Tallahassee: Roads

[Florida]

Yes... let me get on that as soon as I get home to my computer.

[jpl02]

Makes perfect sense, although there is that one light at Kerry Forest Parkway.

Do you think you could illustrate for us exactly what you mean when you discuss the merging of the intersecting streets that cross Thomasville Road between I-10 and the old Wal-Mart Plaza? In reading I was trying to picture what you were proposing. I know you've put alot of thought into it, I just don't have the mental capacity to organize the visual.

Thanks for not only pointing out the problems, but also thinking of a solution.

I know I'm seriously late in doing this, but I just made the illustrations.

Actually, when you think about it, the flyover is for a good cause. People wanting to go from southbound Thomasville to Capital Circle NE, they don't have to wait at a traffic signal to make a left turn. See illustration #1. Without the flyover, a) cars wanting to turn left onto CCNE would back up the thru lanes, and/or b) the left turn lane signal would have to be longer, creating a longer wait for everyone. Since there are two turn lanes, you cannot make an unprotected left turn.

Now....

Northbound Thomasville has the same issues with the light. It also has the problem of having to stop to allow northbound traffic from CCNE to get on northbound Thomasville, as shown in #3. Normally, one would think you could simply merge on to Thomasville without it having to stop (the same way you would merge onto a freeway), or coming onto Thomasville with dedicated lanes as to not interrupt the flow of Thomasville traffic. But, the problem is that there are three lanes from CCNE coming onto Thomasville, and if they came onto it with their own lanes, it would create 6 lanes of Thomasville traffic and having to narrow that down into 3, coupled with the merging and lane chaning to get to the shopping plazas, would be a nightmare, as shown in #4.

Hope this helps!

[Florida]

WOW! Again, I am amazed. Makes our illustrations to date look so amature.

You don't do downtowns do you?

[jpl02]

Once again, thanks for the words ! I've never tried downtowns! I have buses and road signs mainly.

[laneyj34]

hi,

im new to posting here, but ive read these boards as a guest for quite some time. im 21 and a student at fsu who was born and raised in tally. i love the idea of downtown expansion and road expansion, so im very interested in these topics. for my first post, i was wondering when and who decided to expand i-10. i hadnt heard anything of this until today. when is it supposed to start? i take it it will become 3 lanes? also, where are they expanding it, 90 to CCNW? also, are there any plans to add any more exits to i-10 around tally?

my other question is more general: are there any plans, or is anyone talking about adding a highway going downtown, or at least a limited access road with higher speed limits?

thanks in advance,

jack

[Florida]

Hey Jack!

WELCOME TO URBANPLANET TALLAHASSEE Buddy!!

I was also born and raised here in Tallahassee so I'm sure we've got a good plenty in common.

I'd say right now the best information on the expansion of I-10 thru Tallahassee can be found at MovingI-10Forward.com . The work was supossed to start in September of this year, but to date the only segment of this project underway is the ramp improvement at Monroe and I-10... FDOT is supposed to be getting down and dirty sometime early next year. The work will be done in three stages, with very interesting changes underway at the Thomasville Road, Capital Circle North East exits... you'll see another flyover... which I'm excited about!

No plans as of now for an express road to the downtown area... although that would be nice, but there is a great plan in the development stages (Downtown Connectivity Plan) which I do have and am willing to share with anyone who asks for it (I will not post it on UrbanPlanet, its too large).

Hope to see you around here postin' away!

-tj

[laneyj34]

sounds really cool with the i-10 expansion. i would love for you to send me the info on the downtown road or whatever it is you said you would send me. my email is [email protected]. thanks for any info you can give me on it. also, do you know if are ever planning on dumping the stupid rule that no building can be taller than the capital? i hear one of the new towers in kleman plaza is supposed to be 22 floors, which is pretty close to the capital height, which is awesome... more tall buildings = better skyline = AWESOME.

[Florida]

also, do you know if are ever planning on dumping the stupid rule that no building can be taller than the capital? i hear one of the new towers in kleman plaza is supposed to be 22 floors, which is pretty close to the capital height, which is awesome... more tall buildings = better skyline = AWESOME.

For all intensive purposes that rule has been dumped with the turnover of control over the Capitol Center Planning District to the city about 2 or 3 years ago, which is about when all of these projects began to take off. Prior to this, projects such as the ones currently under construction would have had to go thru a state agency to be approved, now the City of Tallahassee has the authority.

