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Potential Dunedin School Traffic Woes Studied

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By Mark  Schantz | The Suncoast News

Published: February 2, 2008

DUNEDIN, Fla. - DUNEDIN, Fla. - Local officials are concerned over the impact Curtis Fundamental School will have on traffic in the neighborhood surrounding the school's soon-to-be campus on Milwaukee Avenue.

Rather than just worrying, however, city staffers are taking steps to prevent gridlock from forming along the two-lane avenue at the beginning and end of each school day.

The Pinellas County School District is also doing what it can to ensure Curtis Fundamental School doesn't cause traffic headaches when it opens here in August.

The School District is in the process of creating the new home for Curtis Fundamental School, which has been on Holt Avenue in Clearwater since 1976. Contractors are in the midst of renovating the former Milwaukee Avenue home of Dunedin Elementary School.

Last year, Dunedin Elementary School moved to a new campus, adjacent to Dunedin Highland Middle School, on Patricia Avenue.

Jim Miller, the School District's director of real estate and concurrency, said district technical staff is working on plans to make sure the relocated Curtis Fundamental School fits into the Dunedin community with as little disruption as possible.

Dunedin Public Works Director Doug Hutchens said city staff is being proactive and trying to address any potential traffic problems in the neighborhood before they occur.

Curtis Fundamental School could cause traffic woes because there will be no school buses serving the school. Instead, Curtis students must walk or ride bikes to school or be driven by family or friends.

This should mean a lot of private vehicles coming to and from the school because many Curtis students will come from areas that are "certainly beyond walking distance," Hutchens said.

At the entrance to the school, Milwaukee Avenue is one lane in each direction and there are no turn lanes. This raises the likelihood of traffic backups that could snarl traffic, Hutchens said.

There is a staging area on campus for motorists dropping off students but it may not be large enough to prevent intrusion onto the street, he said.

"With no center turn lane and no right turn lane into the parent pickup and drop-off on Milwaukee, the potential for through traffic coming to a standstill is real," Hutchens said.

In addition, Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority buses operate along Milwaukee Avenue and make frequent stops, further increasing the risk of gridlock, Hutchens said.

Hutchens said city engineering division staffers plan to conduct a traffic analysis on Curtis Fundamental School to protect the city's interests. Staff will prepare a report to the City Commission and School District, he said.

The School District technical staff, Miller said, has designed the school to provide for much more on-site vehicle cueing and parking and that should be adequate to prevent traffic problems.

In addition, student arrivals and departures may be staggered. This should help prevent parents transporting students from arriving all at once, Miller said.

School District officials will review the city's traffic study to determine if anything more should be done to reduce potential traffic issues.

City officials are also awaiting a consultant's report on whether the 6-inch water main on Beltrees Street can supply enough water to fight fires at the renovated school. If not, the water main may have to be replaced with an 8-inch line, according to Hutchens.

If that happens, the city and district will have to work out who pays for the replacement water line, she said.

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