9/7/1993 - Laserfiche WebLink

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r- SEP 7 1993 BOOK 90 Fl,GF..3.377 distance north to the intersection to cross, then back south to their destination. In the county traffic engineer's opinion, relying solely on an at -grade crossing of S.R. A -1-A at the S.R. A-1-A/C.R. 510 intersection would promote uncontrolled, chance crossings along the project's entire S.R. A -1-A frontage. Therefore, it is staff's analysis that a pedestrian crossing near the project's main entrance is necessary. There are basically three types of main entrance area pedestrian crossings that staff has discussed with the applicant. These include an above grade crossing (pedestrian bridge over S.R. A -1-A), a below grade crossing (pedestrian tunnel under S.R. A -1-A),, and an at - grade crossing at the project entrance. At the August 121, 1993 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, the Disney officials verbally committed on the record to a below grade crossing. Staff retained the analysis of all crossing options discussed to give the Board of County Commissioners an overview of the reasons the staff recommended a below grade crossing. @At -Grade Crossing: The staff's concerns relating to the at -grade crossing are basically safety, efficiency, and convenience. In the opinion of the county traffic engineer, an at -grade crossing at the project entrance will create safety and traffic flow problems and will constitute a potential pedestrian/vehicular conflict point because of the volume of pedestrian traffic, the volume and speed of vehicular traffic on S.R. A -1-A, and the age groups of the people using the crossing. The 1992 AADT (average annual daily traffic), traffic volume for this segment of S.R. A -1-A was 6,575, with many vehicles exceeding the posted speed limit. The county traffic engineer has approximated the number of expected peak hour pedestrian crossings at 120.-_ The significant number of potential pedestrian crossings and the fact that tourists unfamiliar with the area will be making crossing maneuvers makes thet-grade crossing alternative undesirable from a pedestrian safety standpoint. Because of the nature of the project, procedures for crossing would need to be learned weekly by a new group of people. This problem could be intensified by the.number of foreign guests expected to use the resort, since foreign guests are often unfamiliar with American driving rules and customs. An at -grade pedestrian crossing at the main entrance could also have an adverse impact on vehicular traffic flow on S.R. A -1-A through the project area. During staff's review of the project, the county traffic engineer requested • that the applicant provide a pedestrian crossing study to determine the effect that an at -grade crossing at the main entrance would have on pedestrian safety and S.R. A -1 -A's vehicular travel efficiency. To date, the applicant has not provided the pedestrian crossing study. Therefore, the applicant has not demonstrated the effect of an at -grade pedestrian crossing would have on pedestrian safety. It is anticipated that, as the project and the area develop, S.R. A -1-A traffic volumes will increase, making pedestrian crossings increasingly difficult. *Above -Grade Crossing: Staff's concerns about an above grade crossing (bridge) over S.R. A -1-A relate primarily