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Traffic
Analysis – State Road 282
Perdido Key Drive
By Kelly G. Robertson
& Dan Henderson - Feb. 2009
Traffic conditions on the Perdido Key Drive portion of SR-292 continue
to be a contested local issue. Should Perdido Key Drive be widened to
the four-lane divided highway as called for in the county funded PD&E
study, or should we seek some alternative solution? What are the reasons
that contribute to either approach?
If traffic concurrency (to allow for more development on Perdido Key) is
the reason, then widening makes little sense as we already have
concurrency for building out to the allowed Cap. If hurricane evacuation
is the primary concern, then it makes little sense to widen Perdido Key
Drive before there are improvements to the Theo Baars Bridge and other
roads leading out of the county. Four lanes of traffic leading up to a
two-lane bridge and evacuation route is not sound (or sane) fiscal
practice. Improvement to SR-292 for safety concerns should be the number
one criteria for any proposed changes to the road. So, how dangerous is
Perdido Key Drive, and are there any alternatives to the current
configuration that will alleviate the problems?
According to a summary of the crash data along the stretch of SR-292
from the west end of the bridge to the state line, Perdido Key Dr. isn’t
all that dangerous when compared to other county or state roads.
Jonathan Harris, District 3 Safety Program Manager for FDOT states
“there were 120 total crashes over the past 5 years (through the end of
2007). The percentages are roughly the same for each year. Looks to be
the worst problems are on Friday and Saturday and are probably out of
town folks, some drinking and driving, but not much worse than ‘average’
for the state. Nearly half of the crashes involved speeding, some
excessive speeding. Seat belt usage is about average for the state.”
Over that five-year period, PK Drive had four accidents involving
pedestrians, one involving a bicycle, and ZERO fatalities (although
there was one accident resulting in fatalities in 2008, unrelated to
alcohol or drugs). “Average” for the state doesn’t point to any critical
or specific problems, but hardly anyone will argue against the need for
improvements to the road. Here are a few suggestions:
First, providing pedestrian and bicycle paths as called for in the
1997/2003 PKNP would be a terrific help. On any given day, at any given
time, you might see upwards of a dozen or more joggers/walkers along the
road regardless of weather conditions. The Plan called for this
improvement designed to “enhance the overall character of the
neighborhood”, and “encourage non-motorized transportation, thus
increasing recreational opportunities to Perdido Key residents” by the
year 2002 - independent of widening the road. So it is long overdue.
Second, a reduction in the speed limit along with added strict
enforcement would be welcome to combat safety issues.
And third, let’s not forget those pedestrian rights-of-way for safely
crossing the road, which is a common practice throughout Florida’s
coastal paradise. (Added note: a few more public beach access points,
also called for in the plan, would be a tremendous addition to the
ped-xing program.)
The fact is most visitors and residents alike don’t see SR-292 as
“over-crowded.” Back-ups at the state line or elsewhere do not occur
during most hours of use or under normal operating conditions unless
special events are scheduled on the island – such as Mullet Toss weekend
- and 6 lanes of highway wouldn’t help that situation. If you want to
see real traffic – try the four-lane stretch of Hwy. 98 through Panama
City or Destin. Or try 8am or 5pm anywhere in any city.
Regarding 2, 3, or 4 lanes for Perdido Key Drive, consider this: will
increasing the number of lanes curb driving while under the influence?
Will it increase or decrease the average speed; lessen or focus greater
amounts of thru traffic? How will it impact compatibility with a
pedestrian/bicycle friendly neighborhood environment? And consider this:
even though the Perdido Key Area Chamber of Commerce professes that
“people need to realize how important it would be for us to have
four-lane roads,” there are only two sections of four lane road on all
the islands on the western side of Florida from Sanibel northward
through Perdido Key.
We may or may not get an opportunity to voice our opinions at the ballot
box on how we shape Perdido Key in the future, including the road, but
don’t you think we should?
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