Daytona Beach, FL - Update: At the Daytona Beach City Commission meeting on Wednesday, many citizens came out to voice their opinions on the proposed changes to east International Speedway Blvd.
An overwhelming majority of public speakers were against building roundabouts citing worries about traffic jams, accidents, concerns for accessibility to those who are disabled or elderly, bicyclists and confusion among drivers as reasons to not go forward with the plan. Many citizens said they do want to see some improvement to the area, as it is the City's "gateway," just not with roundabouts.
Commissioner Robert Gilliland clarified that this project is not a city project but rather a Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) project. He says the FDOT only wanted the City's preference between the three and he moved to approve the 1 roundabout design.
Gillilad says that the FDOT has thoroughly taken disabled and other vulnerable populations into consideration. He also says the FDOT will have areas halfway down the cross walk so pedestrians are able to stop if they cannot make it all the way across at once and says that wider bike lanes will be added. In response to citizens wanting a more visually appealing area, Gilliland says that if possible, the City will add-on projects such as putting power lines underground.
During the meeting, Commissioners emphasized the safety of the proposed roundabouts. Many said that the FDOT has ensured the safety of the proposed designs and if they were not safe, they would not be built.
The motion to notify the FDOT that the Commission chose the design with one roundabout passed 6-0.
During the meeting, the Commission also voted 6-0 to approve the appointment of Ormond Beach City Commissioner Dwight Selby to the Board of Directors for The First Step Shelter.
Earlier Reporting:
Two items on the agenda for Wednesday night's Daytona Beach City Commission meeting are possible plans for new road designs for East International Speedway and the appointment of a new member of the Board of Directors for First Step Shelter.
There are three different options for the new designs and widening of the traffic lanes along the approximately half-mile stretch of road on the east side of International Speedway, just west of the Halifax River. The designs are a result of a preliminary evaluation and a public hearing held by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). One option is to leave the area of road like it is. The other options are to construct either multiple roundabouts or a single roundabout.
During the meeting, the City Commission will select an option and later will report its recommendations to the FDOT. The designs could cost between $25 million and $33 million and could take between 8-12 months to complete if approved. The City would hope to get funds approved from the FDOT for the project.
Below are the possible options for the plans provided by the City of Daytona Beach.
Option A is a No Build Concept (Existing Conditions).
Option B is a "Dog Bone" Multiple Roundabout Concept Plan.
Option C is a Single Roundabout Concept Plan for A1A.
According to documents provided by city staff, studies of roundabouts in the U. S. over the past 20 years have shown that roundabouts reduce the amount of crashes compared to traffic signals and result in reduction of injuries and fatalities due to slower speed limits. There would be a 25 mile per hour limit in a single lane roundabout and a 30 mile per hour limit for a multi-lane roundabout.
Another item on the City's agenda is to appoint Ormond Beach Commissioner Dwight Selby to the Board of Directors for the The First Step Shelter. First Step Shelter is the 100-bed, 24-hour, full- service homeless shelter planned for the area west of I-95 off of International Speedway. Ormond Beach is qualified to have a representative on the board because of its participation in the Ormond Beach 2016 Bridge Bed Program, a project to provide emergency shelter beds at local emergency shelter locations.
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