On May 16th, the members of the Capital Regional Transportation Planning Agency (CRTPA) will get an update on the Thomasville Road Planning Study.
The purpose of the study is to evaluate additional highway capacity alternatives to relieve current and anticipated congestion along the Thomasville Road/Capital Circle Northeast corridor.
The update will include a discussion about a proposed four-lane road extending from Bannerman Road to Centerville Road, which would run through Killearn Estates.
FDOT’s consultant for the project, RS&H, has completed the “2040 Build Alternative Analysis” which indicates that two main options, if implemented, would meet the Level of Service requirements for the Thomasville Road corridor.
The first option includes increasing Thomasville Road to 8-lanes in the study area with additional roads added in the proposed Welaunee development.
The second option is the creation of a Killearn Corridor.
The Killearn Corridor, shown below with a thick blue line, is a proposed divided four-lane road that would began at Bannerman Road and Velda Dairy Road. The road would move south to Kerry Forrest and connect with Shannon Lakes.
The road would then move south to Shamrock Street West and then head to Killearney Way. Taking a right on Killearney Way, the four-lane road would proceed to Raymond Diehl and then merge with Olson Road and end at the intersection of Fleischman Road and Welaunee Boulevard.
TR attended a Killearn Homeowners Association meeting on May 5th when a presentation was made by the RS&H consultant about the Thomasville Road study. The presentation included a detailed discussion about the Killearn Corridor option.
The response from approximately 50 people who attended the meeting vacillated between shock and disbelief that a four-lane road could possibly run through Killearn Estates.
The residents were told two other possible options were ruled out based on input from the community and elected officials.
One of these options included a “fly-over” that would move traffic from south of the I-10 interchange on Thomasville Road to just north of the entrance to Killearn Estates. This option was not pursued due to the potential negative impact on businesses in the Market District area.
The second option, the widening of Meridian Road, was ruled out due to the “canopy road movement.”
Several residents asked if the ruled out options could be added back into the analysis. The consultant said it would be up to local officials.
TR has been told that the Killearn Estates Homeowners Association is in the process of letting all local officials know that they are opposed to the Killearn Corridor.
The CRTPA meeting is being held on Monday, May 16th at 1:00 pm in the City of Tallahassee Commission Chambers. Public comments will be accepted at the meeting.
Elected Officials to Hear About “Killearn Corridor” in Study Update added by Staff on
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Don’t see why widening Meridian couldn’t result in two Canopy roads. And its probably the best way to do it.
The Killearn corridor is one of the most ridiculous ideas I’ve ever heard! Do not sacrifice our neighborhood for the sake of developers and unrestricted growth. There are two perfectly good roads that lead north – Centerville and Meridian. Widen those roads if you must but do not destroy one of Tallahassee’s premier neighborhoods.
Why can’t they build a two lane road along meridian and centerville roads. Each would be one way to match the existing road. Plant trees and now we have 4 canopy roads and everyone is happy! Running this through the heart of Killearn is a total farce.
All the more reason to pull out of the city of Tallahassee and form a north side city if they try it.
Our City leadership has jumped the shark. The NE Parkway as envisioned by Bruce Host years ago made more sense than this bad idea.
Only thing dumber are the “lets build rail” comments. Anyone with half a brain knows you need high population density for rail to work. Tallahassee doesnt have that. It would be yet another money waster for the City. Which is exactly why these idiots will explore it and probably pay one of the Mayors do-boys to conduct a $1m study. Maybe Adam Corey can do the study for $1m now that he only has to run one taxpayer funded restaurant in Tallahassee. Because you know, he’s an expert in business and transportation.
You are probably right.
