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| We need citizens to speak to the state via their (FDOT's) online survey which is open until the end of July. If you think Sorrento Road needs four lanes, massive FHP patrol increases, and safety enhancements--please join me in telling this to FDOT. See the link to do so in this post, below. |
It really comes down to the citizens on this one.
The old adage is true--the squeaky wheel gets the oil.
Sorrento Road had a planned 4-lane project PD&E years ago that was summarily cancelled in early 2015 after the D2 commission race that year led to a new commissioner coming into the seat with different priorities. Elections have consequences.
4-lanes on Perdido Key drive died after that. Dead and buried, and so did the PD&E and project to 4-lane Sorrento Road. That's the undisputable fact of reality that occurred and it has been a problem ever since.
Meanwhile, the crosses keep multiplying on Sorrento Road--another death just this past Monday. I spoke to Channel 3 about it yesterday evening, I spoke at last week's TPO about it, and I've been banging the drum about Sorrento Road ever since re-districting--it was a prominantly-featured discussion point at my Perdido Key townhall. Still, this Sorrento Road state project languishes at number 19 on FDOT's priority list locally.
This road has had 86 crashes and multiple fatalities over just the last 15 month period! I wonder how many of those could have been avoided if the 4-lane project wasn't halted 7 years ago? We will never know. Meanwhile, the wrecks keep happening and people keep dying.
Now, the FDOT is doing a big project from the Baars bridge to Bauer Road. Good--this is desperately needed and will help. Bravo!
But the stretch from Blue Angel to Bauer is where the deaths are happening and the bad head on collissions. That stretch desperately needs attention.
We need more FHP (state road should have a massive influx of STATE troopers patrolling it)
We need wider lanes, 4-lanes, paved and level shoulders, rumble strips, some sort of barrier between the lanes perhaps? , and more lighting. There is plenty of ROW (right of way) to make these improvements---the state just needs to do it and stop can-kicking. That's my opinion. They know this roadway has potholes, problems, and yes--lots of fatalities.
Yes--I know, I know. A lot (if not the majority) of the wrecks are caused by impatient, careless, reckless or impaired drives. Yes, I know. But these sorts of folks are driving all our local roadways---yet the deaths are stacking up at a higher rate on SORRENTO ROAD---meaning there is an issue with the road moreso than just chalking it up to bad drivers.
SO HERE'S HOW YOU CAN HELP!
The state has an online survey up through the end of July. It will be used to help the state and the TPO prioritize local state roadways like Sorrento Road. It can be accessed here. Take the survey, make your voice heard, and tell the state to do more to make Sorrento Road safer. The survey literally takes 3 minutes to complete. But here is the key: At the end of the survey there is a fill-in the blank box that states, literally, "Please share any additional transportation concerns below" I'd encourage citizens to write in that box something akin to the following: "Sorrento Road from Blue Angel Pkwy to the Baars Bridge is dangerous and needs state attention immediately--as there have been 86 accidents in just over a year's time. It needs to be four laned, with shoulders, lights, rumble strips, and a barrier between the East and West bound lanes ---particularly on the stretch between Blue Angel Parkway and Bauer Roae---to prevent any more head on fatalities. Also, this road needs a massive state police FHP operation and ongoing, enhanced patrols, to cite careless drivers!" (or something like that)
If they hear from enough citizens--they will move and this project will get bumped up.
If everyone, collectively, shrugs their shoulders---nothing will happen and the crosses will continue to multiply and line the side of this dangerous state roadway we all drive upon to get to the beach at Perdido Key.
Help me get their attention, please!
16 comments:
Create a town hall with the state in attendance, much like Underhill did when he killed improving the infrastructure of our area by getting the state to reverse their efforts on the traffic problems from Blue Angel to the Alabama line in Perdido.
Help me do my job! Eyeroll. Show some leadership just once. Use the “great” relationships you have with out state reps.
While we wait for improvements, please push to (permanently) lower the speed limit for this stretch of road to 45 mph.
"Sorrento Road from Blue Angel Pkwy to the Baars Bridge is dangerous and needs state attention immediately--as there have been 86 accidents in just over a year's time. It needs to be four laned, with shoulders, lights, rumble strips, and a barrier between the East and West bound lanes ---particularly on the stretch between Blue Angel Parkway and Bauer Roae---to prevent any more head on fatalities. Also, this road needs a massive state police FHP operation and ongoing, enhanced patrols, to cite careless drivers!"
