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Expanded Reimagining Pine Avenue plans presented

Expanded Reimagining Pine Avenue plans presented

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Anna Maria, Community News.

ANNA MARIA – City commissioners got their first look at the preliminary plans for proposed safety improvements along Spring and Magnolia avenues as part of the expanded Reimagining Pine Avenue project.

The new plans complement the initial Pine Avenue plans the Anna Maria City Commission approved in 2022 but have not yet acted on. The commission later agreed to include Spring and Magnolia in an expanded Reimagining Pine Avenue project that will hopefully attract more interest from construction companies than the initial stand-alone Pine Avenue project did.

The current fiscal year budget includes $3.34 million for the expanded project, including $2.69 million in state appropriations and $283,412 in American Rescue Plan funds.

When presenting the “starting point” plans on Oct. 19, Project Engineer Gerry Traverso said, “The concept is the same. Provide sidewalks and pedestrian safety.”

The plans call for permeable paver sidewalks to be installed along both sides of the entire length of Spring Avenue and all but a few portions of Magnolia Avenue, including the area where The Center of Anna Maria Island parking spaces extend to the street. Portions of those streets currently have no sidewalks and/or sidewalks on just one side of the street. The permeable paver sidewalks are also expected to improve drainage.

The plans include several new crosswalks and the removal of existing landscaping that currently impedes motorists’ view of pedestrians and bicyclists.

The plans include $765,000 for street lighting, but Mayor Dan Murphy said the lighting improvements will be pursued as a separate, city-funded project. Using state funds subjects the city to the Florida Department of Transportation’s limited lighting options.

Minus lighting, the estimated cost is $1.95 million for Spring Avenue and $1.55 million for Magnolia Avenue. Murphy said he’ll need and seek additional state appropriations to help fund the expanded project.

Commission insights

Commissioner Charlie Salem questioned the exclusion of a sidewalk where The Center parking spaces abut Magnolia.

“That area’s not safe the way it is. People are walking in the road,” he said.

Providing an answer that didn’t fully satisfy Salem, Traverso said pedestrians would be directed to cross Magnolia before they reach The Center parking spaces.

Commissioner Robert Kingan inquired about installing a bike path along Magnolia or Spring. Traverso said there’s not enough city-owned right of way to do so and doing so would negatively impact the existing drainage trenches.

“It’s a tight corridor,” Traverso said.

“The only way to put in a bike path would be to make each of those streets one-way and then we would have the room,” Kingan suggested.

Traverso noted he and the commission received strong public opposition to the previously discussed and discarded concept of making Pine Avenue a one-way street, with either Spring or Magnolia serving as the corresponding one-way street for traffic traveling the other way.

Commissioner Mark Short said the Pine Avenue opposition was strong because the corresponding one-way traffic would have subjected a residential street to heavier traffic and more delivery trucks and commercial vehicles.

During public input, former commissioner Doug Copeland said making Spring and Magnolia one-way streets and eliminating one vehicular lane on each street would provide space for wider sidewalks and for bike paths constructed on the unused travel lanes.

Commissioner Jon Crane stressed the need for community outreach and generating as much public input as possible. Salem suggested mailing notices to Spring and Magnolia property owners. Murphy agreed and said public input will be solicited during future commission workshops.

“We can fine-tune this and make it better. The object is to start the process,” Murphy said.

Planning begins for expanded Pine Avenue project

Pine Avenue project expanded to Spring, Magnolia

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Anna Maria, Community News.

ANNA MARIA – Additional planning is underway for the expanded Reimagining Pine Avenue project which now also includes Spring and Magnolia avenues.

The long-discussed project includes the installation of permeable brick paver sidewalks along both sides of Pine Avenue, new and improved crosswalks and new streetlights along the commercial corridor. The sidewalks will meander in areas where the unpaved paths currently curve inward toward the businesses. The permeable pavers are expected to improve drainage along Pine Avenue.

Planning begins for expanded Pine Avenue project
The project is expected to improve drainage along Pine Avenue. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

The expanded project will also include safety improvements along Spring and Magnolia avenues, both of which run parallel to Pine Avenue. Portions of Spring and Magnolia currently lack sidewalks and crosswalks.

