Mark O’Brien: Put Perdido Key’s growing traffic on road to future May 30, 2004 Mark OBrien @PensacolaNewsJournal For years, some people were happy that Perdido Key Drive was skinny and unattractive, by highway standards. The mostly two-lane road along the beaches kept the down-home flavor and set Floridas side of the island apart from the huge highway feeding it from Alabama. Better yet, they thought, the rickety road helped deter growth, especially because its a state road and the cash-strapped State of Florida didnt consider it a high priority. But the train has left the station, the horse is out of the barn, and Perdido Key Drive needs to be widened, pronto. Look at it: Condos to the left. Condos to the right. A development here. A development there. In addition to 4,500 existing residential units, hundreds more are on the drawing boards. Weve been discovered, said Alvin Wingate, a member of the Escambia County Planning Board. The traffic count is high, and its sure to rise more. Time to decide whether to make the road three lanes or four lanes, and find the money, which might be tantalizingly close by. The key delivers millions in property-tax dollars to be spent elsewhere in the county. Commissioners can set aside a portion of the new property tax revenue for engineering studies and begin planning for a bigger, better road. This will improve the chances of getting federal and state aid. For an estimated $50 million, the road can be converted into four lanes, all the way from the Theo Baars Bridge to the Alabama line. That includes sidewalks, bike paths, medians and underground utilities, according to Perdido Key Chamber of Commerce officials who back the plan. This would provide an avenue that is efficient, safe and attractive, in keeping with the barrier islands upscale boom. Perdido Key now generates $12.8 million a year in property taxes, double the figure five years ago, says Bill Stromquist, the chambers executive director. And the total may double in five more years as expensive new units open. Its not hard to do when youve got $100 million projects, he said. Were not talking about just the convenience of motorists. Safety is a serious concern for bicyclists and walkers. Perdido Key Drive lacks shoulders. Its vital for hurricane evacuation. Setting aside some of the new property tax money -- called tax increment financing -- may be the best solution. Traffic problems across the area are bound to worsen, increasing the squeeze for transportation money. Sorrento Road, a major road in southwest Escambia, is at 93 percent capacity. Across town, parts of Olive Road have been jammed with traffic for years. Engineers give an F to the Pensacola Bay Bridge when it comes to delivering morning traffic to Pensacola, and Santa Rosa County residents have their own horror stories. The good news: Perdido Key traffic can improve if authorities try this new approach. The bad news: It probably should have been done years ago. Residents raised the idea in the mid-1990s but couldnt get the County Commissions OK. Time to try again. And remember: The road isnt getting any safer, nor is the project getting any cheaper. ©The Pensacola News Journal May 30, 2004 Copyright © 1997- 114 2004 2004 The Pensacola News Journal, Pensacola, Florida. Use of this site signifies your agreement to the Terms of Service (updated 12/20/2002).
Posted on: Sun, 20 Jul 2014 18:47:48 +0000