It’s been nearly a year since the South Florida Avenue road diet project began, back on October 1, 2020. The project included a 5-month study conducted by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) aimed at determining the road diet’s effect on commuter time and safety. The findings stated:
- Commuters heading north on South Florida Avenue between Ariana + Lime streets spent an average of 36 extra seconds in traffic.
- Commuters heading south on South Florida Avenue between Ariana + Lime streets spent nearly twice as much time in traffic as their north-bound counterparts, roughly 70 additional seconds.
- Emergency vehicles experienced decreased time spent in traffic in the area, although it is unclear whether or not those drivers chose alternative routes.
One factor to consider when interpreting the study’s results is the possible effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on Dixieland traffic. With many Lakelanders transitioning to a work-from-home lifestyle, the FDOT reported that vehicles traveling along South Florida Avenue decreased by 10% at one point in the pandemic. Since then, traffic has reportedly jumped back up 5%, meaning that South Florida Avenue’s traffic is just 5% down from what it was prior to 2020.
It’s still unclear whether these numbers will return to what they were, or if this represents the new standard traffic for drivers on South Florida Avenue. In an effort to answer this question, the FDOT offered Lakeland’s city commissioners the option to prolong the study for an additional 6 months. The proposal was supported by a majority of commissioners and is pending further FDOT approval.
Barring any scheduling changes, the project is scheduled to end on Oct. 1, 2021, at which point a public forum will be held. At this forum, citizens will have the opportunity to communicate observations or concerns with the Florida Department of Transportation.
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