The numbers tell one story: there’s no problem along Florida Park Drive. It’s a relatively busy city road, but no busier than roads of its kind. Residents tell a different story: the road is too heavily trafficked, it’s noisy, it’s polluting, and it’s a hazard to residents who live alongside it in close-cropped homes.
Every few years residents raise the issue before the Palm Coast City Council. But there’s been no ready solution for the residents’ perceived problems beyond more speed enforcement. Residents have been complaining again, buoyed by a new city council member’s interest in the issue: Heidi Shipley has been pushing the city administration to study the matter again and present it to the council. That took place Tuesday. But it was no more clarifying than similar exercises had been previously. The council’s 80-minute discussion mirrored traffic on Florida Park Drive: Heavy on whitish noise and apparent direction, but short on relief.
The council wants to help residents along Florida Park Drive, but it isn’t sure there is a solution there that would not also trigger a problem elsewhere. Nor are they too inclined to manufacture a solution for the sake of manufacturing one, without the relative certainty that it would be useful.
“We can assume that there is an issue because we’re having citizen complaints,” McGuire said. “The problem that I’m seeing is, I see a lot of data, I’m used to working with a lot of data, but quite frankly I don’t have the slightest idea of how I can fix this. If we all sat here right now and said by God, we’ve got a problem on Florida Drive that cries out for a solution, I don’t know what it is. That’s my dilemma. I don’t have an issue with collecting data, but if the data doesn’t lead you to a solution, then you’ve just got a whole bunch of data.”
The “desired solution,” Netts said, is less traffic on the road. But getting there is the issue. “You’re not going to make that traffic disappear,” he said. Any diversionary system would dump it somewhere else, creating a collateral problem, unless traffic can be diluted across several other roads.
Florida Park Drive is two miles long carving a 60-foot right of way corridor, including the two 12-foot traffic lanes. The study analyzed speed and traffic-volume data and crash data, when available, among other data.
The heaviest average daily traffic is westbound from Farragut Drive to Palm Coast Parkway, with 8,200 vehicles, and traffic averages at four other locations average between 5,100 and 7,400 vehicles. Truck traffic (excluding pick-ups and SUVs but including school buses and dump trucks) is between 1 and 2 percent of that at the various points. Most vehicles –between 50 and 64 percent—travel the speed limit of 30 to 35 mph, with the stretch from Farragut to Palm Coast Parkway proving to be the one that draws the higher speeds: 5.9 percent of traffic on that stretch travels at 40 mph or faster. Otherwise, fewer than a quarter of drivers go between 35 and 40 mph, and well below 5 percent go faster than 40 percent. (It’s a 30 mph zone.)
Looking to satisfy residents along Florida Park Drive without creating problems for residents along other city streets.
From January 2012 to May 2015, available crash data showed a total of 35 wrecks, six of them collisions with pedestrians, 15 of them rear-end collisions. There were two collisions with fixed objects (such as utility poles or mail boxes, for example) eight wrecks at an angle, and just one head-on collision.
As for the road’s level of service, which is graded according to state standards, is either considered “acceptable” or better.
“How bad is this compared to other streets in the city?” council member Bill McGuire asked. The city has the data and shows heavier traffic in some areas, but those streets’ traffic doesn’t generate as much public backlash—and the city has not conducted a comparative study between Florida Park Drive and those other busy streets. That left council members asking what the numbers say, compared to other streets.
But council member Heidi Shipley stressed the distinctive nature of Florida Park Drive, which is unique in this regard: it’s a collector road (meaning that it accounts for the traffic of many tributary roads alongside it), yet has no buffers on either side despite being heavily populated.
The council has heard numerous suggestions over the years, such as disallowing traffic in certain directions, at certain times, disallowing certain turns, and so on. But Mayor Jon Netts said fixing one perceived issue while creating another—the road equivalent of “robbing Peter to pay Paul”—should not be an option.
“That’s what makes all this very, very difficult,” City Manager Jim Landon said, “is that the technical side doesn’t give you the answers as to what people think about the impact.”