We are so thankful to have gotten the heck out of Tallahassee last fall. In January 2015 when they were talking about a 27% increase in our taxes I looked at my husband and said” early retirement” . We lived off of Killerany Way and this would be a nightmare. This is what happens when you vote the same people in election after election! The city and county want to improve the South side of town on the backs of the North side tax payers, now they want to ruin such a beautiful neighborhood? No thank you! We moved to the North Georgia mountains to Blairsville, Ga in Union County, that has one commissioner, and on a 2600 square foot house and 1.5 acres our taxes are $900 a year…. At age 62 you receive a nice tax break. The peace here and no nonsense govt is so refreshing!
Why not start with the fly-over that we were told would be built a few years after the current one?!? Forget the impact on the businesses. The city and county and state have ignored business “impact” in other parts of the city and county for years. Destroying a neighborhood is not the answer.
The best solution in this case would be to build a light rail line along the median of Thomasville Rd from its split with Meridian all the way to Bradfordville. This would not only solve the congestion problems but would offer a faster, secure, and economical way to move people along that corridor. Building for cars is not viable because as others have pointed it will not solve the congestion on a long term. More development should only be linked with effective mass transit.
As a resident of Meridian Hills of 31+ years, I will admit that I, too, used to complain about the Meridian Road canopy road trees, especially when our children were driving back and forth to school every day and we drove back and forth to work daily. One question to those of you who have suggested that Meridian Road be four-laned or greater: How many times have you gone out for a leisurely spring ride down Thomasville Road through town to relax and see nature? I’ll bet zero. How many of you have driven/ridden out Meridian Road and on up into Georgia to have a relaxing and peaceful ride on a beautiful tree-lined canopy road in northern Leon County to get out of the city and enjoy the works from the hand of God? Let’s say how about thousands? Clear-cutting the sides of Meridian Road will destroy the beautiful country side and only encourage more developers to move in and plant new homesites on zero lot lines, creating even more traffic on an already congested road. Meridian has already been widened in the past and only a narrow strip of trees left. Yes, the trees can be a pain as they drop limbs during dry and wet times, but think of the alternative. So, leave the trees alone and go back to the drawing board with a better idea. I think the moratorium on building on Thomasville Road should be reinstated if developers/builders can’t control themselves.
I agree
Very well said. I couldn’t agree more.
Our canopy roads need to be left alone. They are not dangerous; bad, inattentive drivers are. For all those that tout how good “growth” is, there are as many, if not more, drawbacks as there are plusses. Traffic issues are the result of poor, unchecked growth. No one was forced to live here, no one is making you stay if you don’t like the area / traffic.
Why not something like what they’ve done to US-19 in Pinellas County… Elevated through (“express”) lanes for those people going all the way to Bannerman and “frontage” lanes for those seeking to exit sooner or visit local businesses?
Like this: https://imgur.com/a/lDsHi
Tallytacky, our new name.
We have mcmansions zero lot line dumpy housing tracks. Sell out; with no set back on Magnolia; sorry forgot, it’s the Southside,ie and Smiths, so it’s ok. All that outside money following in. All y’all that don’t like Canopy Roads, enjoy honking your horn why did you move here? We were fine, our water was fine, you could pull over in the middle of the street and have a conversation, people would just drive around. I am 7th generation, I’m done, next time someone honks, I getting out, throwing my hands up and walking away.
You build without infrastructure; really, not one of you studied logic.How did more lanes and cutting neighborhood in half work out in other cities.Remember Major winterly, took him to Fl. Supreme Court he thought it would look better if all the oak trees were gone we wouldn’t look so old-fashioned it be better for business how did that work out? Any one down town really know Tallahassee history? My Dad said they didn’t wait for you to die before they rewrote for their convenience. You people are destroying a very unique and beautiful friendly loving small City. Let me know when I can start addressing with our new name, Tallytacky.
Oh wait, there’s a protected bird that nests along that proposed route.
Building more roads is almost never the correct answer to ‘traffic congestion’. Building roads leads to more construction and more trips, and no reduction in congestion after a very short honeymoon period. We need an overall strategy to increase urban density along well-defined corridors, allowing people to leave their cars and use public modes of transportation. As one of the eariier commenters said, the issue is planning for moving people and goods, not planning for cars.
