Largo has nine of top 50 Pinellas crash locations

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL -- The Pinellas County Metropolitan Planning Organization has released their list of the top 100 crash locations for 2007, based on daily traffic volume at the intersections, and some familiar places have made the list.

Least surprising are several intersections in Largo which have made the list again, even after aggressive traffic enforcement details continue at these locations. The Metropolitan Planning Organization is looking closer at these locations for engineering improvements.

Leading the "worst road" category is US Highway 19, which makes the list 32 times.

You can use our map below to see if there are intersections near your house. Or you can click the document link at the top of the story to see all of the locations.

Story & Map
http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/local/story/Largo-has-nine-of-top-50-Pinellas-crash-locations/iRqL29YM8UOOdELLnfNbkw.cspx

All of the typical shitty roads.

I'm not surprised either....

MPO names 50 most dangerous intersections in Pinellas
Sunday, February 15, 2009

PINELLAS COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- Driving in Largo could mean commuters are more vulnerable to car crashes than anywhere else in Pinellas County according to new data.

The Metropolitan Planning Organization just released its annual traffic crash statistics for Pinellas County. Fifty intersections were identified along with the number of crashes there.

"We've got a number of intersections where people are trying to go east-west and north-south on major road crossings, plus you have very wide roads where you may have six lanes crossing six lanes," said Pinellas County planning director Brian Smith. "These are usually things that are just hard to deal with."

Of the 50 hardest to deal with nine can be found in the Largo. The Belcher-Ulmerton intersection is one Jana Carlo is quite familiar with after living in Largo for many years.

"I see an accident here at least once a month. It's very dangerous," Carlo said. "Too many cars and kids on bicycles and skate boards."

The intersection ranks 35 among the top 50 most dangerous intersections in Pinellas County. It's just one of the many that have ranked high year after year.

Others include:

* 66th Street-Ulmerton Road
* East Bay Drive-Keene Road
* 66th Street-142nd Avenue
* Belcher Road-East Bay Drive
* Ulmerton Road-Seminole Boulevard
* Ulmerton Road-Starkey Road
* Missouri Avenue-West Bay Drive
* U.S. Highway 19-East Bay Drive

Now it's up to the Metropolitan Planning Organization to look closer at the locations and plan for engineering improvements to ease traffic and possibly save lives.

"Part of it is enforcing because people are red light running or driving inappropriately or making wrong turns or exceeding the speed limit," Smith said.

Smith says many of the intersections have been and continue to be under aggressive traffic enforcement. But he adds, the engineering of some of the intersections simply cannot handle the volume of traffic during certain times of the day.

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2009/2/15/438114.html?title=MPO+names+50+most+dangerous+intersections+in+Pinellas

I live in Palm Harbor and I can attest to the dangers of US 19 and Curlew and Tampa Rd's. One of the problems is that you have a ton of traffic heading east and west on Tampa Rd at the US 19 intersection. The problem is the light is green for folks on Tampa Rd for a very short time frustrating many drivers. It can literally take 15 min to get thru there even when traffic isn't that heavy! The light is green for 10-15 seconds only. This is also the same for US 19 and Nebraska Ave. If they adjust the timing of the lights to allow more "green" time for people on Tampa Rd it would solve alot of headaches.

Pedestrian overpasses are definitely needed for US 19 as well. It's too dangerous trying to cross a road 50-60 yds wide. The intersections are over a mile apart from Tampa to Curlew Rd so you can't just say walk to the intersection.

^^
First off, welcome to the forum.

Second, I agree that the timing of many lights are very poor and do not allow efficient flow of traffic. It is issues like this that can be easily fixed, but perhaps the govt has too many excuses to fire up right now.

And yes, forget trying to cross these streets on foot, its way too dangerous. Some pedestrian overpasses will definitely be appreciative. AND it makes sense!

Welcome to the forum and I agree that traffic lights in North Pinellas suck!! I think of Clearwater as the city where its nearly impossible to drive a mile without getting stuck at a light. Pinellas county needs to fix the timing on lights, you should be able to drive through all the lights if you go the speed limit and not get stuck at every light. Perhaps the worst road I can think of is 580, there is no way you will get across 580 without getting stuck at at least 3 lights. I timed a traffic light here on Enterprise and US 19 and it took 7 minutes to turn green one time. Traffic backed up for a 1/4 of a mile because people got pissed off and turned. I almost got stuck again but ran the red to avoid getting stuck. In the middle of the day that light is short and on average you will be there for 5 minutes. I think I will get an ulcer from driving in Clearwater, in St.Pete for the most part if you drive the speed limit you won't get stuck at too many lights.