Downtown Orlando Project Discussion

[JFW657]

I love the brick roads. 

They can be a pain in the butt to drive on, but there is no way Orlando will get rid of them because they are a source of civic pride.

They also help define downtown & give it it's charm & old time feel. 

I have heard that Orlando has more total miles of exposed brick streets than any other city in the US.

There are another 12 or so miles of them covered by asphalt that some want uncovered, too.

 

[prahaboheme]

Yikes... you'd think I'd just suggested we convert Orange Ave into a two-way street and reduce it to two lanes!  (Maybe I'll do that in another post)

In all seriousness though, there is a lot of research out there already done that shows how lane reductions actually improve traffic congestion, make roads safer, and bring businesses back to downtowns.  

Here's a good read:  http://www.planetizen.com/node/44645 

[John Hargrove]

Well-maintained brick roads are awesome. Orlando should get some of those.

[jgardnerucf]

 

They can be a pain in the butt to drive on, but there is no way Orlando will get rid of them because they are a source of civic pride.

They also help define downtown & give it it's charm & old time feel. 

I have heard that Orlando has more total miles of exposed brick streets than any other city in the US.

There are another 12 or so miles of them covered by asphalt that some want uncovered, too.

 

Delaney Ave

[Jernigan]

Phoenix Building downtown (Pine & Magnolia) getting 'new life'  - 

http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/blog/2015/07/downtown-orlando-s-historic-phoenix-building-gets.html

[Jernigan]

Delaney Ave

Funny you should say that . I live on Delaney and we had a large pothole last week after the rains and this is what I saw when I went to take a look at it:

 

 

[popsiclebrandon]

Phoenix Building downtown (Pine & Magnolia) getting 'new life'  - 

http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/blog/2015/07/downtown-orlando-s-historic-phoenix-building-gets.html

That shots bar sounds just truly awful.

[orlandoguy]

The former McNamara Pontiac site on West Colonial has sold. The sale included seven parcels, which surprised me. I wonder if there's any synergy to be had with CV, or if this is too far away to tie meaningfully to that development. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-cfb-real-estate-0803-20150802-story.html

[HankStrong]

Yes.  Well-maintained brick roads are great.

 

Orlando DEFINITELY doesn't have well-maintained one.  They are enough to jolt fillings out of your teeth at 20mph.

[JFW657]

Yes.  Well-maintained brick roads are great.

 

Orlando DEFINITELY doesn't have well-maintained one.  They are enough to jolt fillings out of your teeth at 20mph.

I have heard that this is by design to help slow down traffic through residential areas.

When they were replacing the bricks on E. Pine Street between Summerlin & Mills in front of the apartment I lived in back in the 80's, after tearing it all up to replace all the sewer pipes, I was told by one of the foremen that some of the pavers are about ¼" thicker than the others, and that they stagger them to purposely make the ride bumpy so people will have to drive slower.

Of course, the worst of the bumpy brick streets around here are that way due to wear, sunken spots & missing pavers due to years of neglect.

 

 

[RedStar25]

Yes.  Well-maintained brick roads are great.

 

Orlando DEFINITELY doesn't have well-maintained one.  They are enough to jolt fillings out of your teeth at 20mph.

Drive around Lake Lucerne; that's a great brick road. 

[Universe_Explorer]

I have heard that this is by design to help slow down traffic through residential areas.

When they were replacing the bricks on E. Pine Street between Summerlin & Mills in front of the apartment I lived in back in the 80's, after tearing it all up to replace all the sewer pipes, I was told by one of the foremen that some of the pavers are about ¼" thicker than the others, and that they stagger them to purposely make the ride bumpy so people will have to drive slower.

Of course, the worst of the bumpy brick streets around here are that way due to wear, sunken spots & missing pavers due to years of neglect.

 

 

I can't say for sure if they do it on purpose, but brick roads are a definitely a great "natural" way to slow down traffic.  You can watch this in action on College Park where Shady Lane Dr meets Poinsettia Ave.  At the intersection, Poinsettia turns to brick and it's Very noticeable how drivers react (immediately hit the brakes and go slower) despite the fact that the road is flat and well maintained. Personally, I love my brick street - the benign neglect approach the city takes to it has created a visibly pleasing road where no one goes very fast - and my kids can hear cars coming from the minute they turn onto it.

 

Being able to hear cars coming is a good point, especially in the age of the electric car. 

Orlando roads are pretty awful in general and we don't even have the winter to blame for it like the northern states do. I'm speculating, but I would say it's because infrastructure projects just don't get appropriate levels of funding because of the pathetic state of the political system.

 

Being able to hear cars coming is a good point, especially in the age of the electric car. 

Orlando roads are pretty awful in general and we don't even have the winter to blame for it like the northern states do. I'm speculating, but I would say it's because infrastructure projects just don't get appropriate levels of funding because of the pathetic state of the political system.

I'm pretty sure its corruption along with incompetence. Money is wasted all over the place... for an easy example, look at the E. Colonial project. They're replacing all of the mast arm signals, several of which are being replaced in nearly exactly the same spot and even the ones that were installed just a year before this project that were installed with this project in mind.

 

Orlando has some of the best roads in the country.

It's mass transit that needs a shot in the arm.