Add a Parallel road on Centerville on the other side of the canopy and add an interchange to I-10 there. It will lighten traffic needing to get on 1-10 at Thomasville Road. The East side of Centerville is not developed that much yet,once you get past Hannon Hill. Perfect place to build the parallel road and won’t disturb traffic during the construction.
Take Welannae (sp) all the way to Roberts Road and let it connect there also. Plan 4 lanes before any houses get built so everybody will know it from the beginning.
Then you will have two N/S roads parallel to Thomasville.
Make Thomasville 8 lane and keep more traffic out of the existing subdivisions. They can handle their own traffic now and the new roads will handle the new growth.
The overpass from thomasville road out past Killearn would Help with out having to go through Killearn . The extra traffic is from all the homes they are building out bradfordville so have the fly over dump out there . If someone wants to use a business below it they will , the fly over won’t stop that but it will help reduce the traffic on thomasville rd , meridian and Centerville from people trying to get to bradfordville road area .
Make that the “Brad & Joanie show.”
Theoretically, Mr. Osborns is correct. Where the problem arises is the fact that the same Killearn Homeowners Association is involved that allowed Covenants & Restrictions to expire (at least in many sections of Killearn, with more coming due). He is also correct that the past does tend to predict the future; that’s what is scary and that demands the scrutiny and involvement of all Killearn homeowners.
Killearn does not deserve nor can it afford a replay of the “Brad & Joanie” shoe, only with a different screenplay.
feint
A misleading movement or attack directed toward one part to draw offensive action away from the actual target or objective.
You think?
Thanks Bob, I was introduced to “hairy hand” strategies in the 60’s and it is still being used quite effectively today.
Wrote this email below a minute ago to Ms. Kim Stephens, FDOT GEC Project Manager. I agree totally with Mr. Osborne – KHA will have to fight, but it’s fight that desperately needs to happen.
Tues May 10, 2016
Hello Ms. Stephens,
As a present ten-year resident of Killearn Estates and someone who was lucky to rent in this beautiful area in 1975 as an FSU student, I strongly urge you and your colleagues to consider another option for a new North-South corridor that would not decimate the beauty, livability, and home values of what is perennially voted the best overall neighborhood in Tallahassee. Killearn Estates has retained it’s value and beauty over generations, and has been the treasured home for hundreds of familes in all stages of life.
Destroying much of this neighborhood for the sake of faster travel north and south of I-10 is an egregiously drastic and ill-considered plan, especially considering there are two narrow, dangerous two-lane roads (Centerville and Meridian Roads) that could be widened and made vastly safer by improving them for a much greater volume of north-south traffic. While there will be a temporary (and relatively small) outcry from some about the loss of a canopy road, other than the canopy, the roads themselves are unarguably dangerous and overcrowded as they exist now. Thomasville Road was once a small tree-lined two-lane, and it was eventually widened by several lanes, yet it still is a beautiful road to travel. The fact remains that as the Tallahassee region grows, there will inevitably be some narrow, ditch-lined canopy roads that will be sacrificed. To destroy the quality of life in one of Tallahassee’s best and most valuable neighborhoods to forestall the inevitability of widening more roads is most shocking in that it is actually being considered.
In all fairness, if moving traffic and wider roads are placed in a higher priority than destroying much of a well-populated, highly valuable, beautiful area, then large swaths of FSU’s campus and/or downtown Tallahassee parks would not be off-limits to pushing large multi-lane roads through them in the cause of moving more traffic efficiently. Any reasonable person would scoff at this idea, yet in effect that is exactly what is being considered for Killearn Estates at this point.
I ask you and your colleagues to please consider the entire scope and consequences of what this project would do to the irreplaceable quality of life in the overall best and most valuable neighborhood in Tallahassee. Other north-south options exist by widening and improving Centerville and/or Meridian Roads, and these roads could still remain scenic and beautiful drives while conveying much larger volumes of traffic.
