Safety improvements could be coming to Corrine Drive in Audubon Park

ORLANDO, Fla. – There's now a plan to make safety improvements along a busy stretch of road that's been plagued by speeding and crashes.

Corrine Drive runs right through the Baldwin Park and Audubon Park neighborhoods, an area of Orlando that's steadily growing in popularity.

Now, a two-year traffic safety study of the road is complete and will be presented to local leaders and the public Wednesday. 

Jennifer Marval has been following the study since it began. 

As a resident and executive director of the Audubon Park Garden District Main Street Program, she's ready to see change that would curb speeding. 

She works at East End Market and since she lives so close, she would like to bike to work but the lack of safety measures in place has made that impossible.  

"I have biked exactly twice. I took two different routes and it was so scary, and it felt so harrowing that I drive now, which is ridiculous," Marvel said. 

Elizabeth Whitton with MetroPlan Orlando has been working to address that. She served as the project manager on the study. 

"Cars speed through the area. There was a new K-8 school going in and kids would be walking across the street and we wanted to provide safe space for them to do so," Whitton said. 

The proposal consists of added space for bicyclists and pedestrians. As well as two raised intersections and two pedestrian and cyclists crossings. 

From Mills Avenue to Nebraska Street, the road will be condensed to three lanes: one travel lane in each direction and a center lane. 

From Nebraska Street to Bennett Road, the road will transition to five lanes that will include a median as well.

Complete sidewalks throughout the stretch are proposed and it will be American Disabilities Act compliant.

The raised intersections will be placed close to Audubon Park K-8 to slow drivers down. 

"We found that 100 kids were walking across Corrine in the morning and in the evening after school," Whitton said. 

Not everyone is on board with the proposal. 

John Bohlen lives behind East End Market and has for more than a decade. 

As Audubon Park continues to see growth, he's seen that spill into his neighborhood behind Corrine Drive. 

"I think it's fine the way it is," Bohlen said. 

He's heard the proposals made to address safety concerns along the busy two mile stretch.

His concerns are based on a slower speed and the lack of patience drivers may have when they're driving along Corrine Drive. 

"This is going to cause road rage. This is going to cause you sitting in traffic. Getting angry and what are they going to do. They are going to take short cuts," Bohlen said. 

Those short cuts he fears will drift into his neighborhood. 

"It's going to cause a detriment to the neighborhoods and possible, you know, fatalities for people on bicycles on the side roads," Bohlen said. 

He admits, he would like to see some change. 

"If anything, I would say take the sidewalk and make it wider and turn it into a bike path on both sides," Bohlen said. "They could build a bridge over where the school is. That could be good for the kids to get in and out of school."

He plans to attend the proposal meeting Wednesday. 

It will be held in the cafeteria at Auduon Park K-8 located at 1500 Falcon Dr, Orlando, FL 32803  at 6 p.m.


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