ALT ERNAT I VE S TO W I D E N I NG LITHIA PINECREST 5. RECOMMENDATIONS The current investment level of approximately $200 million is not adequate to provide needed capacity improvements to the entire network. However, the recommended improvement projects provide a benefit over the E+C+LP model and longer term investments and traffic management solutions should be further analyzed and reviewed to further alleviate congestion within the Brandon network. Study recommendations are organized in four broad categories: short term project recommendations; long term major investments; safety and traffic management; and alternatives to single occupancy vehicles. 5.1 Short Term Project Recommendations The Aimsun alternatives analysis resulted in the identification of improvement projects with the greatest potential to address congestion concerns in the study area over the short term. These improvements, in various combinations, increase capacity and improve traffic operations to help distribute traffic more evenly across the network, improve intersection operations, and address the volume imbalances between AM and PM peak periods along key corridors. RECOMMENDED PROJECTS FOR FURTHER EVALUATION The following improvements shown in Figure 47 have been identified as having the greatest potential to improve peak period network wide operations. These projects should be evaluated in greater detail as part of the PD&E study. Improvement Project 2 – Bells Shoals Road to Lumsden Road Connection. Provide northbound left access onto Lumsden Road from Bell Shoals Road. (see Figure 48 for conceptual alignment)
Improvement Project 4 – Lumsden RoadWidening. Widen Lumsden Road from four to six lanes from Kings Avenue to Lithia Pinecrest Road. Improvement Project 5 – Fishhawk BoulevardWidening. Widen Fishhawk Boulevard from two lanes to four lanes from Hometown Lane to Lithia Pinecrest Road. Improvement Project 6 – Brandon Parkway Extension. Provide a connection for Providence Lakes Road between Ledgestone Drive and Vista Cay Court, as well as extend the Brandon Parkway from Lumsden Road south to Providence Lakes Road. Improvement Project 11 – Lithia Pinecrest Road Uneven Widening (limited/reduced option). Provide capacity and intersection improvements along Lithia Pinecrest Road from Fishhawk Boulevard to Lumsden Road, including northbound widening from one to two lanes from south of New River Hills Parkway to Bloomingdale Avenue and southbound widening from one to two lanes from Lumsden Road to Adelaide Avenue. The Lithia Pinecrest Road/Fishhawk Boulevard intersection is also converted to a continuous green intersection for the northbound direction by widening to two lanes northbound from Fishhawk Boulevard and tapering back to one lane prior to Lithia Springs Road. Improvement Project 12 – Providence Lakes Road Connection. Provide a connection for Providence Lakes Road between Ledgestone Drive and Vista Cay Court. This improvement project should be undertaken if Improvement Project 6 – Brandon Parkway Extension is considered unfeasible. Figure 49 shows the comparison of V/C results for the E+C+LP, E+C, and Recommended Alternative for seven roadway segments within the study area during the AM and PM peak, respectively. As shown, the recommended alternative eliminated congestion on three of the studied segments and reduced congestion on one segment in the AM period. In the PM period, the recommended alternative eliminated congestion on two segments and reduced it on three.
Summary Report
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