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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDocumentation_Regular_Tab 9E_2/11/1993 VILLAGE OF TEQUESTA Post Office Box 3273 • 357 Tcyucsta Drive 145 Tcqucsta,Florida 33469-0273 • (407) 575-6200 Fax: (407)575-6203 o e4col coWNly MEMORANDUM TO: Village Council FROM: Thomas G. Bradford, Village Manager DATE: February 4, 1993 TO: Resolution No. 4-92/93—Urging the Florida Department of Transportation to Provide for Appropriate Traffic Separators Within the Medians of I-95; Agenda Item With all the recent press concerning the cross-median accidents on I-95 in Palm Beach County and considering my own personal experiences and concerns regarding traveling on I-95, I prepared the attached Resolution for your consideration at the Village Council meeting on February 11 . Please see the attached articles from the Palm Beach Post for a synopsis on this growing problem. I believe the Resolution is self-explanatory and would highly recommend that the' Village adopt the same. Your action and subsequent transmittal to the referenced agencies and officials should help start a chain reaction of popular support for an item that we know will save lives and reduce carnage on our primary artery through Palm Beach. County. TGB/cm attachment • Recycled Paper RESOLUTION NO. 4-92/93 A RESOLUTION OF THE VILLAGE COUNCIL OF THE VILLAGE OF TEQUESTA, PALM BEACH COUNTY, FLORIDA, URGING THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO PROVIDE FOR APPROPRIATE TRAFFIC SEPARATORS WITHIN THE MEDIANS OF INTERSTATE 95 WITHIN PALM BEACH COUNTY TO REDUCE THE LOSS OF LIFE FROM CROSS-MEDIAN ACCIDENTS WHEREAS, since January 1-, 1987, 44 people have been killed in 35 cross-median accidents in Palm Beach County; and WHEREAS, since December 1, 1992, six people have been killed in cross-median accidents in Palm Beach County, four of them since January 18, 1993; and WHEREAS, the increasing urbanization of Palm Beach County and the resultant increase in traffic on all roadways, including I-95 gives rise to the need for increased safety efforts; and WHEREAS, members of the Florida Highway Patrol familiar , with the situation on I-95 in Palm Beach County have gone on record in support of the need for the provision by the Florida Department of Transportation of appropriate traffic separators or median barriers to address a growing problem; and WHEREAS, it is estimated to cost from $1.95 million to $5.2 million to install an appropriate traffic separator along the applicable portions of I-95 in Palm Beach County, a small • price to pay to reduce these human tragedies; and WHEREAS, Federal matching funds equal to 90 percent of the cost of said construction is available. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE VILLAGE COUNCIL OF THE VILLAGE OF TEQUESTA, PALM' BEACH COUNTY, FLORIDA, AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. The Florida Department of Transportation is urged to proceed forthwith with the construction of an appropriate traffic separator within the medians of I-95 within all applicable areas of Palm Beach County. Section 2. The elected membership of the Palm Beach County Legislative Delegation to the State House and Senate are urged to use their good offices to bring forth necessary State funding to empower the Florida Department of Transportation to expeditiously proceed with this important transportation construction project. Section 3. Representatives of the people of Palm Beach County in the United States House of Representatives and the , United States Senate are urged to use their good offices to bring forth necessary Federal funding to empower the Florida Department of Transportation to expeditiously proceed with this important transportation construction project. Section 4. The leadership of the municipal and county governments of Palm Beach County are urged to support this important transportation construction project for the safety of the people of Palm Beach County and all persons traversing therein. Section 5. The Village Manager is requested to direct a copy of this Resolution to Florida's United States- Senators, members of Congress representing Palm Beach County, the Palm Beach County Legislative Delegation, the Board of County Commissioners for Palm Beach County, each municipality in Palm Beach County, Governor Lawton Chiles, the Secretary of the Florida Department of Transportation, the District Engineer for the Florida Department of Transportation and the Secretary of the United States Department of Transportation. THE FOREGOING RESOLUTION was offered by • Councilmember , who moved its ' adoption. The motion was seconded by Councilmember , and upon being put to a vote, the vote was as follows: FOR ADOPTION AGAINST ADOPTION The Mayor thereupon declared the Resolution duly passed and adopted this lath day of