TAMPA, Fla. — Neighbors in a South Tampa community are demanding changes to their residential street after documenting frequent speeding and traffic tie-ups.
“It’s ridiculous what we see. Somebody’s going to get hurt," said Dawn Connors.
Connors lives at the corner of S. Church Avenue and Platt Street, an area she says is plagued by reckless driving.
Neighbors have sent videos and emails to the City of Tampa, complaining about drivers using Church Avenue to avoid congestion at the busy intersection of Kennedy Boulevard and Dale Mabry Highway. Drivers often use the residential road to cut through to South Tampa.
“We want our neighborhood safe, that’s our biggest thing," said Natalie Cacciatore.
Cacciatore tells ABC Action News the traffic has gotten so bad, children rarely go outside to play.
"You’ll find two of her bikes and she rides her bike in my house," said Cacciatore. "I do not let my daughter outside in the front yard because there’s accidents all the time.”
ABC Action News has learned that the City of Tampa is moving forward with traffic calming measures for the area including a four-way stop at S. Church Avenue and W. Cleveland Street.
They will also paint 25 mph markings directly on Church Avenue as a reminder for drivers and add a white outside edge line to the travel lane in the area of Church and Cleveland.
"We are in the process of conducting a Stop-control Warrant Study in the area of Church St. between the intersections of Dale Ave. and Horatio St. We will make a determination in the near future as to whether one of these intersections should have a four-way stop condition. Once that study is complete, we will issue a work order for all of this signage and striping work to be done as one upgrade. We anticipate that we would begin this work in the next 2-3 months"