Planning begins for expanded Pine Avenue project
The Pine Avenue corridor includes Spring and Magnolia avenues. – City of Anna Maria | Submitted

The purpose of the expanded project is to increase safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and others who use the three streets that comprise the Pine Avenue corridor. Commissioners discussed eliminating the parallel parking spaces along Pine Avenue, but did not vote to do so.

Planning begins for expanded Pine Avenue project
Pine Avenue runs through the middle of Anna Maria’s primary commercial district. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

The city’s 2023-24 fiscal year budget includes $3.34 million in projected Reimagining Pine Avenue-related expenditures. The funding sources are $2.69 million in state appropriations, $283,412 in federal American Rescue Plan funds and $367,781 in impact fees, property tax revenues and funds carried over from the previous fiscal year budget.

On Sept. 21, Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy provided the city commission with a project status update. He said in the coming weeks he’d be meeting with project engineer Gerry Traverso, of the George F. Young engineering firm, regarding the proposed safety improvements to be made along Spring and Magnolia avenues. The city commission-approved plans that Traverso created for the initial Pine Avenue safety improvements were completed more than a year ago.

Murphy said the engineering firm will provide a comprehensive view of the improvements that could be made along Spring and Magnolia and incorporate those improvements with the existing Pine Avenue plans.

Planning begins for expanded Pine Avenue project
Many forms of transportation travel down Pine Avenue. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

He said he will bring the commission a list of recommendations as to what can be done in the entire Pine Avenue corridor using the state, federal and city funds already earmarked for the project.

Planning begins for expanded Pine Avenue project
The intent is to make Pine Avenue safer for pedestrians, bicyclists and other users. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

“By the end of October, you will have a list of plans and ideas of what we can do with Magnolia, Spring and how it ties into Pine,” he told the commission.

“This won’t be as complicated as Pine because you’re looking at two similar residential streets,” Murphy added, noting the Pine Avenue plans were more complex because Pine Avenue serves as Anna Maria’s primary commercial district.

Planning begins for expanded Pine Avenue project
In some areas, the unpaved paths meander toward the Pine Avenue businesses. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

As was the case with the original Pine Avenue planning process that began in 2021, the planning and decision-making process for the proposed Spring and Magnolia improvements will include public input being provided by residents and business owners before any final decisions are made.

“It’s the start of the finalized plan. Similar to how we did Pine Avenue,” Murphy said of the pending planning process.

Commissioner Charlie Salem asked if it’s possible to ask the engineering firm to look at the alleyway that runs parallel to Pine Avenue, behind the businesses on the west side of the street.

Regarding the city-owned alley that already contains stormwater and drainage elements, Murphy said, “That’s one of the things I asked him to look at, that swale behind the stores there. What are the possibilities of using that for some mode of transportation?”

After the expanded project plans are completed, the city will issue a new request for proposals (RFP) seeking bids from construction firms interested in installing the safety improvements.

In the past year or so, the city issued three RFPs for the Reimagining Pine Avenue project. Each of those RFPs generated one bid proposal from the same construction firm. Because only one firm bid on those RFPs, and because the quoted prices were higher than the city hoped for, all three of those bids were rejected. The mayor and commission hope expanding the project to include Spring and Magnolia avenues will make the project more attractive and lucrative to more construction firms, which could generate more bid proposals for the expanded project.

Proposed Reimagining Pine Avenue solutions presented

Commissioners hear proposed Pine Avenue solutions

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Anna Maria, Community News.

ANNA MARIA – Traffic engineer Gerry Traverso has presented his findings and five proposed solutions associated with his Reimagining Pine Avenue study.

The study encompasses the Pine Avenue corridor that includes Magnolia Avenue, Spring Avenue and those connected portions of Gulf Drive and South Bay Boulevard.

Traverso addressed the Anna Maria City Commission and the public on Thursday, Aug. 19. Lasting nearly two hours, Thursday’s meeting did not result in the commission narrowing its choices down to it top two or three options as originally anticipated. The discussion will continue at future meetings and Traverso expects to provide the mayor and commission with his final report within a week or so.

