Loquat Road: Breaking the gridlock

Slate: “So what is the answer? The issue is to correct the intersection where (County Road) 905 goes into U.S. 1 at mile marker 106.5.”

We discussed this face to face in November, and Slate was willing to open Loquat Road once the CR90/US1 was corrected. To that end, Monroe County Commissioner Holly Raschein has ordered the proper FDOT engineering measurements and traffic study now underway.

I have visited the junction every week since September in the early afternoon and was surprised to find no traffic backups until the week after Christmas through New Year when the traffic backups were more than 2 miles and more than 40 minutes. Took scores of photos. We all agree this cannot continue. Happily this can be easily and quickly corrected by operating the existing, fully equipped, stoplight on weekends and holidays — our collective prime objective.

I do also agree and witnessed the sheriff not adequately enforcing order. Motorcycles in the bike lanes cars, trucks, garbage trucks, even fire department passing on the grass, etc. Officers standing in the middle of U.S. 1 to direct traffic is not a long-term solution and certainly not safe.

Slate: “The barrier is not devastating the two restaurants.” That statement is naïve, misinformed or disingenuous. In fact, this is the major issue. Counting cars is not counting revenue, which is documented down 30-50%. Go inside and talk with the owners.

Slate: “Everything was done 100% correct following county code and the vote passed through the commission to put the barrier there.” Sorry. There was a 12-inch sign you could not read driving by with no place to stop, no engineering traffic measurements, no business impact study and a final vote was noon mid-week in Key West with no participants. This 100% was pure political leverage. I found this particularly offensive.

Your community cannot just decide to barrier-seal public roads to let kids and pets play in the street.

Thanks for joining the commissioner, businesses and taxpayers to correct these issues in a logical, factual and non-emotional manner.

Report traffic backup to FDOT at 305-640-7360 at any time.

Robert Broton, Key Largo