The number of accidents along South Florida Avenue in Dixieland has decreased from a high of 15 during the first month of the one-year road diet there, a Florida Department of Transportation engineer told Lakeland city commissioners Monday. But Steven Davis Jr. said he’s hoping to see more improvement. More
West Pipkin Road will be widened between South Florida Avenue and Medulla Road to meet the demands of growth in southwest Lakeland, The Ledger reports. The work by Hubbard Construction of Winter Park starts next month and is expected to take around two years. The cost to Polk County: $42 million, with $6 million coming from the city of Lakeland.
Roughly 200 people came to the RP Funding Center tonight to learn about and comment on Amazon’s plans to expand its air cargo facility at Lakeland Linder International Airport. The event included a chance for attendees to ask questions of airport officials, a slide presentation summarizing the proposal and its environmental impacts, remarks by Airport Director Gene Conrad about plans to mitigate noise and a public comment period. The video starts just before the slide presentation began. | COVERAGE: News Channel 8 | Fox 13 News | The Ledger
A public hearing Thursday evening on Amazon’s plans to nearly double the size of its massive air cargo facility at Lakeland Linder International Airport is expected to attract a large crowd. Those who can’t attend will be able to watch a live stream on the LkldNow Facebook page starting at 7 p.m. More
The people planning a downtown shuttle service that starts later this year have released maps showing the routes their eight-passenger carts will take during weekday lunchtimes and weekend evenings. More
Traffic is backed up on the Polk Parkway after a plane landed on the shoulder near the Waring Road exit. No injuries were reported.
Electric carts will soon ferry people around downtown Lakeland during weekday lunchtimes and weekend evenings. A one-year pilot project that starts July 4 has a goal of moving visitors and employees from parking and offices to restaurants, bars and shopping. More
Citrus Connection, which provides public transit in Polk County, is partnering with FlixBus USA to expand bus travel between Lakeland and points south in Florida starting Thursday. More
Preliminary results from the Florida Avenue road diet test in Dixieland are renewing controversy over the project, News Channel 8 reports. The city of Lakeland says that trips through the Ariana Street-to-Lime Street corridor are taking around 60 seconds longer but injury crashes are down 12.7%. Business owners are divided about whether the project is harmful or helpful. | See city Facebook posts for more info and comments More
Lakeland Linder Airport is taking steps to reduce noise complaints, its director told city commissioners Friday. When winds are calm, nighttime flights will approach from and depart toward the west and fly over less-populated areas, The Ledger reports. In addition, the airport is still working with the FAA to allow jets to reach higher altitudes faster, and they’re planning approaches that would put more flights over the Polk Parkway instead of neighborhoods.