The study’s two primary purposes are to improve safety and traffic flow for all those who share the streets and sidewalks within the study area. Traverso’s findings were based on traffic counts, accident reports, personal observations, public input and conversations with business owners. American Rescue Plan funds will be used to pay for the $50,274 study provided by Traverso and the George F. Young civil engineering firm.

Alternative 1

Traverso presented several alternatives for the commission to consider and each included pros, cons and estimated costs.

Alternative 1 proposes additional pavement markings, bike lane sharrow markings and the installation of rectangular rapid flashing beacons at new and existing pedestrian crosswalks on Pine Avenue for an estimated cost of $85,000. Four new crosswalks and upgrading an existing crosswalk on Spring Avenue would cost an estimated $45,000. Four new crosswalks and upgrading an existing crosswalk on Magnolia Avenue would cost an estimated $45,000.

Proposed Reimagining Pine Avenue solutions presented
Alternative 1 is the simplest and least expensive proposed solution. – City of Anna Maria | Submitted

The Alternative 1 pros include less initial cost and less disruption to the Pine Avenue businesses and the simplest and fastest implementation.

However, this alterative would not solve streetside parking and delivery truck issues, does not address gaps in the existing sidewalk systems, does not address safety concerns for bicyclists and does not resolve sight distance issues at driveway entrances.

Alternative 2

Alternative 2 includes the Alternative 1 improvements in addition to buffered bike lanes and sidewalks on both sides of Pine Avenue.

Pros include buffered bike lanes, which would provide separation between motorists and bicyclists. The continuous sidewalks would increase pedestrian safety and the use of permeable concrete or pavers for those sidewalks and bike paths would increase water quality treatment and drainage. This alternative also addresses sight distance concerns by eliminating parking spaces located near driveway entrances.

Proposed Reimagining Pine Avenue solutions presented
Alternative 2 proposes sidewalks and buffered bike lanes. – City of Anna Maria | Submitted

The cons include the elimination of existing parking spaces and a potential 40-60% increase in construction costs due to the use of permeable concrete or permeable pavers.

Installing bike lanes on both sides of Pine Avenue and new sidewalks would cost an estimated $524,630. Sharrow markings and sidewalks along Spring Avenue would cost an estimated $152,353. Bike lanes and sidewalks along both sides of Magnolia Avenue would cost an estimated $832,646. Sharrow markings and sidewalks Magnolia Avenue would cost an estimated $391,424.

Alternative 3

Alternative 3 proposes installing a multi-use/bike path along one side of Pine Avenue, continuous sidewalks along both sides of the street, adding more crosswalks and improving existing crosswalks.

Proposed Reimagining Pine Avenue solutions presented
Alternative 3 proposes a multi-use trail/bike path along one side of Pine Avenue. – City of Anna Maria | Submitted

Pros include the multi-use trail, which would separate bicyclists and motorists. The permeable sidewalks would improve pedestrian safety and drainage and placing the bike path on one side of the street only would reduce driveway sight distance conflicts.

Cons include eliminating some parking spaces along Pine Avenue and the use of permeable materials, which would increase costs by 40-60%.

Installing a multi-use trail and sidewalks along Pine Avenue would cost an estimated $433,895. Sharrow markings and sidewalks along Spring Avenue would cost an estimated $152,353. A multi-use trail and sidewalks along Magnolia Avenue would cost an estimated $741,911. Sharrow markings and sidewalks along Magnolia Avenue would cost an estimated $391,424.

Alternative 4

Proposed Reimagining Pine Avenue solutions presented
Alternative 4 does not include a dedicated bike path. – City of Anna Maria | Submitted

The pros include additional parking spaces, designated parking space for delivery trucks, improved safety for pedestrians, improved drainage and improved sight distances.

However, this alternative would not provide a separate travel area for bicyclists.

Installing a multi-use trail and sidewalks along Pine Avenue would cost an estimated $645,610. Sharrow markings and sidewalks along Spring Avenue would cost an estimated $152,353. A multi-use trail and sidewalks along Magnolia Avenue would cost an estimated $829,240. Sharrow markings and sidewalks along Magnolia Avenue would cost an estimated $391,424.

