RSSDangerous Orange County Road to Receive Overhaul
A stretch of road that runs through Orlando is slated to receive a hefty overhaul due to safety concerns. According to a joint study by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Metroplan Orlando, and municipalities of Orange County, Orlando, and Winter Park the stretch of road examined is far too dangerous and its conditions have led directly to numerous accidents.
The report stated that the area under examination is a two-mile long ribbon of street that connects 17-92 to Bennett Road. At its westernmost location, it is known as Virginia Avenue. It transforms into both Forest Avenue and Corrine Drive before it completes its shift eastward. Throughout its duration, the speed limit never crests above 35 mph, and along certain portions of Forest Avenue and Corrine Drive it goes as low as 20mph. This is due to the windy nature of the roadway as well as its proximity to residences in the area.
Beginning in January of 2017, the various organizations began their project of gathering information from over 1,700 individuals traveling throughout the roadway. There were also numerous radar devices set up to capture the various speeds of people traveling along this particular stretch, and their work discovered that upwards of 75% of the cars traveling along this road were doing so at excessive speeds.
Residents from the area also claimed to have seen numerous instances where people blow through stop lights and stop signs. Recently, a single-car crash on this exact stretch of road knocked out a power line and caused 1,100 homes to lose electricity. This does not go against the findings of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles which released a statement saying that over the course of the last five years this corridor has seen 166 separate crashes. Given that it is only a two mile stretch, this is a rather staggering number.
The project begun by Orange County, Orlando, and Winter Park municipalities will aim to completely reconfigure the roadway, making it a safe area for cars, bikers, pedestrians, and anyone else looking to travel down the street.
As of the time of this writing, Metroplan Orlando has delivered six separate redesign options and the challenge now is to select one and begin construction.
James O. Cunningham
Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.
Mr. Cunningham is an excellent and knowledgeable attorney.