Traffic counters were placed in 90+ locations south of downtown recently to gather data on traffic counts, travel times and vehicle types before the upcoming one-year test of the South Florida Avenue “road diet.” So the timing is good for an update on the Ariana-to-Lime Street narrowing of the roadway. Construction is expected to begin around May in prep for the one-year test scheduled to start around October.
In an effort to increase safety for students walking to Kathleen High Schools and others heading to public transportation, Polk officials are considering changes to Chestnut Road (map) between Memorial Boulevard and New Tampa Highway. The road would become one-way northbound separated by a concrete divider from a two-way multi-use path occupying the current southbound lane. People can learn more and give opinions at a public meeting Tuesday 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Trinity Life Church of God, 1942 W. Memorial Blvd. | Public notice
Residents interested in learning more about the future of Lakeland Linder Airport will have a chance to ask questions and voice opinions at a public meeting Wednesday from 4 to 7 p.m. at the airport terminal. Topics addressed in the airport’s 20-year master plan include runway expansion, and the airport director encourages potential homeowners in fast-growing southwest Lakeland to “know what’s happening before they buy a home” | City of Lakeland news release
A short followup on our Friday article about a young couple who wants to introduce electric scooter rentals to Lakeland, focused on downtown, Florida Southern College and routes between the two:
The couple, Jed Irvine and Latisha Forsberg, came to Monday’s City Commission meeting to answer commissioners’ questions about Leaf, the business they started in Duluth, Minn., last summer and they’d like to move to Florida during winters. More
Dreams of more vibrant development to the west of downtown Lakeland got a boost today when city commissioners signaled they’d like to see a transportation hub built just north of the RP Funding Center in the next five to 10 years. More
A $350,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to study autonomous and connected vehicles will help Lakeland’s Florida Polytechnic University become a leading center for research in the development of self-driving vehicles, engineering professor Arman Sargolzaei tells Tampa Bay Business Journal.
NEWS RELEASE: Grant focuses on a large-scale Hardware-in-the-Loop simulation facility.
A section of Interstate 4 near Lakeland has been dedicated to the memory of Florida Highway Patrol Trooper John C. Hagerty, who died at age 44 on March 18, 1970, when his sky patrol plane was struck by a low-flying Navy jet near the Green Swamp. The portion is from exit 33 (the northern of the two S.R. 33 exits) to exit 44 (the S.R. 559 exit north of Auburndale.)
Lakeland bus routes change starting next Monday when ReRoute 2020 takes effect. Some highlights:
Three pay-to-park machines in downtown Lakeland that many drivers found confusing have been replaced by new machines that take credit cards, bills, coins or payment via the ParkMobile app. Drivers no longer have to remember a number for the space they parked in, but will need to enter their license plate number. More
ROUNDABOUT: A roundabout is being planned along Drane Field Road at Don Emerson Drive, the entrance to Lakeland Linder Airport. It will be large enough to handle tractor-trailers as the area grows as a logistics center. News of the roundabout is getting heaps of praise and criticism on the insta-feedback tool known as Facebook.
IMPACT FEES: As Lakeland grows, the need for new roads is outstripping the city’s ability to pay for them, so a consultant is recommending an increase in impact fees on new construction to the tune of 53 percent for single-family homes and 60 percent for multi-family. City commissioners say they’ll consult local businesses before holding a public hearing Nov. 4.