The council also has the option of conducting a more rigorous independent study (but for about $42,000). And it has the option of conducting neighborhood meetings and gather more data. The city administration doesn’t consider a more costly study necessary just now. “We’re saying spending an additional $40,000, we don’t think you’re going to solve the problem with that, and the only way you’re going to change behavior is implementing something,” Landon said. That would mean changing where and how people travel along the way.
“Whether or not we go with another traffic study or not, I want to make sure we share this data with the sheriff’s department,” Netts said, especially the nature of crashes and the speeds being traveled, so that deputies can tailor their patrolling to the numbers. “That’s something we can do right now and it makes good sense.”
“My understanding is,” council member Steven Nobile said, “We’re saying there is no problem on Florida Park Drive.”
“Not from an engineer’s technical standpoint, but the individuals out there believe there are,” Landon said.
“And what about the pollution part of it and the noise part of it?” Shipley asked. But even in those instances, the city manager said, levels of noise and pollution are not considered high if the road’s level of service is considered acceptable: drivers aren’t stopping or idling excessively, for example. Nevertheless, residents along the road would see it differently, Landon concedes.
Nobile wanted to be clear about whether the council itself believes, as he does, that there is a problem along Florida Park Drive. He didn’t get as categorical an answer as he wished: the council didn’t want to appear at odds with the data, either, even as it sympathizes with residents. So it reverted to an old proposal: diverting some traffic.
That seems to be the only realistic problem-solving approach the council was willing to try, assuming traffic models can be put in place to make that happen. City staffers say that’s possible. “We can do that right now, we can implement it today,” Landon said, for example, barricading Florida Park Drive at Palm Harbor, and reducing so-called cut-through traffic there. But as soon as that’s done, unintended consequences follow. “We can give you all the information you want, this isn’t easy,” Landon cautioned. “But you need to go into it with knowledge that you’re going to have consequences here that you aren’t going to hear from those people until it actually happens.”
McGuire liked the doable approach, especially if it can be tried, then repealed if it doesn’t seem to work. Netts wants cut-through data, because he hasn’t heard any suggestion that would reduce local traffic. But neither were convinced that any one solution might resolve what perceived problems exist. “We’ve got a ton of data, we don’t have a ton of solutions,” McGuire said.
The most the council could do Tuesday was agree to discuss the issue again, for any sort of actual decision, including spending some money for a consultant, next Tuesday, at the council’s business meeting, though that’s a 9 a.m. meeting when fewer working people can attend (as opposed to its meeting two weeks subsequently, at 6:30 p.m.).
Click to access florida-park-drive.pdf
Kendall says
The diversion quandry may find it’s own solution when the Matanzas interchange opens on 95. How many people that live in the C & F & even L sections cut through to PC Pkwy to get on 95 south? Old Kings Road with the 35 mph speed trap is tedious- I do almost anything to avoid that road and I’m sure others do as well.
I can’t understand why the council is spending so much time on this without even mentioning that the problem may have a solution in the works already.
Nalla C says
Hm. How many people come out of the L section of Matanzas Woods and go to Florida Park Dr. to get to Old Kings and 95? That seems the long way around, but I still agree with you overall that the new interchange to 95 is going to make a big difference all over Palm Coast–and probably on Florida Park Dr, too.
I live in the L section of Matanzas Woods, and found that if I went from Laramie to Old Kings Rd. to get to PC Parkway, and then to I-95 south, to continue on to my destination in Ormond Beach, it was actually a mile and a half shorter, with less red lights.
If I take the same route on US 1, it’s 3 lights, then the city of Bunnell (redlight, redlight, redlight, nutty people in the morning, lol!), then 4 lights, then Destination Daytona (where I’d exit from 95 anyway).
If I take the same route down through the top of Belle Terre, out to PC Parkway, it’s a nightmare, particularly when school is in.
That new interchange is going to fix a lot of the traffic in Palm Coast, period. It can’t open fast enough…
snapperhead says
Some days when trying to back out of my driveway I have to wait for a car and sometimes two to pass by before I can continue. Is a traffic diversion/pollution study in order? WTF
groot says
Whoever allowed those houses that close to the road is a dumb bunny. Whoever buys a house that close to the road is a dumb bunny. But, the houses are there so, cut down on the traffic. I go 30 thru there and normally get tailgated.
