How YOU Can Help the State DOT Properly Prioritize 4-Lanes for Sorrento Road

 

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!

Lighting Up the Streets Part I: Klondike at Mobile Hwy

New street lights like the one pictured above will be going up along Mobile Hwy between now and October.  This one, above, was installed Tuesday of this week.

Ahead of a big state project to repave the road and improve safety along Mobile Hwy from Pine Forest Road to Hwy 90 which will happen in 2022, the county is adding some lights to make this area of District 1 safer.

The intersections of Klondike, 8-Mile Creek, and Millview Roads will all be getting these lights installed over the next few months.

Klondike got their lights yesterday.

On December 6th of 2014, I was attending a function with Governor Scott  and on the way home I was riding right behind a silver sedan on the very dark Mobile Hwy.  Out of NOWHERE--- a white Jeep Cherokee barreled through the stop sign at the intersection of Klondike and Mobile Hwy and T-boned the silver sedan directly in front of me.

I pulled over, some residents came out, we called 911 and within minutes the Beulah volunteer fire department responded. Then the Highway Patrol, then EMS.

The driver of the silver sedan stumbled out of his vehicle and collapsed in pain.  The Jeep was upside down in the ditch and that driver's face was injured very badly.  It was horrific.  It was dark, and it was unsafe.

In May of 2018, just a hundred feet east on Mobile Hwy----another tragedy occurred on this darkened stretch of road.  Two people who stopped to check on an accident victim were killed by a third driver who did not see them and ran them over.

There have been other auto accidents as well.  And then there was the assassination/murder of Mr. Reddy at the Quick Fill.  It's too dark and too unsafe;  dark areas invite problems of all sorts--- so we're doing what we can now to light this area up!  we are moving this forward now--- and hopefully this will enhance the safety of these roads ahead of the FDOT project that will be coming in 2022.