On Tuesday March 14th, 2017, the Hernando County Board of County Commissioners heard a presentation given by Matthew Nance, a District Seven Traffic Safety Specialist. The purpose of the presentation and subsequent discussion was to address a dangerous intersection at US Highway 98 / Ponce de Leon Blvd and Citrus way.
US 98 intersects Citrus way obliquely, leading to decreased visibility for a vehicle traveling in either direction on Citrus way. Nance reports crashes are occurring from vehicles travelling North or South on Citrus way and striking vehicles heading either direction on Highway 98.
According to Nance, There have been twenty-seven crashes at the intersection since 2012, resulting in seven fatalities. Of the twenty-seven crashes, twenty-two were ‘angle crashes’, which is a collision commonly called a ‘T-bone’ or other perpendicular force striking a vehicle on its side, versus a rear-end collision. No head-on collisions were mentioned during the presentation. The number of angle crashes has increased steadily since 2012.
Nance stated that a “full traffic signal did not meet the warrants for turning traffic … there’s not enough traffic at all for the signal.” He went on to say that currently there is a beacon (flashing light), but something needs to change in the roadway since the beacon in place now is being overlooked as evidenced by the crashes.
Representatives from the County Engineer’s office were also present and explained recent improvements that have been added to the intersection so far, such as the addition of rumble strips, more visible stop signs, and the forward relocation of the ‘stop bar,’ the large white delineation present ahead of most stop signs.
By design, a roundabout naturally reduces a motorist’s speed through an intersection without using traffic signal devices. The statistics shown in the presentation state that roundabouts (called “rotaries” in some regions) reduce the number of fatalities at an intersection by up to 90%, and can result in a 76% reduction in injury crashes. A conventional intersection has thirty-two conflict points, while a roundabout has eight. A conflict point is suggested to be a potential collision point. The number of conflict points for cyclists and pedestrians are also reduced.
The design of a roundabout on a state road is different from a conventional roundabout in a residential area due to the inclusion of a fourteen foot ‘apron’ from the center that eases the traversal for a large commercial vehicle, which generally pulls a fifty-three foot trailer. In the presentation, such a vehicle is shown moving through the roundabout, and ultimately completing a U-turn.
Former Commissioner Diane Rowden presented aerial drone footage of the area, and posed questions about the cost of the project to the taxpayers, and mentioned that there could be property loss to the owners of an adjacent store and cannery located behind it.
Rowden also suggested that the configuration of the traffic signal at Highway 19 and Weeki Wachee High School could be an alternative to a roundabout. An updated signal design, signage and flashing amber lights alert a driver well before the light changes from green to amber, giving the driver plenty of time to stop. Commissioner Nicholson suggested such a design may be beneficial to other dangerous intersections in the county.
A representative from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) addressed the board, and talked about plans to install an advanced warning light at the north and southbound approaches on Citrus way. This could be put into place sooner than the three years it would take for construction of the roundabout.
All commissioners expressed support for the proposal, which is being termed a ‘modern roundabout.’