By Mickenzie Hannon, Interning Correspondent
In partnership with the City of Apopka and Orange County, MetroPlan Orlando is conducting two studies in Apopka on Rock Springs Road and the West Orange Trail extension, evaluating traffic congestion and bicycle and pedestrian safety.
Lara Bouck, Senior Transportation Engineer at MetroPlan Orlando, and Amy Sirmans, Consultant Project Manager at VHB, led a kickoff presentation at the Apopka City Council meeting last Wednesday.
MetroPlan Orlando is a metropolitan transportation planning organization in Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties.
The Rock Springs Road and West Orange Trail extension studies commenced in March and are expected to finish in December 2022. The projects are currently in Phase One—the collection of information and data of the conditions of the study area and assessment of future conditions—and will end in September.
The list of phases and their descriptions and projected dates of development can be found here.
As part of the Rock Springs Road Study, MetroPlan Orlando is assessing Rock Springs Road from Welch Road to Lester Road, the Rock Springs Road, and Welch Road intersection, Sandpiper Street from Lake Avenue to Ustler Road, the Sandpiper Street, and Park Avenue intersection.
Improvements made to Rock Springs Road from Welch Road to Lester Road will alleviate traffic congestion and improve bicycle and pedestrian safety. Since the Sandpiper Street and Park Avenue intersection are currently skewed, realigning the roads is included in the plan. MetroPlan Orlando also included sidewalk additions to the plan, due to the gaps of existing sidewalks in the area.
“The study is needed to determine the best solutions for a multi-jurisdictional intersection that has excessive delays at the Welch Rd/Rock Springs Rd intersection,” Apopka Mayor Bryan Nelson explained. “MetroPlan will look at all the options to determine the most cost-effective solution.”
Apopka City Commissioner Kyle Becker commented on the current traffic congestion and pedestrian activity the project areas would help alleviate. “Rock Springs area from Welch to Lester and the high volume of pedestrians walking across… outside of a formalized crosswalk, plus the vehicular traffic, outside of pedestrians, in that area, it’s madness,” he said.
Living on Sandpiper Street since 1997, Apopka City Commissioner Doug Bankson was particularly thrilled improvements were underway. The congestion and alignment issues on Sandpiper Street have led to many accidents in the area, including at least seven severe accidents in Bankson’s front yard.
According to Bankson, the number of accidents was “really fixed by working together with the county and the city on that four-way stop.” Bankson added, “That’s been a tremendous success and really changed the behavior there.”
Bankson also commented on the proposed Sandpiper Street and Welch Road realignment, expressing the extreme traffic congestion that builds in the evenings and the instances of vehicular accidents. “It also helps with the issues at Welch, so they work in tandem, and I’m glad that focus is included there,” he said.
“I am looking forward to the study,” Apopka Commissioner Diane Velazquez said following the presentation Wednesday. “I wish we could do this a lot sooner, but just the fact that you are all starting this, I have to say, I’m happy.”
The West Orange Trail Extension Study will evaluate extending the trail from Lester Road—where the trail currently ends—to Kelly Park Road, ultimately tying into the proposed Wekiva Trail extension. Orlando MetroPlan is also looking into trail spurs that would connect to the Wekiva Springs State Park, Wolf Lake Elementary and Middle Schools, and the Northwest Recreational Complex.
Orange County Commissioner Christine Moore is excited to work with MetroPlan Orlando on the West Orange Trail Study to increase trail connectivity.
“I have been a strong advocate for our trails system connecting our first-rate parks in northwest Orange County and this project will do that,” Moore said.
The projected extension from Welch Road to Wekiva Springs State Park would be terrific, according to Moore. “Folks from all over Orange County could get to Wekiva Springs State Park on a trail, which would be incredible,” she said.
Those interested in receiving direct updates regarding the projects can use the available form on the project webpage.
“We will be sending updates to those who have requested them when project newsletters are available, before all public meetings, and for other appropriate project milestones,” Bouck said.
MetroPlan Orlando hopes to schedule two public meetings—one in January 2022 after defining alternatives and the second in September 2022 for recommended improvements.
On the MetroPlan Orlando Apopka Studies website, a project survey is available for community members to utilize until July 16.
“We are encouraging people to take the survey and share their input on how to improve the travel experience on Rock Springs Road and the trail,” Bouck said.
MetroPlan Orlando also encourages residents to access the online comment tool, which will allow website visitors to leave a comment, as well as mark the corresponding location on a map of the study that relates to the comment (as applicable).
Additional and updated information can be found on the MetroPlan Orlando website.
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