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Three pay-to-park machines in downtown Lakeland that many drivers found confusing have been replaced by new machines that take credit cards, bills, coins or payment via the ParkMobile app.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.
Unwholly Bikes, a nonprofit that turns used bicycle parts into working bikes for students in need, has scheduled a Saturday grand opening for its workshop at 925 E. Rose Street.
The board that oversees the Citrus Connection is in a financial dispute with Polk County government that the transit system says could jeopardize its financial stability. The Lakeland Area Mass Transit District board is demanding that the county pay an overdue $382,000 bill within 15 days. County officials have withheld payment because they want the transit district to stop billing for its accrued pension liability under the state retirement system. While the head of the Citrus Connection says they’ll find a way to continue bus service to the county for now, the agency’s finance director says state and federal grants will be jeopardized without the matching funds.
The city of Lakeland had hoped to finish a project disrupting traffic on Cleveland Heights Boulevard before the start of classes Monday at nearby Carlton Palmore Elementary School. But officials said today that recent rains have delayed completion of the project by about two weeks. More
With a ribbon-cutting ceremony this morning, city commissioners opened Lakeland’s first “cycle track,” a dedicated two-way bike path along three blocks of New York Avenue downtown. (Video by Reems Landreth) More