The Plaza tower will be 23 Stories, or 283ft tall. As far as I know the builder can apply for a height variance for any residential - mixed use building, which show allow heights taller than the captiol (not sure if the project has to be a PUD or not).

I'll get to sending you those files soon... it may take a while as the Downtown Connectivity Plan is large and I've got a few other things going tongiht.

[Florida]

Traffic Slows as Tallahassee Grows

Its as good as it's going to get for a while. Growing pains.

The Tallahassee Democrat did a very good article on traffic in our city. One key note to pull from it are the inner rings they discuss for us to relieve traffic congestion and make getting around a bit easier. Why didn't I think of this? LOL! I need to whip out a map to see how this would work.

Here's a link to the article

[Florida]

Traffic Light Timing Inspires Gripes

Another article from today's Tallahassee Democrat that highlights the frustrations of wating at Tallahassee's Traffic Signals. At peak hours the article states that waits along Monroe street are longest at 3 minutes.

Interesting article

Busiest Intersections and Road Segments

Capital Circle NE and Thomasville Road lead the pack with over 115,000 vehicles per day...

Here's the Article

[jpl02]

The Tallahassee Democrat did a very good article on traffic in our city. One key note to pull from it are the inner rings they discuss for us to relieve traffic congestion and make getting around a bit easier. Why didn't I think of this? LOL! I need to whip out a map to see how this would work.

I just did a 16-page research paper for my Transportation & Land Use class on the subject of ring roads and beltways. A lot of people hate them, believing they cause city centers to decline. My paper focused on Atlanta's Perimeter and Cincinnati's I-275, and I made the fact that beltways and ring roads are indeed useful.

We need our ring roads. Atlanta would come to a crawl if I-285 wasn't there. We would come to a crawl if Capital Circle wasn't here.

That's why we need a freeway-standard beltway around this town!

[Florida]

I absolutely agree with you. No doubt in my mind that you are correct.

[P_McLane]

A conventional ring-road freeway presupposes that Tallahassee will have roughly equal transportation needs on all sides of the city core. To use the Atlanta analogy, are we proposing to build by-passes for travel to and from the coast, or to provide a faster route to one or another side of the city? As we are situated several miles south of I-10, the interstate would likely serve as the northern link in any new, freeway-grade ring road, just as it does with Capital Circle. Where are the highest population concentrations beyond the present limits of Capital Circle? It seems to me that the biggest traffic problems involve people traveling into and out of the city, from and to these centers, at peak hours of the day. A circular highway several miles outside of town is unlikely to alleviate this. The inner-rings proposal mentioned in today's Democrat seems closer to the mark.

[poonther]

Yeah I read today's Democrat article about traffic. The whole time I read the article, I kept thinking that the true solution to this problem would be AFFORDABLE urban core infill housing at medium and high density.

To be honest, I never really think about Tally having too much traffic problems because one I've lived in much larger places and our traffic is no where near approaching those levels and second (the main reason) is because I live downtown. Everything is close to me that I need and want and if I have to venture out to the hinterlands, I am usually going the reserve way that the heavy flow of traffic is going.

I understand that I have a "let them eat cake" attitude about this, but I don't feel sorry for those moving out to say Wakulla County and then complaining about how long it takes them to get to work. DUH, if you move 30 miles out, there's gonna be traffic getting into town. It's the price you pay, get use to it. Please don't expect me (the inner city dweller) to want to pave "kingdom come" and all its natural beauty so you can drive 50 miles one way from your far away home, to little "bobby's" school and then to work. If you hate traffic so much, you should have thought about that before you bought that house out there.

[P_McLane]

That is it exactly. Affordable, high- and medium-density housing, mixed with business and retail development. But where will people pay for it?

I used to live downtown off Park Avenue. I bought my first home earlier this year and now live out Miccosukee Road, four miles from City Hall, but inside N.E. Capital Circle. I feel that I've moved to the hinterlands, but I know that at least 50% of the official population of Tallahassee lives further from the center.

My drive in at 7:30 is under fifteen minutes and I get to listen to morning news. I regularly walk and/or bicycle into town and pass many acres of undeveloped land at the Blair Stone / Miccosukee intersection, and inside the boundaries of Goodwood Plantation. No one is advocating for the mass removal of trees, but I could imagine an easy 300-400 units of combined single-family homes and condominiums just along this corridor. Goodwood would of course have to stay intact (maybe an exclusive carriage home development?), but there are areas across from and around the city utility depot that are just plain empty and show nothing historically or ecologically special. There is also the question of the spooky old children's asylum off Philips Road. I have never been able to find out about who owns that property, but it is very ready for redevelopment, especially with the Blair Stone shortcut complete.

