CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Ronald Gonzalez has been at Rene Dupre Hairstyling for thirty years.
- Safety changes proposed for Drew Street in Clearwater
- Changes would be on downtown, residential and neighborhood stretches of the road
- City council will discuss changes again in September
The traffic outside his business on Drew Street in Clearwater concerns him.
"You can see them going 60, 70 and I like I said, one of these days one of those cars are going to come right into my business because I’m right in front of the road," said Gonzalez.
Sixteen-hundred crashes were reported on Drew Street in the last five years. One of the two fatalities during that time was outside the salon.
Changes have been proposed to address several safety concerns voiced by the public during online surveys and community workshops.
"The biggest concerns we heard from the residents were primarily safety and left hand turning and turning along Drew street," said Ellen Crandall, Development Review Manager with the City of Clearwater.
Complete Street Project scenarios were presented to City Council with three of them being recommended to move forward for: downtown, residential and neighborhood stretches of the road.
Downtown:
"Reducing the lanes from four to two, adding a bi-directional bike lane and on-street parking," said Crandall.
Neighborhoods:
"A lane reduction from four lanes to one lane each direction with a center turn lane to facilitate those left turns," said Crandall.
Commercial area:
"Improving the landscaping within the existing median, helping to facilitate mid-block crossings," said Crandall.
'With that third area we kind of heard some hybrid options of mixing and matching maybe widening the sidewalk or widening the bike lane."
"Improving the safety of Drew Street was one of the primary comments we heard from the public," said Crandall. "So it is one of our primary goals with the Complete Street Project."
The goal is trying to make Drew Street safer for drivers, bikers and walkers.
The proposals will go before City Council again in September.
Meantime, Gonzalez hopes everyone remembers to share the road.
"Drive a little more slower and take more time and think of the other person," said Gonzalez.