 

What is your reason for believing that? Data or experience? I've traveled all over. Anecdotally, my experience is:

• The worst roads are in the north where there are actual winters.
• The western states generally have their act together with some notable exceptions
• Outside of Atlanta, the south has a lot of problems

Totally based on my subjective experience. I'm wondering if there are good studies on this based on:

• Average worker commute time
• Vehicle maintenance
• Safety
• etc

The toll roads in Orlando look great. Most everything else is neglected, in my experience. But again, my entirely skewed perspective.

 

 

I can tell you that in 30 + years of living here, I can't remember hitting more than maybe one pothole bad enough to make me wince & curse.

And I cannot think of one minor residential street that is really badly cracked or crumbling.

I'm not sure what the generally accepted standard is for well maintained roads & streets, but with the exception of some of the brick paved ones, I cannot think of anything to really complain about re: our local asphalt ones.

 

 

 

 

This is an interesting topic.  Personally, I think that Robinson, South and Anderson should all be two-way streets.  I think the ramps to/from the 408 at Mills and Summerlin should be removed and the on ramp at Bumby should be free.  In my view, the important issue is getting people from/to 408 from/to downtown.  I've been goofing around with some ideas on improving the 408 ramps downtown and would love to hear some feedback.  Attached are a couple of idea sketches.

west.pdf

east.pdf

 

We have road issues here? What issues are those? In 7 years here I have yet to see a pothole or any road damage in the Orlando area. Orlando's roads utterly blow away Atlanta's, where I lived for 13 years prior to moving here. The roads up there are a joke, and avoiding potholes and other road damage is something you must do on a daily basis.

[bic]

If you guys notice missing/misplaced posts, it's probably my fault. In adjusting to this new forum software, I was trying to do a little housekeeping after getting my moderator controls back (which were lost during the upgrade) and ended up making a few mistakes with regards to moving/merging posts. I'll try to have things corrected as soon as possible.

[Dale]

Again I say that in terms of road conditions, Orlando has the best roads in the nation, hands down.

[demon]

^Perhaps South could be converted back to a two-way street in order to not only relieve Robinson of some eastbound traffic but also to make the entire area easier and more accessible.

I don't see how they could. Heading east on South St is how lots of people get to the arena and to I-4. Now that we have to make a left to head south onto Orange and then east on Anderson to get to I-4 east we're going to need those left turn lanes. 

[gibby]

I don't see how they could. Heading east on South St is how lots of people get to the arena and to I-4. Now that we have to make a left to head south onto Orange and then east on Anderson to get to I-4 east we're going to need those left turn lanes. 

I think South and Anderson should both be two-way streets.  In my view, the main issue is access to/from the 408 from downtown.  I've been goofing around with a design for this access.  I'd love to hear some feedback on these ideas.  It's very rough so please go easy on me.  Also, I think the Mills/Summerlin on/off ramps should be removed and I think the westbound entrance ramp at Bumby should be free.

[Closet_Urbanite]

^Perhaps South could be converted back to a two-way street in order to not only relieve Robinson of some eastbound traffic but also to make the entire area easier and more accessible.

I agree 100%. Not only South Street, but also Anderson, Robinson, and yes even Orange Ave...contrary to popular belief, it will actually help keep traffic flow moving, accessibility to businesses will be better, and traffic will slow down, this making it safer.

Actually South and Anderson should be two-way from Bumby all the way to OBT. When the Magic Entertainment Complex and the Soccer Stadium come online, the traffic bottle necks will become unbearable unless accessibility improves. Plus the new OPD Headquarters on South Street and OBT will be able to service the community better and faster with 2-way flow. 

[nite owℓ]

It looks like the Old Southern Bank Building is getting a facelift -- does anyone know about this? I'd think it would need to go in front of the ARB unless it's going back to the old color scheme/signage. 

Personally, I like it white. It feels much more contemporary.

 

Let's keep an eye on this project. I recall a previous ARB stating our Downtown CBD will be getting a drive through restaurant soon!

Edited August 8, 2015 by nite owℓ

[prahaboheme]

A drive-thru restaurant?

[popsiclebrandon]

http://www.loopnet.com/xNet/MainSite/Listing/Profile/Profile.aspx?LID=19200829&SRID=6086838296&StepID=101

[JFW657]

The corner where that vault used to be would be a great spot for a 7 Eleven.

 

 

 

[smileguy]

The corner where that vault used to be would be a great spot for a 7 Eleven.

 

 

 

I know, particularly if we lose the one on Central/Rosalind. Maybe also a 7 Eleven with gas on the corner opposite here.

[popsiclebrandon]

Can't find anything on it on the MPB site but there is a rezoning notice for the street next to the playground at Lake Eola. Something about a recreation zone so not sure what is being planned.

[FLClarkKent]

Cool pics of the new murals at the old Dynetech building.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/blog/2015/08/downtowns-one-eleven-high-rise-gets-a-facelift.html

[popsiclebrandon]

Looks like things are being lined up for 520 Church now. I believe they have actually grown the project in size but that may have been already in the plans. There are some renderings in it.

 

http://www.cityoforlando.net/city-planning/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2015/08/MPBStaffReport2015-08_ZON2015-00020.pdf