February, A.D. , 1993. MAYOR OF TEQUESTA Earl C. Collings ATTEST: Joann Manganiello Village Clerk 10A THE PALM BEACH POST FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 1993 The Palm Beach Post TOM GIUFFRIDA,Publisher EDWARD SEARS,Editor LON DANIELSON,Ceneml Manager TOM O'HARA,Managing Editor RANDY SCHULTZ,Editor of the Editorial Page JAN TUCKWOOD,Associate Editor ALAN FERGUSON, VP Advertising LARRY SIEDLIK, VP Ee Treasurer GALE HOWDEN,Director,Community Relations TOM HIGHFIELD, VP Circulation LINDA MURPHY,Director,Human Resources WALLY REICHERT,Director,Production KEN WALTERS,Director,Marketing and Research I-95 safety a bargain at just $3 .5 million • • • Some things can be proven with numbers. Others, such as the Median barriers can be need for guardrails in the medi- an of I-95 in Palm Beach County, are in place from PGA simply obvious. • Boulevard to the • In theory,the-grassy medians found Broward Countyline. along most of I-95 are wide enough so that vehicles can't cross them. The • • width varies,but it's always at least 60 The cost of extending the barrier feet. That meets design safety stan- would be about $3.5 million. That dards, according to Freddie Vargas, amount would provide 25 miles of assistant traffic operations engineer at guardrail, enough to protect I-95 driv- the Florida Department of Transports- ers south of PGA Boulevard,where the lion district office in Fort Lauderdale. problem seems to be concentrated. In In practice, however, vehicles are addition, the state would have to get crossing the medians with deadly re- federal approval because the highway is sults. On Jan. 18, three people were part of the interstate system. killed and two others seriously injured The money shouldn't be hard to get, • when a southbound car crossed the since DOT is relatively well off as median south of Northlake Boulevard Florida agencies go. The department's and crashed broadside into a north- money comes from fuel taxes, so DOT • bound car. It was the 14th fatal cross- doesn't have to fight for money from median accident in Palm Beach County the Legislature. Federal approval during the past 18 months,according to should be no problem;with that approv- the Florida Highway Patrol. al comes 90 percent federal money. • Because of a project to widen the But barriers alone aren't enough. highway to eight lanes,I-95 does have a Significantly, the only person not seri- concrete barrier in the median south of ously injured in the Jan. 18 crash was Spanish River Boulevard in Boca Raton. the only one wearing a seat belt= a The barrier is being extended north to child strapped into a car seat. As Lt. Linton Boulevard in Delray Beach as James Howell of the FHP put it, "A • part of the same project. The road is guardrail is not a panacea." .also scheduled to be widened in north- Still, barriers will help. Florida's • •ern Palm Beach County, but that work Turnpike has them throughout Palm- probably won't include barriers because Beach County, and they have eliminat-• it won't bring the northbound and ed head-on crashes. Motorists on I-95 southbound lanes closer together. deserve the same protection. 1OA THE PALM BEACH POST FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 1993 The Palm Beach Post TOM GIUFFRIDA,Publisher EDWARD SEARS,Editor LON DANIELSON,General Manager TOM O'HARA,Managing Editor RANDY SCHULTZ,Editor of the Editorial Page JAN TUCKWOOD,Associate Editor ALAN FERGUSON,VP Advertising LARRY SIEDLIK, VP 6'7)-easurer • GALE HOWDEN,Director,Community Rdations TOM HIGHFIELD, VP Circulation LINDA MURPHY,Director,Human Resources WALLY REICHERT,Director,Production KEN WALTERS,Director,Marketing and Research • • • I9 safety a gbar ain 5 3 .5 millijust at just •• . . • ome things can be proven with numbers. Others, such as the Median barriers can be need for guardrails in the medi- an of I-95 in Palm Beach County, are in place from PGA • simply obvious. • Boulevard to the hi theory,the grassy medians found • " along most of I-95 are wide enough so Broward County line. that vehicles can't cross them. The • width varies, but it's always at least 60 . The cost of extending the barrier feet. That meets design safety Stan- would be about $3.5 million. That dards, according to Freddie Vargas, amount would provide 25 miles of assistant traffic operations engineer at guardrail, enough to protect I-95 driv- the Florida Department of Transports- ers south of PGA Boulevard,where the tion district office in Fort Lauderdale. problem seems to be concentrated. In In practice, however, vehicles are addition, the state would have to get crossing the medians with deadly re- federal approval because the highway is sults. On Jan. 18, three people were part of the interstate system. killed and two others seriously injured The money shouldn't be hard to get, • when a southbound car crossed