Derrick R. says
Hey I’ve driven this road up & back numerous times and am aware if the posted speed as was everyone else I’ve seen in it over the last three years. Yes it’s a traversed roadway. Seems like somebof the residents there bought there home without due dillengence. Perhaps with the expansion of Old Kings to the North and the nrw access way for 95 at Matanza’s the flow will subside. That said there’s two solutions make it a one way, or if you’re that disturbed sell & move, It’s time to move on and stop waisting our tax money on the obvious. It’s akin to the folks that buy a home next to the airport or interstate and then complain about the noise and want your problem to become everyone else’s.
Jim says
I believe there is a solution to the problem make FP Dr one way south …keeping the north bound lane emergency striped for EMERGENCY vehicles ONLY all traffic wanting to go northbound can either take OK rd north and use Farragut, Fleetwood and Foster to get to the blocks east of FP Dr and those further north of FP Dr. can take OK Rd north or do the loop around PC Pkwy on to PH Pkwy. I avoid FP Dr at all cost and taking the loop to get home takes me about the same amount of time.(sometimes it’s quicker …if u get stuck behind an older driver attempting to turn left from FP Dr on to PH Pkwy at 5:00…the line gets awful long!!!) OK Rd must be increased to two lanes in each direction at least up to Frontier to make this work. Expanding OK rd. to two lanes each way, along w/ PC Pkwy already bring two lanes will take up the excess amount of traffic flow from closing FP Dr n/b at PC Pkwy
Obama 2015 says
This is the only solution I think they can actually take.
m&m says
I’ve driven this street going the speed limit and being passed by people going 10 t0 15 miles over the limit and a couple blocks up the road pull into their driveway open the garage door and pull in. The violators live there so why keep whining??
ken says
Houses on main roads and feeder roads are less desirable than other houses because of heavy traffic and difficulties backing out of driveways. Buyers pay less than they would for a similar home on a less traveled road. As the saying goes; you get what you pay for.
Florida Park Parkway says
Florida Park Drive is a “Cut Through”, it should’ve been a Parkway from the beginning. You’re not going to solve any issues by closing it at Palm Harbor, the traffic is only going to move to another street like Frontier and Farmsworth.
Easy solution, eliminate the residence, the properties are cheap on that street, four lane it and call it a Parkway.
Due Diligence says
Why is the City even entertaining and worse, spending money on this?
The residents on this street have no reason to complain; they choose to live on this street.
I have lived in Palm Coast for 20 years and it is and was always known that this street was a thoroughfare, never been a secret.
Just because you did conduct your due diligence and research, it should not constitute your right to burden the rest of the citizen of Palm Coast.
Ooops says
“did NOT conduct”
Zito says
This one of only a few mistakes made by the urban planners who laid out our streets. The mistake being there should NOT be houses on this road. Perhaps the City should condemn/buy the houses, raze them and put in a linear park.
Jeannie says
Fleetwood has a lot of traffic and people driving through and no complaints from them.
m&m says
The city should buy the houses??? How stupid is that. The people living along this street are the violators.
Billy Bob says
I agree the only “permanent” solution would be to eliminate the houses along Florida Park (and so the complaints) however I also think the new Matanzas Woods / I-95 interchange is going to make a noticeable reduction in the amount of traffic on Florida Park Drive. I expect to use that interchange daily!
The council should table this until the interchange is finished and see if the problem solves itself (or at least improves noticeably). Please don’t waste $40,000 before then.
Interestingly, every time I am on Florida Park I am in a line of 10 or more cars driving nose to tail going 25mph and braking at every other street for someone to turn left. I think some people are overly sensitive to traffic in general and it appears the data collected helps prove this to be the case.
Odd says
m&m – The people living along this street are the violators? Please tell us what statutes, laws or ordinances, they’ve violated and what you think should be done about their unlawful acts.
GT says
You block off Florida Park at one end and Fleetwood becomes the problem.
There is a reason people buy houses on Florida Park drive they are cheap because of the traffic, if you don’t like the traffic move!
Shark says
Just tear down of the rental shacks and put in a toll road!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!