HOLMES BEACH – Two speed tables are now in place in the 500 block of Key Royale Drive between Marina Drive and the Key Royale Bridge.
Key Royale Drive is the only road that leads from Marina Drive to the Key Royale residential community and golf club on the other side of the bridge.
The speed tables were installed on Oct. 31 as part of the city’s previously approved $194,632 multi-location street resurfacing project. Key Royale Drive was not resurfaced as part of the project.
One new speed table is located near the southwest end of the Key Royale Bridge and the other is about halfway between the bridge and Marina Drive. The speed limit along that road is 25 mph and on Friday afternoon, orange safety cones surrounded each speed table to make approaching motorists aware of the newly installed speed control devices.
The speed tables were installed in response to concerns expressed by some 500-block residents about vehicles frequently speeding in the 500 block of Key Royale Drive.
By a 4-1 vote, city commissioners approved a $194,632 work order with Superior Asphalt on April 22 that included the Key Royale Drive speed tables. At the time, three speed tables were proposed. Commissioner Carol Whitmore cast the only opposition vote that day and she still opposes the speed tables.
After that April funding decision, several subsequent and spontaneous city commission discussions ensued regarding the need for the speed tables, the design of the speed tables, the number of speed tables and the community support and opposition for the speed tables.
When giving general public comment during the Aug. 26 commission meeting, Key Royale resident John Dentz said 15-20 people complaining about speeders on one side of the bridge are going to negatively impact the 500-600 people that live on the other side of the bridge.
On several recent occasions, Mayor Judy Titsworth and Police Chief Bill Tokajer said they’ve received complaints about speeding along Key Royale Drive for many years.
During the Oct. 28 commission meeting, Tokajer provided commissioners with detailed Key Royale speeding data he obtained using the Urban SDK software that uses cell phone pings, GPS readings and satellites to compile traffic and speed data.
Tokajer provided the commissioners with a color-coded summary sheet for each month from January through August. The monthly summaries included the speed limit, the average speed traveled, the maximum speed traveled and more. During that recent eight-month period, the average monthly speed was 21-22 mph but the highest speeds recorded each month ranged from 42-60 mph – with a high speed of 50 mph or more for six of the eight months.
“I still don’t support the speed tables. I support law enforcement giving tickets,” Whitmore said.
“Based upon these facts, I think we should move forward with these speed tables,” Commissioner Dan Diggins said of the speed tables already scheduled to be installed a few days later.