the since DOT is relatively well off as median south of Northlake Boulevard Florida agencies go. The department's and crashed broadside into a north- money comes from fuel taxes,so DOT bound car. It was the 14th fatal cross- doesn't have to fight for money from median accident in Palm Beach County the Legislature. Federal approval during the past 18 months,according to should be no problem;with that approv- • the Florida Highway Patrol. al comes 90 percent.federal money. ' • Because of a project to widen the But barriers alone aren't enough. . highway to eight lanes,.I-95 does have a Significantly,.the only person not seri- ouslyconcrete barrier in the median south of injured in the Jan. 18 crash was Spanish River Boulevard in Boca Raton. the only one wearing a seat belt - . a The barrier is being extended"north to child strapped into a car seat. As Lt. Linton Boulevard in Delray Beach as James Howell of the FHP put it, "A • part of the same project. The road is guardrail is not a panacea." .also scheduled to be widened in north- Still, barriers will help. Florida's •ern Palm Beach County,but that work Turnpike has them throughout Pain probably won't include barriers because Beach County, and they have eliminat. it won't bring the northbound and ed head-on crashes. Motorists on I-95 southbound lanes closer together. deserve the same protection. ; • ij'j. I . tolctol 195 danger, suit claims By STEPHEN POUNDS • . and JOE BROGAN ' Palm Beach Post Staff Writers WEALM BEACH State officials knew early as four STP years ago that—Palm Beach County hadas a serious problem with cross-median accidents on =Interstate 95. In 1988,the state Department of Transportation had compiled a four-year study of head-on collisions. In 20 accidents,two people died,and 54 were injured, according to a report in a lawsuit stemming from one N of the crashes. But at the time, the county did not qualify for federal money that would have helped pay for median r • barriers, and it is unclear whether the DOT ever studied the need for the barriers after 1988,accord- „ ing to sworn statements in the suit. The question of median barriers has become the 4A focus of public outrage in the past few weeks.m Since Dec.1,six people have been killed in cross- median accidents in Palm Beach County,four of them in the past two weeks. In the latest crash, a 13-year-old boy died on Saturday when the car in which he was riding drifted into the median, crossed over and collided with a southbound car, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Eric Sonberg died at the scene.Five others were injured in the crash, bringing to 21 the number of people hurt in cross-median accidents in the past two . weeks. Since Jan.1,1987,44 people have been killed in 35 cross-median accidents. Please see BARRIERS/6A FHP says barriers needed to curb -I-95 accidents BARRIERS . DOT officials answered that"we cannot... than DOT realizes. From 1 A accept responsibility for hazards that are pro- "The problem is spread out over the whc duced by others." interstate from PGA Boulevard south to Y_ The FHP says barriers are needed to stop The other driver in the accident was travel- mato Road,"he said."Everyone,including t the carnage. Only 5 miles of the highway in ing at an excessive speed and was under the DOT,needs to listen to the people about t. Palm Beach County have them now. influence of alcohol,according to DOT's letter. problem.The ultimate question is,what's But DOT officials say that, according to DeLong's case goes to court in March. price of a human life?" highway design standards, the 60-foot-wide "I think: What a waste. That 13-year-old Officials estimate it would cost$1.95 rr Medians that line most of I-95 here make boy,that's terrible.In my case,there was no lion to$5.2 million to install a barrier along_ barriers unnecessary. warning, no nothing," the 70-year-old grand- miles of interstate median, but no money - Still, officials are looking into whether mother said Monday. budgeted. temporary guardrails used during construction DeLong's attorneys have obtained a sworn "This puts the DOT in a tough positior on Florida's Turnpike would be suitable. statement from FHP Lt.James Howell saying said Freddie Vargas; assistant district trai_ - Eileen DeLong,a former night-shift nurse that the FHP recommended a median barrier operations engineer. at St.Mary's Hospital,says DOT should have be erected on I-95 in Palm Beach County The DOT would have to take money fr.: put in median barriers long ago.DeLong filed before 1988. another project, and in Palm Beach Cour.: snit against the department last year over The DOT conducted several studies in the officials have asked the state to make widen: injuries she suffered in a cross-median colli- early 1980s on the need for median barriers on of the interstate in south county a priority. Sion in 1988. 