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Port Richey Community Finally Over The Hump

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By Carl  Orth | The Suncoast News

Published: July 16, 2008

PORT RICHEY --Pedestrians and speeding cars don't mix, Forest Lake Estates leaders insist.

After a 4-year wait, the 210-home subdivision finally gained speed bumps along the main access road, Forest Lake Drive. They are the first traffic-calming devices of their type through assessments on a West Pasco street in an unincorporated area of the county.

Since Forest Lake Drive lacks sidewalks, students walk along the edge of the gently winding street to nearby Chasco middle and elementary schools on Ridge Road, roughly midway between Little Road and Regency Park Boulevard. Elderly residents like to walk along the street for exercise.

The lack of sidewalks, blind spots from curves in the road and speeding motorists were a tragedy waiting to happen, association leaders believed.

"We want to slow people down," Vinny Buscetta, a director of the subdivision association, said. "I've gone 35 mph and I've had people pass me."

Forest Lake Drives straddles Ridge Road and San Miguel Drive, a tempting shortcut for commuters seeking a way around the busy intersection at Little and Ridge roads.

"We have respect for people," Buscetta said about residents. Speeding drivers "have no respect for anyone."

So many motorists exceed the 30 mph speed limit on Forest Lake Drive that a county traffic study backed up residents who insisted speed humps would be warranted.

Residents along Forest Lake Drive had to agree to assessments on their homes to help pay for the project.

The association raised some $3,500 in donations to defray costs, Buscetta said.

Families might wind up with bills at about $70 a year for five years.

Under county rules, any traffic-calming project must get at least three-fourths of residents along a street to respond to a petition. Then at least 60 percent of the residents must vote in favor of the project.

The Forest Lake petition drew 29 votes in favor out of 43 votes.

"These are the modular rubber speed cushions on Forest Lake," Pasco traffic operations manager Robert Reck said. "The posted advisory speed for the speed cushions is 20 mph."

This is the third location for speed bumps in the county, but the first paid through the assessment process, Reck explained. The Lake Thomas project was installed by a developer as a condition of the project. The other, East Brown Acres, was funded through Community Development as part of the improvements in East Brown Acres.

A chief concern of county officials revolves on how well ambulances and fire trucks can navigate over traffic-calming devices.

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