[Florida]

Yeah I read today's Democrat article about traffic. The whole time I read the article, I kept thinking that the true solution to this problem would be AFFORDABLE urban core infill housing at medium and high density.

Poother, I had this conversation with our best friend, Commissioner Ratcilff, today and he said the exact same thing. BTW, he may have earned a few cool points with me today...

I agree. I'd much rather use some of the money we would spend surveying possible routes to pave new roads through town, and excessive traffic improvements that will never alleviate the problems, to offset the high cost of infill projects to make it more affordable for our people to move closer in. It makes perfect since to work where you live, and go to school.

[csmurphy8885]

I think we need to do both. the article mentioned the wheel and spoke method works when concentric circles are in place. lets make an inner circle. I think it would be smarter to build up of coarse, a limited access, no stores, no slowing down, no traffic lights. this is essential. We are growing and we will grow. even infill needs to leave on occassion. an inner circle, half the size of Cap cic would help a ton. Anyone infavor of DT development should see the need to solve these transportation issues now. routes around dt are crap.

Affordable infill is my dream. i love riding a bike. i love walking. i am the ideal tallahassee resident of the futur.

[TD]

My favorite Tallahassee Road is the stretch of State Road 12 between Meridian and Thomasville roads, almost to the georgia line. its truly picturesque. With Large hills and curves, it feels like the foothills of the appalachains.

[Florida]

My favorite Tallahassee Road is the stretch of State Road 12 between Meridian and Thomasville roads, almost to the georgia line. its truly picturesque. With Large hills and curves, it feels like the foothills of the appalachains.

Downtown, Is this the road that leads to the WCTV studios? I've always wanted to travel this road but I never find the time. I often don't get off the beaten path when I'm out that far in the county. I'm embarrisingly unfamiliar with the area out there.

CSMurphy... or JPL02, could either of you do a concept map of how an inner circle would work... what would be the best fit location for one. I have no clue where to start... tonight my brain is frying in prep for tomorrow's International Business exam.

Bolding the names is a little something I'm taking from Poonther... hope you don't mind buddy!

[csmurphy8885]

i would not have the heart to really make that decision... but just based on a street map, i like the idea utilizing magnolia on the east side connecting it to thomasville rd in the north, and following it south, pulling south of famu, and maybe using orange cutting back north just east of innovation park and connecting to Ocala. ocala dead ends at tharpe basically, so possibly folowing tharpe to monroe. hard to grasp i am sure, there are a ton of homes in the way. alot of memories. eminant domain is obtrusive. sigh. But lets do it. we need it. In tampa, they are building the eleveated roadway for one of the freeways with a single pillar design. I think we could do this and keep the surface roads beneath for the economic and residents.

difficulties- id like to see the loop within the reach of DT at all sides, but that is hard. Famu has her to the south, and i wont design something that cuts througha campus. west hits a pretty dence pensicola street as far as apartment complexes which would be more costly to aquire. adn i have no idea about either end on the north.

but we need something

[TD]

yes taurean, you pass right by the wctv studios on the stretch of road im talking about.

To go check it out, go out north of town on Thomasville, and hang a left on County road 12. dont miss the long turn lane and blue county 12 sign.

Or take meridian north of town, then hang a right on county road 12, this time you get a Junction warning before you get to 12...... make sure u take your first right, and u dont pass it and go left, because the road continues going left to havana if you pass the 1st right turn.

[Florida]

When I picture going the Meridian route... it seems like an endless journey. How is is possible to cover news as well as one possibly can with a studio in such a remote location. They need to move further in.

What a commute.

[TD]

cheap land.......... farther out, but 10-20 years it will be close to development... and will be the "north side station"

[Florida]

I suppose. But right now, it doesn't seem a wise decision to live so far out.

[csmurphy8885]

radio and television stations are annoying.. even the small transmitters that transfer the signal from the studio to the tower transmitter has the ability to blead over any electronic audio. Have you seen previews for White Noise. same thing, its scary when your all alone and you can hear five to six different tracks of audio. after 6 years in radio i can listen to them all. residents get products to help block it when they live in close proximity at eh stations cost. i imagine its chepeast just to avoid people