RE: SW 75th Street -Urgent Road Safety Concerns & PavementManagement Inequities
Dear Director Gavarrete, Chairman Alford & fellow Commissioners,
I am writing on behalf of the Kanapaha Residents AgainstSafety Hazards (KRASH) to express our urgent concerns about these issues:
(1) the dangerous condition of approximately one mile of SW 75thStreet,
(2) arguable results of the recent pavement assessment as presented in TheKercher Group’s 2021 report, and
(3) apparent disparities or inequities within Alachua County's current PavementManagement System (PMS) program.
The section of SW 75th Street that is the subject ofthis letter is its southernmost mile, situated south of the Brytan subdivision.(See attached aerials and photos.) This one mile 2-lane roadway is the primaryaccess route for numerous subdivisions, including over 500 homes, as well asserving local churches and businesses.
SW 75th Street which was originally paved in 1980,now stands at 44 years old, and serves as a crucial artery for numeroussubdivisions. It has languished in disrepair for 20 years. Following the paving of SW 85th Avenue in 2009, SW 75th has seen a surgein traffic volume.Serving as a vital paved shortcut route between SW Archer Road and SW Williston Road,SW 75th Street, posted at 55 MPH, now bears the brunt of increasedvehicular activity, which has hastened its degradation.
The Dangerous Conditionof SW 75th Street
Regarding its current condition, SW 75th has hundredsand hundreds of potholes, deep rutting, alligator cracking, ponding, edgecrumbling, along with a lack of shoulders or bike lanes, posing a daily hazard toschool buses, trucks, cars, cyclists, and pedestrians as they try to navigatethis dangerous section of road. It's disheartening to note that the magnitudeof potholes is clearly visible even on Google Earth aerials.
Dubious AssessmentResults of Alachua County, FL 2021 Pavement Management Report
In 2008, SW 75th Street, a then 28-year-old road, wasrecognized as #26 on the "Alachua County Paved Roads Priority List,"indicating its need of repair and its importance to the community. Over the next 16 years, this road hasdeteriorated significantly. Somehow, (perhapsdue to a clerical error?), it appears to have fallen through the cracks. We have now learned that SW 75thStreet was inexplicably omitted from the County’s PMS program, although theconsultant allegedly reviewed 700 miles of paved roads in Alachua County.
So, despite its indispensability, SW 75th Street has unaccountablyvanished from the County's resurfacing plans and interactive platforms, raisingserious concerns about the fairness and equity of Alachua County's current PMS.Using the parameters and descriptions set out in the Alachua County, FL 2021Pavement Management Report prepared by The Kercher Group, we believe thisroad segment is not merely in POOR condition, as are many roads throughout ourcounty, but is actually in “FAILED” condition, a category notably absent fromthe recent Kercher report.
Inequities in theCurrent Pavement Management System (PMS) program
The disparity in treatment between SW 75th Street andother roads in the County is glaring. While considerable resources have beenallocated for the resurfacing of roads like SW 62nd Avenue (FinleyWoods), and recently SW 46th Boulevard (which serves HailePlantation and was not in failing condition), SW 75th Street isgiven minimal maintenance using temporary “cold patching”. This raisesquestions about the fairness and effectiveness of the PMS program. Moreover, we see that there are threeupcoming roadway paving projects slated for Wacahoota Road, a similar 2 lanepaved connector in our area that serves far fewer homes and has lower trafficcounts. Yet, there is nothing on recordfor the repair of our 44-year-old failed roadway.
We recognize the budgetary constraints faced by the County;however, as taxpayers, we expect equitable treatment and fair allocation ofresources for essential infrastructure maintenance.
In Summary
Despite numerous pleas from residents and evidence presented aboutits deteriorating condition, SW 75th Street does not appear in anyofficial county documents or its PMS program. This glaring omission raisesserious questions about the County's commitment to transparency and fairness inits infrastructure management practices.
We urge you and the Board of County Commissioners to takeimmediate steps to include SW 75th Street in the County's current resurfacing plans.
Thank you for your attention to this pressing issue.
Sincerely,
Joe Prager
Founder, KanapahaResidents Against Safety Hazards (KRASH)
***********************Attached: PDF of photos and this letter
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