DRVN 850: New Traffic Amenities Installed in Tallahassee
In order to make roadways more safe and efficient, some new traffic amenities have been installed by the City of Tallahassee, most of which are located within a quarter of a mile of FSU’s campus.
The newly transformed Gaines Street now has back-in angled parking along the eastbound side of the street. Motorists should yield to those wishing to park in those spots. Motorists should turn on their right signal, pull up just a little before the parking spot they wish to park in and stop, and then back into the spot, while paying attention to the white lines. This amenity was put into place so that when motorists leave their destination, they are not backing into oncoming traffic. Back-in angled parking is also designed to decrease the number of collisions and improve loading and unloading of motor vehicles.
Also in the Gaines Street district, on campus, and throughout Tallahassee, there are roundabouts put in place in order to control the flow of traffic and keep it steady. Motorists should approach the roundabout by yielding to the traffic coming from the left. Watch for pedestrians and be prepared to stop. Motorists in the roundabout have the right of way. Once there is a safe gap in traffic, motorists may enter the roundabout to the right and continue counter-clockwise until they reach their exit. When exiting, use your right turn signal and remember to never stop in the roundabout unless traffic builds up.
Mid-block pedestrian crossing signals are marked crosswalks placed between intersections. These mid-block crosswalks are designed to increase pedestrian safety while allowing traffic to move more efficiently. They are currently being installed on Tennessee Street and can be found throughout FSU’s campus. These signal remains dark until a pedestrian activates the walk indicator. The lights will flash yellow whenever a pedestrian is crossing the street in the crosswalk. Motorists are warned with a solid red signal and must stop and allow the pedestrians to cross. Once the walk time is completed, the signal will go to flashing red. Motorists must come to a complete stop, and if there are no pedestrians in the crosswalk, they may proceed. Remember, pedestrians always have the right of way.
One of Tallahassee’s bike boxes is located on Call Street and Stadium Drive, just before the entrance to FSU’s campus. These green boxes are painted on the road in order to give cyclists the right of way at stoplights. Cyclists approach the bike box from the bike lane. If the light is red, cyclists can enter the bike box and either go to the left side or the right side, depending on which way they would like to turn. When the light turns green, cyclists will be able to go before motorists do. If cyclists wish to go straight, they can remain in the bike lane and proceed, following the crosswalk signals. Motorists should keep the bike box clear for cyclists and should always obey traffic signals and signage.
Please click here for more information about the DRVN 850 program and for video clips on how to properly use these newly added amenities. After you watch the video, be sure to take Kip’s Driving Test (a short survey) in order to be entered into a drawing to win prizes from local businesses. These amenities are designed to make Tallahassee more safe and efficient and to KeepFSUSafe.