Tampa City Councilman Harry Cohen

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1 May-June 2016 President s Letter By the time you are reading this, the closing of West Shore Blvd. until July 1st will already have begun. This closing, located at the southernmost boundary of Beach Park, is being done to replace the culvert that allows water to flow under West Shore as part of the stormwater system. This is being done to improve stormwater drainage in South Tampa, largely using the funds available from the new stormwater maintenance fee. Roundabout. The intersection of Bay-to-Bay and West Shore Blvd. has been a problem for Sunset Park residents for decades. Visibility is poor and accidents, sometimes terrible ones, occur at this intersection with regularity. And it s a nightmare trying to cross West Shore, or turn left onto West Shore, at this intersection. The idea was initiated last year by SPAHA member Laura Cruse, who wrote to Mayor Buckhorn. I also followed up with Jean Duncan, Director of Transportation & Stormwater Services, and the idea is now being looked into. This is a unique opportunity because, from what I can see, there is ample room to put in a roundabout at this location. The city owns property on the both sides of West Shore next to this intersection, in the form of small parks that are never used on the east and almost never used on the west. Take a look at the feature article written by Laura and I think you ll have to agree: this is an excellent idea whose time has come - for the safety of Sunset Park residents as well as the thousands of motorists who daily go up and down West Shore. Marlin Anderson SPAHA Membership Meeting Tuesday, May 17th Jan Platt Library Meeting - 7:00 pm Social 6:30 pm Meeting Start Time - 7:00 pm Guest Speaker Tampa City Councilman Harry Cohen Topic: Stormwater/Flooding Dues are Past Due SPAHA membership dues are now past due. If you have not yet paid them, please send them in now. For members who haven t renewed, a separate renewal letter has gone out which should arrive near the time that you receive this newsletter. If your address has changed, please enter your new address when you send in the application form. Please note: Unless dues are paid, this is the last newsletter you will receive.

2 How About a Roundabout at West Shore and Bay-to-Bay? By Laura Cruse The City of Tampa is considering the development of a roundabout at the Bay-to-Bay and West Shore intersection, so we thought that we would take a look at this type of intersection and the many potential benefits for our community in general and the Sunset Park neighborhood in particular. Many accidents occur at this intersection, and perhaps it is finally time to come up with a better solution than the existing stop signs. Roundabouts a Rising Trend in the Greater Tampa Area Many people would think of the traffic flow in the United Kingdom when thinking about a roundabout, as we do not have many, relatively speaking, here in the US. However, in the recent past, there have been several roundabouts added in the Greater Tampa area, such as by the Temple Terrace golf course, several on 40 th Street just south of Busch Gardens, and one next to the main HCC campus. Roundabouts are a Much Safer Solution They can serve many purposes, and safety is at the top of the list, with a 70-80% decrease in the rate of severe or fatal crashes as compared to stop signs or traffic lights, and have proven to help in both rural and urban areas. A Very Stressful Intersection I am sure that as you have tried to turn left from N. Dundee onto West Shore or to go straight and actually cross over to Bay-to-Bay, you had difficulty with visibility due to the curving road combined with the speed of the cars traveling southbound on West Shore. Or with timing your crossing with those traveling northbound as well. Hopefully that wasn t too scary or gave you a bad memory! It is stressful to have to do that on a regular basis, and I think often about how when my kids are old enough to drive, I will train them to avoid that intersection. More Problems with this Intersection In addition, the cars passing a car turning left from West Shore Blvd onto Bay-Bay are routinely swerving into the oncoming cars (1) approaching the stop sign from N. Dundee or (2) turning Jean Duncan, Director of Transportation and Stormwater Services for the City of Tampa, speaking at the March 15, 2016 SPAHA meeting. Jean has spoken at our annual March meeting for the second year in a row, and has been very responsive to our concerns, with stellar work all around. 2

3 left onto N. Dundee from West Shore, in order not to have to stop and wait for the cars to turn left. Better Visualization A roundabout allows better visualization of traffic for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians because the traffic is all coming from the same circular direction. Lower speeds for entry into the circle also help with safety and greatly decrease the risk for head-on, rear-end and T-bone collisions. Other Benefits of Roundabouts They are good for the environment as well, as yielding rather than stopping at a light or stop sign creates less emissions. The lower speeds can decrease noise levels throughout our neighborhood as well. In addition, development of the circle could add art or landscaping that will further beautify the Sunset Park neighborhood. Roundabouts are a great solution to help keep traffic moving while allowing us to put safety first. Google FHWA-SA to read what the Federal Highway Administration has to say about the safety of using roundabouts while maintaining the flow of traffic. Also: Roundabouts can be beautiful. This roundabout has dancing dolphins. The dolphins dance in the fountain and red and green flowers encircle the roundabout. If it looks like there will be a roundabout at West Shore and Bay-to-Bay, perhaps it can beautiful as well. Photo by Kevin Beresford. 3

4 City Councilman Harry Cohen Biography Community Policing SPAHA is located in TPD District 1. The District 1 office is located at 3818 Tampa Bay Blvd. The office is staffed 24 hours/7 days each week. Numbers you should know are: Captain Barry Moskowitz Maryanne Hunsberger Neighborhood Affairs Liaison Needless to say, in the event of an emergency, always call 911. However, for non-emergency assistance, call Personal and Professional Background Born April 5, 1970, Tampa, Florida B.A. (1992), Gettysburg College J.D. (1996), New York Law School Chief Deputy Clerk of the Circuit Court for Hillsborough County, Boards/Committees: City Council Finance Committee - Chair City Council Public Safety Committee - Vice Chair Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) - Vice Chair Transportation Disadvantage Coordinating Board - Chair MPO Policy Committee - Vice Chair Hillsborough County Public Safety Coordinating Council David A. Straz, Jr. Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center - Board of Trustees and Executive Committee The Florida Orchestra - Ex Officio Member, Board of Directors Memberships The Florida Bar Hillsborough County Bar Association Tampa Bay Area Committee on Foreign Relations - See more at: about-us/harry-cohen#sthash.amhwcsba.dpuf SPAHA Website: 4

5 Please patronize our advertisers SPAHA Officers and Directors Officers: President: Marlin Anderson Vice President: Nancy Granda Recording Secretary: Cary Sipiora Corresponding Secretary: Dick Powers Treasurer: Tony Pastore Directors: Lisa Allen Sandy Ernst Jenny Lovell Michael Lundberg Paul Schweikhart Committee Chairpersons: Membership: Michael Lundberg Newsletter: Marlin Anderson

6 Sunset Park Representatives Mayor Bob Buckhorn County Commissioner Sandy Murman City Councilman Harry Cohen State Representative Dana Young City Councilman Guido Maniscalco State Senator Jeff Brandes (727) Important Phone Numbers Police - non-emergency Lawn Watering Complaints City of Tampa Information Line Solid Waste Recycling Dept Code Enforcement Special Waste Pickup Stormwater drains - clogged Manhattan Brush Site Zoning information Potholes or sinkholes Mosquito Control TPD Neighborhood Watch Street light outage (TECO) Tree Hotline Animal Control Environmental Coordination Animals (removal of dead)