My correspondence was similar, and Lord I hope it actually matters!
We live off Meridian Road now in Pine Tip. Meridian Road (canopy road) and traffic is already BAD. Cars come flying down that hill southbound just past Maclay Road. It needs attention, but not THAT kind of attention. You couldn’t pay me enough to live OUT past Killearn. Build or move JOBS North/NE of town instead so people do not have to commute far from home. Work where you live. Problem solved.
This plan will not work because the City of Tallahassee signed an agreement in 1995-96 as part of a settlement of a lawsuit that the good citizens of Killearn Estate had to file against their own City Government that states that the City agreed not to “direct any traffic on to Killarney Way.”
If the past is a predictor of the future, the City will ignore the agreement that they signed and will need to be sued again by their own citizens.
As the former President of Killearn Estate Homes Association, I can say KHA will stand up and fight. Unfortunately, all the citizens of the City will pay the legal bills for this misguided plan that will destroy one of Tallahassee best neighborhoods.
How are we going to afford such a destructive and divisive road? Put buses in the the median area of Thomasville Rd running in both directions every 15 minutes. Widen Meridian Rd. to at least Miller Landing or maybe all the way to Summerbrooke as it is unsafe and will be too congested in the future. Widen Centerville Rd to I-10 also, as it will serve the new developments that will be permitted and built. We still have the canopy further out and on Old Bainbridge, St Augustine, and Miccosukee Rds.
The sad reality is that running a freeway through Killearn makes just exactly as much sense as the 100 million dollar overpass to nowhere and blairstone road to nowhere. They’ve already surveyed my property on Raymond Diehl and put up pink flags where the road will be expanded.
When I asked the surveyors what they were doing on my property they apparently lied to my face.
Nice.
So there are two options presented. One of the two options is to further expand an already widened road (Thomasville) to add another lane in each direction. Additional traffic accommodation would come from roads yet to built, in a subdivision yet to be developed. Probably much more free form design capability there. You may very well have the opportunity to build additional canopy roads through the undeveloped subdivision with this option. Ever driven on Forest Park Parkway in St. Louis? It doesn’t always have to be a win/lose scenario.
I’ll contend the “Killearn Corridor” is presented only to make the Thomasville Rd./Welaunee option look that much better.
Canopy roads are the hallmark of Tallahasssee, and cutting them down would be a terrible loss. Ask the tourism board and they’ll tell you that they add much more than they take away. Traffic is manageable right now. Apparently a huge subdivision is coming off Centerville called Canopy which will change that. The irony isn’t lost that this new development is threatening the canopy roads.
I live on Shamrock St. W. but am refraining from commenting further on this “plan” other than to say I just subscribed to Tallahassee Reports (been wanting to for a while and never got around to it). Also, thanks for the time spent on Preston Scott’s show. I’m glad there is someone doing this much needed work.
I totally agree with fixing Meridian and Centerville to handle the current and future traffic needs. They are just too dangerous. Of course, you’ll have to deal with the old hippies at the coop, but maybe they have lost too many of their residents to keep being obstructionists to safety issues for the majority of Tallahassee residents. And, when Orchard Pond toll road gets cranking, it’s only gonna get worse.
The roads are not dangerous. Idiot drivers are. Leave our canopy roads and trees alone. If you don’t like ’em, the same road that brought you here runs the other way, too.
Native
Karen, there will always be idiot drivers. We have to design for the safety of the entire community, not just the “safe ones”. Even safe drivers can be distracted at times. The population goes up every year, and the infrastructure should be growing with it. If you want to live in a small town, I’m afraid that it is you that will need to move. You are naïve to think that the capital of the state of Florida is not going to grow.
Also Native
The city would rather build a new 4 lane road though Killearn Estates than cut one tree on centerville road. trees can be cut, they do grow back you know
Not according to them
John- Meridian Rd is not where the need is greatest. Frankly, I see the possibility as an economic opportunity for Killearn.
