a petition that must be seen and signed by at least 90 percent of the residents in the area, said Steve Valdez, a spokesman for the county's public works department.

Before the devices can be installed, 60 percent of the residents in the neighborhood must support them.

If approved, Hillsborough County Traffic Services will decide on the appropriate speed reduction barriers.

"Ninety-nine percent of the time the most effective device for the county are speed humps," Valdez said.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Meeting to discuss traffic-calming devices in Meadow Creek

WHERE: New Tampa Regional Library, 10001 Cross Creek Blvd.

WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Thursday

Reporter Kenneth Knight can be reached at (813) 865-4842.

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