By Pam Nicholls, GSAC Board Member
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Two years ago, Naples City Council voted not to move forward with a roundabout at the intersection of Harbour Drive and Crayton Road and, in so doing, declined a federally funded grant to replace the span wire signaling.
Upgrading the existing signal infrastructure so it was more resilient to a harsher climate and less vulnerable to wind events was identified as a need by the City’s Streets Division back in 2017. City Council approved staff to proceed with the design of a roundabout.
However, when the roundabout designs were underway (January 30, 2023) Council voted 6-1 to reject the roundabout concept and directed staff instead to look at a new design for signalization supported by mast arms.
Now, with the new mast arm plans 90% complete, members of the Moorings Property Owners Association want the community and the city to revisit the original, 100% complete, roundabout solution for this intersection.
Cliff Holland, president of MPOA says the issue arose at a recent Board meeting.
“We discussed the situation and reviewed safety data that clearly shows roundabouts offer important safety advantages over a traditional traffic light solution. We are suggesting to City management that before we ‘lock in’ on the mast arm design we revisit both designs.”
While the roundabout solution entails a hardscape and landscape overhaul of the intersection, the mast arms design would be less intrusive. According to Deputy City Engineer Alison Bickett, while two of the mast arms will be relatively close to where the existing poles are, the design adds two additional arms to complete a quadrant.
There would also be improvements to lighting and sidewalks to meet ADA and safety considerations.
Holland is keen for everyone who uses the intersection to weigh in on the decision making. He is working with Bickett on holding a town hall where both designs and safety data can be shared with MPOA members.
“Following this, we will conduct a community survey to gauge the support of each option and then move forward,” said Holland. “This is a very important long-term decision for our community that will have a lasting impact on the safety and appearance of the Moorings neighborhood. We believe this is worthy of a thoughtful and deliberate process.”
The existing span-wire intersection does not meet the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) standards for signalized intersections in the coastal zone.
