Tara community residents seek more traffic-calming measures

Even though Manatee County has added speed-calming measures in Tara, some residents said they are fighting a losing battle when it comes to having safe roads for their neighborhood.

This comes after the county added a crosswalk with flashing beacons, as well as speed tables, at the intersection of Tara Boulevard and Tara Preserve Lane within The Preserve at Tara.

Mark Gough, a resident of The Preserve at Tara who lives on Tailfeather Way, said in the two years he has lived in neighborhood, the speed of traffic has continually increased.

“There's enough traffic at that intersection there needs to be a four-way stop,” he said, adding that he recently was almost hit by a school bus when attempting to use the crosswalk on his bicycle. “Everybody's in a rush. They’re distracted by something and not paying attention. Somebody's going to get hurt.”

For Darby Connor, the speed-calming measures already taken along Tara Boulevard are just one stop along the road of his mission. As chair of the community development district for The Preserve at Tara, a unit of the wider Tara community, he said unsafe driving in the neighborhood remains a big problem. He wants the county to start by putting a four-way stop at Tara Boulevard and Tara Preserve Lane.

“People aren't worried about the folks going 30-40 (mph),” Connor said. “It’s the people who are going 40 to 60.”

“Cars just fly by, and the roads are very curvy and very narrow," Manatee County Commissioner Vanessa Baugh said. "I don’t think we’re finished with what we need. I think we need to look at the fact that we have more people than we used to, and the road also sees more traffic.”

Lucy Kemp, who lives on Strand Circle, said the speed tables are just a partial answer to the problem. She said speeding motorists slow down quickly to go over the speed tables, but then race off.

"Anywhere on Tara Boulevard, if you're driving at 30, they fly past you," Kemp said. "I don't know what they can do to make that stop.”

Connor said he doesn't want to see more serious accidents in the area.

He said accidents in the last year show the potential for something worse. In May 2021, before the installation of the speed tables, a three-car accident took place at the intersection of Tara Boulevard and Drewery’s Bluff. The accident damaged all three vehicles, flipping one upside down. In July 2021, a speeding vehicle damaged a sign for The Preserve at Tara.

But the growing concern isn't just for motorists or damaged property. Connor said the increasing number of children in the area should be a concern. He said many children walk to and from Tara Elementary, and the children then must cross the intersection at Tara Boulevard and Tara Preserve Lane, aided by the flashing beacons.

He said traffic simply isn't slowing down.

Connor and Gough said another flashing beacon should be added further north at the intersection of Tara Boulevard and Drewery’s Bluff.

Connor said more traffic management is badly needed in that area, in which the road goes from a four-lane thoroughfare to residential. 

“My recommendation is, give us what we always wanted – two cheap stop signs,” he said.

Tara Preserve resident Bud Rudin said the road has become like a race track with motorists jockeying for position. 

Connor and Gough both said they hope the county becomes more involved to increase safety in the area. Gough said he is pushing for action to be taken, and he began working with the CDD in order to exert more pressure on the county.

“I don't want to say they're not being responsive,” he said. “They're just being not as responsive as what the community would like to see. Obviously what they have done with the implementation of the crosswalks and then the speed humps has been huge. We live in a time where standards have to be modified to be effective for today's life and not the life that existed when those standards were designed.”

Bill Logan, the public information officer for the Manatee County Government, said if residents have concerns about a roadway, they can request traffic calming procedures.

He said a homeowner’s association or local residents’ group can write a letter requesting traffic calming, and staff from the Traffic Management Division will then review the area and meet with the group. Staff will then conduct a study and examine the results, reviewing the area again if measures are warranted.

The county's staff will consult with neighborhood representatives and seek signed approvals from any affected homeowners. If support is indicated by at least 67% of homeowners, the measures will go to the Board of County Commissioners for review. If approved, the final designs can then be offered to the entity managing construction.

According to information provided by the Public Works staff at a May 17 meeting of the Manatee County Commission, the street must meet certain criteria to be eligible for traffic calming, and that includes having a speed limit of 30 miles per hour or less and being longer than 1,000 feet between stop signs, sharp curves or 90 degree turns.

“That process is the best way to engage the best staffers to make the best studies to get to the best solutions for alleged problems," Logan said. "If residents have reached out, there is no doubt that staff is studying the situation and will work to provide responsible resolutions.”

Baugh said stop signs aren't likely to fix the problem in Tara, as drivers often ignore them. She said ideally a roundabout or roundabouts would be the best solution.

“We haven’t had a lot of roundabouts in Manatee County,” she said. “A lot of people don’t feel comfortable driving on them, but they are the safest and most effective way to manage traffic.”

Connor said he has been told the community does not have the traffic levels or space to justify a roundabout.  

“They only make pedestrian, golf cart crossings and school bus stops, all at the same location, very confusing,” he said. “They are designed for much heavier traffic traveling at higher speeds.”

Gough said he favors a roundabout. He said in his former home of Carmel, Indiana, many roundabouts were implemented with great success and that studies have demonstrated their safety and effectiveness.