As a resident of Nighthawk Ln, Sorrento is our only way in or out. Sorrento, as it is now, is 25yrs behind its usefulness!! All visitors coming to Perdido Key from the east use Sorrento to get to their destination and during the summer months it may take 10min to get on to Sorrento, depending on the kindness of the drivers. Once the school opens up traffic will only magnify! I'm sure you already know the accident stats, so I won't quote them, but lately the death rate on Sorrento between Blue Angel and Baier Rd has increased dramatically! Monday past, another multi car accident, not only shut us down, for hours, but took another life, with another, hanging in the balance in the hospital. But it's us, the residents of Nighthawk Ln that feel it the most! We hear the carnage! We are the ones that become isolated, either in our homes or stuck out on the road waiting to be able to return home. Something should have been done 25yrs ago, but must be done now!!!
Set down the caffeine cup bully.
Town halls are so yesterday. We have email and phones now. I cringe watching the videos with the few members of public using it for rants and anger tantrums.
People dying on the stretch of the road. Bergosh logs he's going to fix the problem and then ask the citizens to help. One would think the state would see there is a serious issue, and for some weird reason you want to twists this into a pissing contest between the two biggest babies on the board.
@5:22--I did say I would work to fix it and I will. No babies involved. I'm here, the other guy is on the way out, and watch us get stuff done and problems solved. 11:34 it is a state road, of course I will enlist the help of the state reps, the state senator, and also FDOT personnel. I'll also ask citizens that have expressed concern to me to weigh-in on the state's survey, because I believe that will help. That's what I'll do. Watch and see :)
Yes that would be poetic activism. Sounds like a great idea!
Good point... Like the horse and buggy in the age of combustion engines...
And what about Gulf Beach highway? Is Sorrento road going to LeapFrog over Gulf Beach highway which has been languishing in the Meijer for decades? How can you widen Sorrento road and not widen the mouth of the river that feeds it?
Lived here on and off for the past 15 years with my family, and I see creating 4 lanes vs keeping and improving the 2 existing lanes (area) as adding to the problem.
Drivers going around other drivers is a problem causing head on collisions, I’ve dodged about 4 of these. I agree with installing a divider in the center of the road to reduce this.
Speeding is a problem. There aren't many signs on this road telling people what to do. Yes, there is speed limit sign, but most don't care since there are no lights and no areas to stop. Nothing states that the speed limit is enforced, danger or caution while passing, there isn't even a deer sign to let people know at night when they are flying through there that they could run right into a deer.
The road curves a bit and people don't realize this when they are going around others, they can't always see oncoming traffic. There is a blind spot that only most locals know about from driving it daily. There are no lights, there is no shoulder, it's basically a road running through the forest.
I know a school is being built, and also what appears as if new subdivisions are being planned based on what I can see on Zillow. 4 lanes of double the drivers to squeeze back into 2 lanes after you drive through the light at Bauer Rd. just seems like I'm requesting open congestion, vs concise organization.
Here is another problem, walkers. There is an increase in the number of people walking on this street. Occasionally there are bikers. There is no place for either to safely travel on this street. Especially when walkers have to dodge cars running off the road trying to save their lives from oncoming traffic.
Turning around is also a problem. Some folks will turn around in the middle of Sorrento road because once you get to Bauer Rd coming from Walmart on Sorrento, in order to turn around a person would have to use one of the gas stations or the medical office parking lots to turn around. All of these locations are at awkward angles with no true safe way to turn around. Driving further down Sorrento creates more options, like the Win Dixie parking lot or other side streets, but there is no U turn on this road, or other options for turning around.
Suggestions: If the speed limit was reduced, a divider put in, a shoulder created, a turnaround lighted small parking lot on both sides, lights put in, a bike lane or walking lane on one side or both sides, and more awareness/warning signs, this could prevent multiple deaths/incidents from here on out.
I don’t think Sorrento should be remodeled to allow people get through the street faster. It seems as if some people want a faster way to get down this long street without incidents. The opposite is the answer. Slower and organized.
People in a hurry will just have to take another road or plan better for use of their time.
I want to do what I can to help suggest what may work. Being a Navy Veteran and raising kids in this area and seeing white crosses year after year, along with the sirens every week now that people are traveling and moving about more, I have a true interest in wanting this to work for us all.
Your suggestions would only increase the congestion during rush hours both in the morning and the afternoon and it would make it almost impossible to get in and out of those thoroughfares. Wow, I can't believe how illogical that is. The roads are already in an terribly failing service state.
How would a divider and slower speed limit and curbed shoulders effect the ability of emergency vehicles to get past traffic?
Jeff, As a long-time resident of Perdido Bay CC, I can tell you that while 4 lanes is needed for Sorrento, it must have a center lane for every housing complex. We have been refused a stoplight at Doug Ford and Sorrento many times. But if it is widened to 4 lanes w/o a center lane for us to get out halfway, it will become a death trap, worse than it is now. Traffic is backed up from the bridge to Bauer every weekend and we take our life in our hands trying to turn out left blindly. Please ensure DOT knows that the 4 lanes should include center lanes for each area, left and right, of every housing complex, both for entering and exiting safely. Thank you. Patti Gibson
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