The Capital Regional Transportation Planning Agency (CRTPA) heard an update and voted to move forward to the design phase of the Thomasville Road Multi-Use Path. The discussion and vote took place during the January 31 CRTPA Board meeting.
The vote passed with Commissioners Kristin Dozier, Curtis Richardson, Dianne Williams-Cox, Betsy Barfield, Quincee Messersmith, Anthony Viegbesie, and Councilman Decorkus Allen in the affirmative. In contrast, Commissioners Rick Minor, Nick Maddox, and Jeremy Matlow were in dissent.
The agenda item determined whether to move forward into the design phase for the Thomasville Road Multi-Use Path that will connect the Market District to Midtown. The recommendation by staff was the approval of the path that would run along Thomasville Road from Betton Road to Armistead Road and from Armistead Road to Woodgate.
For the path to avoid the I-10 interchange, the recommendation is to cross Thomasville Road West and run up to Metropolitan Boulevard on that side of the street.
The estimated cost is displayed in the chart below:
After hearing from citizens both supporting and against the multi-use path, Commissioner Minor, who initially favored the project, began the discussion with a new proposal.
While Minor agrees with the need for “greater connectivity” using multimodal paths, he feels the Thomasville corridor is not the safest roadway to have one. Furthermore, he felt the need to listen to the community in his district and come up with an alternative.
After talking with the community, Minor said 58% of residents do not approve of the path. “It’s not a perfect solution,” Minor said, “but perhaps workable.” First, he suggested having cyclists use the current All Saints to Maclay Gardens Route. Then, he proposed repairing and upgrading the existing sidewalks along Thomasville Road for pedestrians.
Minor stated that simply repairing certain sections of the existing sidewalks could save the CRTPA as much as $5.8 million. He said he used the Florida Department of Transportation’s “long-range estimated sidewalk costs per mile” figures, and the estimated total is roughly $339 thousand.
Minor made a motion not to move forward with the design phase of the proposed plans but instead have staff bring back a new item to repair the sidewalks along Thomasville Road.
Commissioner Maddox seconded the motion, agreeing with Minor that if the project can be reimagined at a lower cost, those funds could go to other communities, such as on the Southside, to repair or construct sidewalks.
Commissioners Williams-Cox and Richardson opposed Minor’s proposal, saying so much time and money had already gone into the feasibility study for the current recommendation.
Richardson made a substitute motion to move forward with the staff recommendations, and Williams-Cox seconded it.
In the end, after a lengthy discussion, the commissioners voted on the substitute motion, which carried. According to the Board, there will be continual community outreach and dialogue with the commission throughout the project’s next phase.
The Capital Regional Transportation Planning Agency Moves Forward With Thomasville Road Multi-Use Path added by Lynsey Kirk on
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@ Inyra: Don’t worry, I bet that they are already planning for a $14.5 Million Dollar Pedestrian Bridge. After all, that will be the East Gateway into Tallahassee.
Let’s put a live streaming camera where the new path crosses Thomasville Rd. It will be like watching the old video game “Frogger”. As an added bonus, the gambling folks can place bets on who will or won’t make it safely across. Oh wait, the Commissioners who voted yes already have bet and lost our millions. There needs to be an intervention for their habit of losing taxpayer money .
Anthony Viegbesie???? Is he a Gadsden County Commissioner (a.k.a. “Dr. V”) and a Leon County Commissioner?
I see people walking multiple times per day on safe walking paths NOT in traffic… and they are healthy so maybe you should have your eye prescription updated.
I didn’t realize you were accredited by the American Medical Association to spout off medical data, oh that’s right, you’re not!
In response to Hope’s vision of higher hospital costs due to a walking bike path, Really? Have you looked around at your average Tallahassee citizen? Obese, diabetic and a cardiac catheterization waiting to happen. Have you examined the cost for a couple days in ICU and a couple of stents that may not occur if more Tallahassee residents walked the recommended 30 minutes a day. So short sighted.
Well, on the upside there’s a rather new TMH emergency room near by and it can always be on standby for the incoming due to this decision…
and for those patients injured from this decision those who voted YES can be on the hook for their hospital bills. There has to be accountability somewhere and usually when it’s in the pocketbook there is an awakening.
TMH may want to go ahead and put up the billboard thanking those who voted yes.
Take the money for this proposal and hire more police.
$4.8 million dollars? In your dreams…..
I totally AGREE with Minor and Maddox on this. You RARELY see anyone in that area using the Sidewalks along Thomasville Road so I will bet even fewer will use the new one on this Agenda. What Minor and Maddox propose will save over $5 Million and I am SURE that can cover the cost of the “time and money already gone into the feasibility study” for the current recommendation. No need to spend GOOD Money after BAD.
One of the main key items on my Campaign Platform for County Commission District 5 is Reeling in Wasteful Spending and this is a prime example. Your Jobs are not to WASTE Money but spend it Wisely. Minor and Maddox has the better plan.