Kurt Street Study

Public Involvement

There is very little vacant land along Kurt Street. Why will traffic volumes increase?

The overall growth in this region of Central Florida will make traffic volumes increase over the next 20 years - about 150% increase south of Golf Link Avenue; 160% increase north of Golf Link Avenue.

Does Kurt Street need to be widened to accommodate future traffic growth? If not, what improvements are needed?

The roadway needs plan, as adopted by the LSMPO, shows Kurt Street remaining as 2 lanes, with expansion to provide facilities for bicycles, pedestrians and bus transit.
This project will include drainage improvements to alleviate the flooding at the intersection of Kurt Street and West Ardice Avenue / Mount Homer Road.

How much traffic can a 2-lane road carry before it must be widened to 4 lanes?

We grade the quality of service to a typical traveler using six letter grades with “A” describing the highest quality and “F” describing the lowest quality. The LOS (Level of Service) standard for Kurt Street and West Lakeview Avenue is “D”. A 2-lane, undivided roadway can carry 10,000 vehicles per day at LOS “D”. A 4-lane, roadway, divided by a raised median with left turn lanes, can carry 21,700 vehicles per day at LOS “D”.
In order to maintain these levels of service in 20 years, Kurt Street will need 2 travel lanes from US 441 to Golf Link Avenue, and West Lakeview Avenue would need 4 lanes. We are proposing a continuous two-way left turn lane on Kurt Street so that drivers waiting to make a left turn at the several side streets and driveways will not stop through traffic.
Also some additional turn lanes will be needed. At Bay Street dual left turn lanes will be needed on West Lakeview Avenue to handle the projected eastbound traffic volume. The intersection at Golf Link Avenue will need an exclusive southbound right turn lane onto David Walker Drive and eventually dual left turn lanes will be needed on eastbound David Walker Drive at this intersection.

Will the County need to acquire additional right of way to widen West Lakeview Avenue?

Most of the existing right of way is 66’ wide. This is not wide enough to accommodate four 12-foot wide travel lanes, separated by a 16-foot wide raised, grassed median, and with 4-foot wide bike lanes, curbs and sidewalks on both sides.
This roadway section, with 6-foot wide sidewalks placed behind the curb, would require a total of 84’ of right of way. This means that 18 feet of additional right of way would need to be acquired from the adjacent properties. While our concept plan shows the widening centered (needing 9 feet from each side), it could be shifted to either side to minimize the number of parcels affected.
The City’s Preliminary Trail System includes alternatives for the Eustis-Tavares Trail either on Lake Shore Drive or along the RR tracks. This allows an alternative concept that would not place bike lanes on West Lakeview Avenue. If the bike lanes ended at the Clay Blvd connection to the Trail, less right of way would be needed.
Without bike lanes, this alternative would place 5-foot wide sidewalks, set 2 feet back from the curb, would need 78 feet of right of way. Using this concept an additional 12 feet of right of way would be needed.

Other than stormwater facilities, do we need ROW for the 2-lane plan up to Golf Link Avenue?

Construction could begin once the right of way has been acquired the County however, the current Transportation Construction Program does not include funding to construct the Kurt Street project.
The current Transportation Construction Program does not include funding to design, to buy right of way or to construct the four-lane West Lakeview Avenue project.

How soon will these roadway projects be built?

Following the conclusion of this study, early in 2008, we will make recommendations to the City and County on type and extent of improvements to be designed for Kurt Street and West Lakeview Avenue.
With the approval of the Board of County Commissioners, design of the Kurt Street improvements will begin next spring (2008). In 2008 / 2009 the County would acquire the additional right of way needed for the Kurt Street improvements, following the County’s policies and procedures. The County’s 2007 – 2011 Transportation Construction Program includes $250,000 to purchase right of way for the Kurt Street project.