So is the city going to seize and bulldoze people’s homes or just run the four lane up against the house?
What’s the speed limit going to be 45?
How many lives will that cost?
What about the additional polution, you can’t imagine how much soot is generated from the current traffic on Raymond Diehl?
You are taking one of the nicer residential sections of Tallahassee and flushing it down the drain.
It’s a moronic idea, but what do you expect from morons.
Nimby for sure, see how it feels when it is your back yard.
So is the city going to seize and bulldoze people’s homes or just run the four lane up against the house?
Pretty much
What’s the speed limit going to be 45?
Or lower
How many lives will that cost?
They don’t care, as long as you don’t kill trees
What about the additional polution, you can’t imagine how much soot is generated from the current traffic on Raymond Diehl?
They will just raise taxes. A carbon tax, get it? Not that they do anything but fund other crony projects with that money or anything.
You are taking one of the nicer residential sections of Tallahassee and flushing it down the drain.
Yep
It’s a moronic idea, but what do you expect from morons.
Keep voting for them and they will not disappoint.
Nimby for sure, see how it feels when it is your back yard.
Good luck with that. I got the hell out of Killearn for other reasons but this does not shock me at all
Build a two lane road parallel to the canopy roads. The old canopy road would go one direction and the new road the other direction.
Best idea yet!!
Very good idea. (I can’t imagine the cost of relocating underground utilities in Killearn Estates.
Kirby–
I agree with you that growth and expansion are going to happen. As such we need to abandon this idea of old canopy roads being important. Yes, taking down trees will take away from beauty but they’re going to have to come down eventually. Sacrifice them now and save the neighborhoods.4 lane Meridian and Centerville. It is naïve to think they won’t be expanded at some point. Do it now and get it over with.
Why are we trying to save the trees on Meridian Rd?? Canopy roads are not safe. They have huge oak trees in the clear zone that will inevitably be hit by cars at some point. I see people biking along this road with no paved shoulders on a daily basis. Why are we putting trees before humans?? Instead, the plan is to destroy houses by running a 4-lane road through a neighborhood. Have we lost all common sense? Meridian Road needs to be reconsidered, and if it is denied then no more building permits should be issued on the northeast side of town.
I agree with James Johnson. I love the trees and their beauty, but to destroy peoples homes and possibly their lives for the sake of trees that were not “protected” when they moved in is ridiculous, in my opinion. This is the tail wagging the dog. Why is development being allowed to increase to the extent that established neighborhoods are being decimated to accommodate it? I’ve lived in six different states and the only one that has ever operated with a mentality like this was Mississippi, where I was born. I think someone here may have been promoted to their level of incompetency. To destroy an established neighborhood of good homes for the sake of building MORE houses…What a shame.
I respectfully submit this for consideration. Remember all the constirnation over the Blairstone Rd extension? A whole lot of NIMBY, but at the end of the day, the project’s ultimate success was bease of the amalgamation of ideas and suggestions by all interested parties. Growth is going to happen. Managed growth is what makes most sense. What was planned for Killearn 30-50 years ago, may very well need updated thinking in this decade, and for decades to come.
This is not the same as the Blairstone Extension. The Blairstone Extension did not negatively impact Doomar Drive, if anything it relieved traffic on Doomar.
They did not four lane ANY existing neighborhood roads.
Comparing the two is a false equivalency.
What about finishing the two-laning of Bannerman Road
Does Bryan Desloge feel this is a good idea? He’s my commissioner and I don’t remember seeing or reading anything about this? What will be the expected economic impact? Meaning, how low are property values expected to drop? How does this affect homes along the golf course? Is the walkability of the community shot? What happens to the businesses along that corridor? What happens to the churches?
If this is a true 4 lane highway does this mean the roundabout is dead at Kerry Forrest and Killearny way? If not, how much of the retirement community’s parking lot is going away at Kerry Forrest and what will be the traffic impact of those traveling from Celebration Baptist direction to Killearny way? How many drainage ponds will have to be built along the highway? Where will the drainage ponds go?