Alternatives 5A/5B

Alternatives 5A and 5B propose converting Pine Avenue and Magnolia Avenue into one-way streets, creating streetside parking spaces and delivery areas, creating a multi-use path/bike path and continuous sidewalks, adding new crosswalks and improving existing crosswalks. Alternatives 5A and 5B differ in the direction the one-way traffic would travel and Traverso said these alternatives might require a traffic signal at the Magnolia Avenue/Gulf Drive intersection.

Proposed Reimagining Pine Avenue solutions presented
Alternatives 5 propose transforming Pine Avenue and Magnolia into one-way streets. City of Anna Maria | Submitted

The pros include a separate travel area for bicyclists, improved safety for pedestrians, improved drainage and additional parking spaces.

The cons include the higher cost of permeable materials, a potential increase of traffic in the residential areas along Magnolia Avenue and Spring Avenue and motorists potentially driving faster on one-way streets.

A multi-use trail, sidewalks, crosswalks and parking spaces along Pine Avenue would cost an estimated $978,305. A multi-use trail, sidewalks and crosswalks along Magnolia Avenue would cost an estimated $1.28 million.

Traverso said the costs associated with the permeable surface materials could be reduced in areas where stormwater infiltration trenches exist because the subsurface fill materials are already in place. Traverso also said grants might provide additional funding sources.

The commission was in general agreement that the Pine Avenue improvements should be the first priority, with the Spring Avenue and Magnolia Avenue to be addressed later. Commissioner Doug Copeland said installing continuous sidewalks along Pine Avenue that drain well and have a consistent appearance should be the top priority.

Reimagining Pine Avenue discussions continue

Reimagining Pine Avenue discussions continue

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Anna Maria, Community News.

ANNA MARIA – The second Reimagining Pine Avenue meeting took place at city hall on Monday, July 12.

A third public information meeting is scheduled at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 20. The final study report and recommendations are tentatively scheduled to be presented to the city commission on Thursday, July 29, but according to Mayor Dan Murphy that date could change.

Once that final presentation is made, the city commission, with Murphy’s input, will decide which recommended safety and traffic solutions to pursue and include in the 2021-22 fiscal year budget that begins Oct. 1.

Contracted traffic engineer Gerry Traverso is conducting the $50,000 study of the expanded Pine Avenue corridor that also includes Spring Avenue, Magnolia Avenue and the connecting portions of Gulf Drive and South Bay Boulevard.

Unlike the first public meeting on July 1, the July 12 meeting featured no discussion about transforming Pine and Magnolia Avenues into one-way streets – an idea that raised concerns from many who attended the previous meeting.

“The purpose of this meeting is to gather data from you guys. You live here. You work here. You are the ones dealing with traffic, going to the businesses and driving around. I want to hear from you the things we might have missed,” Traverso said as Monday’s meeting began.

He then provided a quick recap of some of the observations and concerns previously discussed. These included intersection sightlines obscured by vegetation, parked cars and other obstacles; the lack of parking and people parking “anywhere and everywhere;” the lack of sidewalk continuity and delivery trucks stopping and blocking the Pine Avenue travel lanes.

Reimagining Pine Avenue discussions continue
This Spring Avenue sidewalk comes to an abrupt end. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Traverso again noted the study area is shared by a wide variety of users that includes automobiles, delivery trucks, construction vehicles, golf carts, scoot coupes, scooters, bicycles, pedestrians and more. And he again noted there’s a limited amount of space to implement improvements.

Public discussion

During the public discussion that ensued, Rick Lewis produced photos of a main street in Indianapolis that features two-way travel lanes and a wide sidewalk next to a protected bike lane.

“I think it could be modified to fit our needs. You have to have a bike lane that’s protected. Fix Pine and maybe that will fix the other roads,” Lewis said.

Reimagining Pine Avenue discussions continue
Several Anna Maria residents participated in the July 12 Reimagining Pine Avenue meeting. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Robert Kinghan believes the area near The Center is the most dangerous in the study area. He noted the Magnolia Avenue sidewalk ends at The Center and there’s heavy vegetation at the corner of South Bay and Magnolia.

“When you get to the corner there at South Bay you cannot see. Something needs to be done about that corner,” he said.

