Thank you again for your support in appealing to city traffic officials, MacDill AFB leadership, and the TPD for a safer and quieter neighborhood to improve our quality of life. 

We have gained nearly 200 signatures in just four days, which shows the seriousness of these issues and the urgent need for some respite from the congestion, noise and safety issues. 

This morning’s meeting took place on the MacDill AFB and was accompanied by five neighborhood residents, four TPD officers, two COT traffic mobility reps, and several MacDill AFB personnel. The AFB personnel included the Base Commander, the Deputy, and the Chief Master Sergeant. We had a lengthy discussion in how we could work together to meet these vital objectives.

We'd be happy to discuss anything in greater detail, answer any questions you may have and hear additional suggestions, but as promised we want to share the highlights with you here:

Safety:

We passionately shared and appealed (with photos and videos) to all reps (city and base) to take immediate action to improve safety, mitigate risks of high speeding, improve narrow pathways for pedestrians, change lack of street infrastructure and resolve  security concerns for base personnel being potential sitting ducks, etc...

All participants agreed that the speed on Bayshore Blvd. (south of Gandy) should be lowered and enforced. Several recommendations were made:

• Provide the possibility of radar cameras (which will soon be tested around schools)
• Increase in TPD presence to write more tickets
• Send immediate communication/PSAs to MacDill AFB employees to respect this is a neighborhood and residential area
• Provide MacDill leadership with a weekly roll-up of citations (including driving infractions and noise, both from exhaust and stereos/subwoofer
• Install additional signage to remind drivers of the ordinances that need to be followed

Infrastructure/Congestion:

Bayshore Blvd. south of Gandy is classified as a collector road and not an arterial road like Bayshore north of Gandy or Dale Mabry. The amount of VPD (vehicles per day) that drive on the road is what dictates its functional classification, speed and infrastructure. This is why the infrastructure of south Bayshore Blvd. is vastly different than other roads in the area. It was never designed nor intended to be used as a major roadway and construction was never done to support the high volume of VPD we see today. Herein lies the issues plus the fact that the MacDill gate isn’t being properly utilized. Overall, it’s an infrastructure and engineering oversight and has not been pointed out or addressed with all parties until today. 

Per section 27-160 of the city’s code ordinances, different roadways require different setbacks. There aren’t any special setback requirements or infrastructure requirements for the south portion of Bayshore Blvd. (Gandy to Interbay). The main issue is the base is using Bayshore Blvd. from Gandy to the gate as an arterial road when it was never designed that way nor has it been updated to meet the needs of our community or the base. 

We are looking into the functional classification process to explore any options we may have here. 

Noise: 

We made the AFB leadership aware of the extreme noise that starts around 5 a.m. and goes until just after 9 p.m. We showed them a few videos which showcased some of the worst offenders whether from exhaust/tire noise, stereos/subwoofers, or simply from speeding. 

Per Florida Statute 316.3045, TPD can and will start citing "...those who operate or amplify sounds from a vehicle that is A) plainly audible at a distance of 25 feet or more, or B) louder than necessary for the convenient hearing by person(s) inside the vehicle in areas adjoining private residences, churches, schools or hospitals."

Gate Hours & Reason Why S. MacDill Gate is Only Outbound with Limited Hours:

When several attendees, including traffic mobility reps, posed the question as to why the south MacDill gate isn’t open for inbound traffic, MacDill AFB leadership said that it would cause severe congestion in the morning on base. This is due to the direction where the MacDill gate traffic flows and how it poorly intercepts with the Dale Mabry gate causing a traffic jam. This would then cause the Dale Mabry gate to get backed up even more and create a larger traffic flow issue on and off the base. 

MacDill AFB leadership stated this week they did just began opening the MacDill gate for a limited window of time in the afternoon for outbound traffic.

We asked about improving the design of the roadways at the MacDill gate so it could properly flow and intercept with the Dale Mabry gate. This would create a more secure and efficient way to use all of the gates and also take the pressure off our small collector road, Bayshore Blvd. However, the MacDill AFB leadership said it would take a decade to fix. We asked if they could start on it now given that the traffic has and will continue to get worse. 

We also requested the gate to be closed until a variety of safety measures could be implemented. The base leadership said they could not do that and still meet their missions. We appealed to ask them to please take a hard look at congestion vs. convenience and to consider closing the gate earlier on the weekdays and completely on the weekends. The base leadership said they would very seriously consider that appeal. However, they would not/could not help with the morning hours. 

We pointed out that the city's quiet hours aren't lifted until 7 a.m. yet they are breaking the noise ordinance, sustained almost entirely throughout the day, at levels well above 55 dbs (quiet hours) and the 60 dbs limit throughout the day, and that from 5 a.m. the noise levels frequently spiked well into the high 70's and even 80's and 90's in the cases of several motorcycles, jeeps/trucks, "muscle" cars, and other modified vehicles. They pointed back to education/PSAs as a way to change this behavior. The TPD also pledged to start writing noise citations for exhaust/modified vehicles and stereos/subwoofers. 

Viable ideas and initiatives to alleviate the risks, congestion and noise:

• Toll discount to encourage use of the crosstown to Dale Mabry gate
• Speed cameras once they are used for other zones
• Reduce mph
• Install speed bumps 
• Require FDOT/COT to construct curbs and plant street trees to protect pedestrians on pathways and create sound barrier
• Install lighted cross walks
• Install signs along Bayshore Blvd. (south of Gandy) reminding drivers it is a neighborhood road and to comply to noise ordinances
• Contact Waze’s corporate office to correct their suggested routes and inform they are causing traffic issues by routing people to Bayshore gate versus the Dale Mabry or Tanker gates 

Property Values: 

To prevent property values from decreasing, the noise, safety, and illicit behavior issues need to be mitigated. 

Environment:

We brought up the issue of the protected mangrove between Sanders and Averill. We pointed out that endangered species including roseated spoonbills, wood storks, and pelicans have disappeared, and we now only have very rare sightings of osprey and eagles.

No comments and no further discussion was made. We have notified Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission of the concerns. We did not ask the base or city if an environmental impact study has been done. Anyone with any further insight on this, please comment.

Next Steps:

We need you to continue to show your support and desire for change by sharing the petition. We will continue to work with the traffic engineers and TPD to make progress on the above. We will reach out to our local councilman and the mayor’s office to try and expedite these processes.

Please leave your comments / feedback in the comments section. If you have any  connections or would like to assist us with our networking, please let us know.

Respectfully, 

Your Neighborhood Safety Advocates