So the concern is congestion along Thomasville Rd but is there concern for the residents of Killearn?
I have a lot of questions but I will stop here
If Centerville Road would be impacted by this plan, it would be a disaster. The traffic on this two lane road at rush hour, is terrible now. Trying to get out of a subdivision is a nightmare. It amazes me that trees always come before people and traffic safety.
What is needed is more public transportation with locations to park cars. This is how most other cities handle the rush hours… In my lifetime since the early 1970’s most cities have had non-stop buses during rush hours carrying people from suburbs to downtown.) If you notice, almost every car driving on Thomasville Rd/Capital Circle NE to SE in the morning has ONE occupant. A non-stop bus from Target to Southwood is needed in AM & PM. Also a non-stop bus from Target to downtown in AM & PM. (Target has plenty of parking in the back of lot if they will approve) Put the 2 bus runs in and forget-about-it. Simple. The last thing needed is a 4 lane road through a residential neighborhood for more one-occupant cars. (If Target isn’t accepting use a piece of county land for a “park & ride” spot.) This should have happened a long, long time ago…
No thank you.
Rode the bus for a while in another city where I saw one attempted molestation of a young woman (other passengers intervened), lots of stinky people, ignorant people who put their bags/purses/feet on the seat next to them (likely to discourage stinky people from sitting there), loud people on cell phones, strange people leering at you, etc..
Do you really think there is no difference between a typical city bus you’re describing and a nonstop park and ride bus that goes from killearn/killearn lakes area to the offices in southwood???
Turn the flyover into an elevated highway. Run it from Cap Circle north to Kerry Forrest or Bannerman.
No stop lights, traffic would FLOW!
Like this:
http://lakerlutznews.com/lln/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/TollFolloFollo1.jpg
Yeah, do it like the Crosstown Expressway / Leroy Selmon Expressway in Tampa. Have it be reversible and make it a toll road (Crosstown has been a toll road since the thing was built in the late 70’s or early 80’s, I can’t remember). It was built specifically to reduce the traffic on SR 60 from Brandon to Tampa. The naysayers said it would be a complete fail because people wouldn’t pay to use it when the free road was a block away, however, its handled well over 40k cars a day since it was opened and they’ve had to expand it twice in the past 20 years. Trust me, if people can take a road without stop lights and local traffic, and reduce their commute time, they’ll do it. I seem to remember the Crosstown in Tampa costing about $2.50 a day from Brandon to Tampa. If you went all the way into South Tampa, it was around $5.00 a day.
One option was dismissed as it might have a negative impact on some businesses.
Still open is an option that would destroy a neighborhood.
One of these days we will confront the PROBLEM (moving people and goods)and quit worrying around with the SYMPTOM (how to continue to accommodate the private automobile.
Not yet though.
Seems like it can solve itself. If people dont like traffic, then move. I live close to where I work, and away from the north and west sides of town, for that reason.
We’ve lived continuously in the same house my dad built in 1969 on Raymond Diehl.We’ve paid a lof taxes and put a lot into the property. Running a 4 lane highway through my two lots would effectively ruin me financially.
You would steal an acre of land from me, destroy my property, and reduce the value of my home to nothing.
John – if this proceeds get the best eminent domain attorney available. The condemning authority is required to pay the fees for the attorney, appraiser and any expert witnesses you may need. Your attorney will fight for a valuation of the highest and best use for your land which could possibly be a gigantic office building, a hotel or some other large scale construction. Your compensation would be based on the value of highest and best use, not what you have now but the potential future use. You will know when to get an attorney because you will be notified that an action to seize your property is underway. Don’t panic. I am not an attorney but am very familiar with the eminent domain process in Florida.
What is the source of all the anticipated new traffic flowing north to south?
They are raising taxes left and right so they are likely projecting a “population explosion” in the near future because people just love high taxes. They will be flocking here in droves any time now.