Stacie Bulley said the presence of garbage cans, garbage trucks and landscaping vehicles make Magnolia Avenue more difficult to navigate.

“I’m not going to use Magnolia anymore. I’m just going to go up Pine,” she said.

Reimagining Pine Avenue discussions continue
Landscaping vehicles blocking city streets has been a frequently mentioned concern during the Reimagining Pine Avenue meetings. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

In contrast, Shari Dowling said she tries to avoid Pine Avenue at all costs, but she’s now encountering more traffic on other nearby streets.

Janet Riley lives along Magnolia Avenue and she said, “That is exactly what’s happened. Traffic has increased immeasurably.”

Riley said the four-way stop signs installed at the corner of Magnolia Avenue and Gulf Drive in the past were a “godsend,” but they also created more traffic on Magnolia. She, too, mentioned the congestion caused by parked landscaping vehicles.

Former City Commissioner Chuck Webb said, “Gulf Drive and Pine Avenue are thoroughfares. Magnolia and Spring were never designed to be thoroughfares and that impacts the residents in that area.”

Webb said about one-third of the vehicles that pass through the Magnolia Avenue/Tarpon Street intersection run those stop signs. He said a speed bump was installed in front of his home on Magnolia about 15 years ago and it worked well until it was removed due to complaints made by other residents.

Traverso said speed bumps are one of the few things that slow vehicles down. He said gradually sloped speed tables also accomplish the same objective.

Frannie Kaluza said she sees more people parking along Magnolia Avenue and walking to the beach.

“You have a good problem: you live in paradise,” Traverso said. “Everybody wants to come here to the beach.”

Kaluza implied that living in paradise is becoming less appealing and Kinghan said, “Milton had a poem called ‘Paradise Lost.’ ”

Jean Murray said she sees more parking taking place in the easements along Pine Avenue and she wondered whether the vacant lot at the corner of North Shore and Pine could be used for overflow parking.

When asked about parking in general, Traverso said the existing off-street parking can be maintained, but that may prevent the installation of additional bike lanes and sidewalks. He also said the business owners he spoke with don’t want their existing parking capacity reduced.

“There’s a 50-foot right of way and there’s a number of alternatives you can do. There are always tradeoffs,” he said.

Participating by phone, resident Bob Carter asked Traverso about the study priorities.

Traverso said safety is the number one priority, followed by traffic and operational efficiency.

Joe Richmond asked if the Sheriff’s Office is going to enforce pedestrian and bicyclist violations associated with any study-related safety improvements.

“No doubt enforcement has got to be a part of the solution. We’ve got some issues with enforcement. We’ve got a lot of room to improve,” Murphy responded.

Kinghan asked Traverso what impact paid parking has on traffic and congestion.

“If you have parking, you will have more cars coming,” Traverso said.

Nancy Gravely asked about the installation of mid-block pedestrian crossings to address pedestrians who randomly cross the street without paying attention to oncoming traffic. Traverso said managed mid-block crossings are part of the study.

Joan Voyles asked about shifting the Pine Avenue travel lanes. Traverso said shifting travel lanes slows traffic down, but speed is not the primary concern on Pine Avenue. The goal there is to make the traffic flow more efficiently.

Reimagining Pine Avenue discussions continue
Several different modes of transportation share Pine Avenue. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Pat Olesen said the solutions need to be convenient for residents. Barbara Zdravecky said the study results are not going to make everyone happy and the solutions will require a community effort.

‘Reimagining Pine Avenue’ study approved

‘Reimagining Pine Avenue’ study approved

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Anna Maria, Community News.

ANNA MARIA – Pine Avenue may soon be in for a traffic and safety-related makeover.

The city of Anna Maria is contracting an engineering firm to conduct a detailed traffic and safety study of the Pine Avenue corridor that also includes Spring and Magnolia avenues.

On Thursday, May 13, the city commission authorized the $50,274 project fee associated with an agenda item referred to as “Reimagining Pine Avenue.”

The study results and recommendations will be presented to the commission and the public on July 22.

“We’ve been talking about this for some time, and this is a great way to use some of the money we get from the American Rescue Plan,” Mayor Dan Murphy said.

