{"id":43527,"date":"2024-03-29T17:02:39","date_gmt":"2024-03-29T21:02:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/?p=43527"},"modified":"2024-03-29T17:02:43","modified_gmt":"2024-03-29T21:02:43","slug":"whats-the-future-of-the-south-florida-avenue-road-diet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/2024\/03\/29\/whats-the-future-of-the-south-florida-avenue-road-diet\/","title":{"rendered":"What&#8217;s the future of the South Florida Avenue Road Diet?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lakeland officials are aware the South Florida Avenue &#8220;road diet,&#8221; is quickly becoming the area&#8217;s eyesore.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"660\" height=\"440\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1110px) 100vw, 1110px\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/5a18ff0e-3512-4cde-b454-6ab082f716f3-120320_ep_DIET_1_NEWS.webp?resize=660%2C440&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-43528\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Love it or hate it, Dixieland residents have repeatedly&nbsp;complained about the roadway&#8217;s coffin-shaped concrete bunkers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These once &#8220;so-called temporary&#8221; curbs put in to constrain the once five-land roadway down to three lanes were promised for a year-long pilot. But now it has stretched on for nearly four years with no clear end in sight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1110px) 100vw, 1110px\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/road-diet_crop_1.jpeg?resize=1024%2C576&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-43529\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/road-diet_crop_1.jpeg?resize=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/road-diet_crop_1.jpeg?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/road-diet_crop_1.jpeg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/road-diet_crop_1.jpeg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Lakeland officials will be meeting with Florida Department of Transportation staff and jointly with the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce at 1:30 p.m. Monday in Lakeland Electric&#8217;s conference room, 501 E. Lemon St., to discuss the future of South Florida Avenue. The meeting is open to the public to attend.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"350\" height=\"496\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1110px) 100vw, 1110px\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Chad-McLeod.jpg?resize=350%2C496&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-36164\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Chad-McLeod.jpg?w=350&amp;ssl=1 350w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Chad-McLeod.jpg?resize=212%2C300&amp;ssl=1 212w\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;We have to show some things people can see. I understand why people are frustrated \u2014there&#8217;s a standstill, it&#8217;s FDOT, and we\u2019re not sure who pays for what,&#8221; Commissioner Chad McLeod said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The city&#8217;s consultant, Ayres Associates, presented\u00a010 possible final designs for the full redesign of South Florida Avenue\u00a0based on whether there was a center median versus central turning lane, bicyclist lanes, bus curb cuts, sidewalks, or extended sidewalks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In December 2022, Lakeland commissioners recommended to FDOT that they were in favor of South Florida Avenue having three lanes, one travel lane in each direction with a central turning lane, and extended sidewalks measuring 11 to 12 feet on each side.\u00a0\u00a0This decision kicked off the project&#8217;s design phase where Lakeland and the state will work to create plans for the final look and feel of the one-mile stretch of South Florida Avenue, from Lime Street south to Ariana Street. It was expected to take 12 to 18 months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"660\" height=\"469\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1110px) 100vw, 1110px\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/48b31b9b-fbc0-4279-b24b-d83bb2d17705-Ayres_Florida_Ave_Designs_1-2.webp?resize=660%2C469&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-43533\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"660\" height=\"470\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1110px) 100vw, 1110px\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/1785ec9c-6e9c-41b3-ace2-5cf7f76fbb3b-Ayres_Florida_Ave_Designs_3-4.webp?resize=660%2C470&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-43530\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"660\" height=\"461\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1110px) 100vw, 1110px\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/491d8582-d4c7-4f84-aade-91cfedf16110-Ayres_Florida_Ave_Designs_5-6.webp?resize=660%2C461&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-43532\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"660\" height=\"455\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1110px) 100vw, 1110px\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/1714d05c-60ea-43cd-9b4c-db3b79d307b4-Ayres_Florida_Ave_Designs_7-8.webp?resize=660%2C455&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-43531\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"660\" height=\"474\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1110px) 100vw, 1110px\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/5cf98094-7fad-40e2-b705-02d73f52cc1b-Ayres_Florida_Ave_Designs_9-10.webp?resize=660%2C474&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-43534\"\/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lakeland officials are aware the South Florida Avenue &#8220;road diet,&#8221; is quickly becoming the area&#8217;s eyesore. Love it or hate it, Dixieland residents have repeatedly&nbsp;complained about the roadway&#8217;s coffin-shaped concrete&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":43529,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"0","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"wpai_generated_summary":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"dois","default_image_id":71799,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[12,14],"tags":[7986],"class_list":["post-43527","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local","category-news","tag-whats-the-future-of-the-south-florida-avenue-road-diet"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43527","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43527"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43527\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43529"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43527"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43527"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43527"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}