1-95 in Broward County.But the DOT district Howell said he isn't convinced that DC Her claim against the department is based safety engineers who gave sworn statements studies are needed. on DOT's failure"to correct a known defective in DeLong's case said they didn't know why "All you have to do is look at all the t1 and hazardous condition" by not installing similar studies weren't done in Palm Beach marks on the concrete(barriers)near Glad_ inedian guardrails or barriers,DeLong's attor- County until 198a Road,and you can see that without them,th neys slid in a letter. Howel;said the situation is more serious ivehicles would have crossed the media." i D 0 11 .... . says yestoI.-95• - i4 _ arriers p t: State, federal approval . _ pp key to 31-mile project By STEPHEN POUNDS N.Palm Beach Post Staff Writer • FORT LAUDERDALE - State Department of ;1 Transportation engineers said Wednesday they will work to erect median barriers on Interstate 95 from Linton Boulevard in Delray Beach to PGA Boulevard : 1 N. in Palm Beach Gardens to counter a rash-of deaths -A from crossover crashes. ' DOT engineers decided to build 31 miles of Ud double-sided steel guardrails at an estimated cost of $2.2 million — as soon as they can get the needed " . approval from state and fed- eral agencies, the governor Seat belts and the Legislature: Construction is not ex- are a better : pected to begin until Sep- way to save - tember,and no date has been lives on 1-95. set for completion. OPINION, 20A _ Highway engineers hud- dled Wednesday afternoon in Fort Lauderdale to address the mounting number of fatalities in Palm Beach County from vehicles cross- - ing the interstate's grassy median and slamming into oncoming traffic. Six people have died in crossover crashes on I-95 in Palm Beach County since Dec. 1. Even with the public outrage, the DOT is con- strained by state laws from moving any quicker to award construction contracts,District Secretary Rick - Chesser said. - The highway officials sifted through their sched- ule of road projects, passing over many such as the . widening of Okeechobee Boulevard because they : : were already overdue. , . The DOT plans to take $2.3 million from a Vero • Beach bridge project that was completed for less than it was budgeted.It will also use$150,000 in federal • highway safety money from this year's budget and :. borrow $300,000 from another state transportation : district and repay it next year. . ' .. Finding the money does not ensure that construc- •; lion will proceed on time. The DOT's district officials must get approvals -- from their bosses in Tallahassee, the governor, the Legislature and the federal government. . . . Federal government approval is key. The DOT. . must prove that the project's benefits outweigh its • 18A THE PALM BEACH POST THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1993 s c • , . . ��N°• DOT a roves barriers, for 195 woman injured in a cross-median crash, sent a letter I warning the DOT of the problem in 1991. DOT This is the second time the DOT has been forced T : O BEACH PALM From I A to react to traffic deaths and the ensuing public "▪ ` • costs. When the state did a study on cross-median outcry. • _ ,- accidents on I-95 in Palm Beach County in 1988, it ' In 1983, the department built an interstate medi- median i ; : LAKE found the number did not meet the federal threshold. an barrier from the Dade County line north to 1 Proposed barriers : woRTH But District Safety. Engineer Chris LeDew said he, Broward Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale after 11 + - believes the number will satisfy federal guidelines people died in crossover accidents in six months. 1.ID this time. In the two years after the median barrier wall was LeDew said the DOT had not looked at the erected in Broward, there were no deaths from ' , 2 BBEAC"H°N" county's I-95 cross-median accidents for the past four crossover collisions. But on the section without 1 years because the problem did not seem acute. barriers, nine people died during those two_years in . But when the public flooded DOT's switchboards +▪ DELRAY crossover crashes. • : 1 BEACH , last month after three people died in a cross-median Chesser and LeDew said traffic volume may be Lift, . , • interstate collision, it was time to revisit the statis- linked to the recent crashes in Palm Beach County. Existing "We're a public agency responding to the public's The number of daily motorists on I-95 in the county • barriers p g p gi p jumped from 108,518 in 1987 to 130,010 in 1991. . _ 1 oN -` need," DOT traffic operations en engineer Freddie • Vargas said. "We're trying to determine if after you get to a BROWARDCOUNTY But some critics say the DOT should have moved certain level, you reach a saturation point," Chesser sooner. Charles Powers, an attorney representing a said. .