ORLANDO, Fla. – An Orlando-area stretch of road has been plagued with speeders and prone to crashes, but now a study aims at making the road safer for motorists and pedestrians.
Just over a week ago, Orlando Utilities Commission employees worked for hours to restore power to more than 1,100 homes after police said a drunk driver crashed into a utility pole on Forest Avenue, knocking out power in the area for hours.
Joe and Kelly Panton said they were feeding their newborn around 3 a.m. when it happened.
"It literally sounded like the a/c exploded," Joe said. “It was loud."
It was the latest crash along a two-mile stretch from 17-92 to Bennett Road that's been prone to crashes and known for speeders.
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Doris Stanley has a front-row seat from her front porch.
"I think it's a really big problem," she said.
From the west, the road starts as Virginia Avenue, then turns into Forest Avenue, and then Corrine Drive.
The speed limit is 35 mph on Virginia Avenue, then drops to 30 mph, and then 20 mph when you hit the curve on Forest Avenue.
It goes back to 30 mph for a short stretch and then drops again to 20 mph at the curve on Corrine Drive.
According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, there have been 166 traffic crashes along the stretch in the last five years.
"People don’t slow down even at the traffic light. They just fly past it," Stanley said. "I've sat here and watched them do it."
Elizabeth Whitton is with Metroplan Orlando and is the project manager for the Corrine Drive Complete Streets Study.
The two-mile stretch is owned by Orange County, maintained by the City of Orlando and is adjacent to Winter Park, according to Whitton. All three municipalities decided something needed to be done, she said.
"We did some traffic data analysis last year and it showed that more than 75 percent of cars are speeding between Winter Park Road and General Rees," Whitton said.
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The goal of the study is to redesign the road, making it safer for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.
"We actually want to make it safer for each person to use the road," she said.
The project started in January 2017 and, after getting input from more than 1,700 people, Metroplan Orlando came up with six different design options and is narrowing them down to one. It could include a raised intersection at Winter Park Road and dedicated bike lanes and sidewalks, according to Whitton.
"I think redesigning it will absolutely help the problem," Stanley said
Metroplan Orlando plans to have a final proposal for Corrine Drive by the end of summer. Officials said it will have short- and long-term solutions, but they still have to figure out how to pay for it.