He then introduced Gerry Traverso from the George F. Young civil engineering and surveying firm. Traverso serves as vice president of transportation engineering for the firm that’s headquartered in St. Petersburg and has offices in Tampa, Lakewood Ranch and elsewhere in the state. Traverso has more than 25 years of traffic engineering experience and is also a certified project manager who lives in Bradenton and is familiar with the area.

“We know the city of Anna Maria is not the same as the city of North Port. We don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. We tailor each approach to the specific characteristics of the community,” he said.

Traverso said the Pine Avenue corridor is an interconnected network of roads that includes Spring Avenue and Magnolia Avenue. The study will help develop solutions to mitigate and alleviate congestion, while also looking at how to more safely accommodate pedestrians, bikes, scooters, golf carts and other alternative modes of transportation.

‘Reimagining Pine Avenue’ study approved
The map illustrates where the Pine Avenue corridor study will take place. – George F. Young Engineering | Submitted

The study will also include recommendations for delivery trucks and other business‐related traffic along the Pine Avenue corridor.

“We know that we have a lot of commercial activity on Pine Avenue. We don’t want to hurt them in any way,” Traverso said.

Stormwater and drainage conditions will be observed and analyzed. That information will be used to help alleviate rainwater ponding that forces pedestrians and bicyclists further out into the streets.

The scope of services includes data collection, traffic counts and the analysis of vehicular turning movements in the study area intersections. The study will also produce a topographic survey for Spring and Magnolia avenues from Gulf Drive to South Bay Boulevard.

Data and input will be gathered from residents, business owners, visitors and elected officials through public meetings and the creation of a project website.

“The more you involve the community, the more buy-in you get,” Traverso said.

Results and recommendations

The study will produce up to four alternatives for each recommended solution, with cost estimates and implementation timeframes included.

“One alternative might be cheap and fast, but what is the return investment? Or do we do a different alternative that will take more time and money but provides a longer-lasting solution? We’ll do a public presentation, and we’ll show you all the alternatives and the pros and cons of each one,” Traverso said.

“We can go from simple to complex,” he said, mentioning striped parking lines or lowering the speed limit as simple solutions.

He said making Pine Avenue a one-way street going south and Magnolia Avenue a one-way street going north would be a more extreme solution.

Each recommendation will include a no-action option that analyzes what happens if nothing is done to address a particular problem: “They stay the same or they get even worse,” Traverso said.

‘Reimagining Pine Avenue’ study approved
Traffic Engineer Gerry Traverso enthusiastically explained the study’s scope and scale. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Murphy said the July presentation date allows the commission time to include any desired actions in the 2021-22 fiscal year budget.

Commissioner Joe Muscatello said he doesn’t want this to be another case of a $50,000 study sitting on the shelf with no action taken.

“We’ve seen that too often,” he said.

Muscatello said if American Rescue Plan funds can’t be used, the commission needs to find the money elsewhere.

“We need to take this seriously and move as quickly as we can,” he said.

Commissioner Jon Crane asked Traverso if the study will take into account the unpredictable behavior of visitors when engineering potential solutions.

“We have tourists who come here and they drive crazy, and they ride bikes crazy and they cross streets without crosswalks – people who act normal at home but don’t act safely here,” Crane said.

Traverso referenced a tourist-heavy area in Treasure Island where visitors drink in the bars on one side of the street and then try to cross a four-lane road to get back to their beachfront accommodations.

He said several technical solutions were explored, but the best solution came from a landscape architect who suggested planting shrubs to create a natural barrier that forces pedestrians to cross in designated areas. Public Works Manager Dean Jones said hedges used in that manner are an effective low-cost solution that he would support in some locations.

Former commissioner Doug Copeland attended Thursday’s meeting. While in office, he often expressed concerns about the current configuration of Pine Avenue, which results in vehicles backing out into the street and includes areas with no sidewalks.

During public input, Copeland said, “ I want to applaud you for taking this on. It’s become a major issue. Our infrastructure was designed back in the early 1900s by the Anna Maria Development Company. It served the city well but it’s a hundred years old. We do need something dramatic and I hope you’ll move forward with this.”