Recent improvements to the busy Road 68 corridor have reduced the overall accident rate by nearly 30% and have improved rush-hour emergency response time by nearly 50 seconds.
Road 68 is one of the principal arterials in Pasco and, consequently, one of the busiest. Traffic volumes in the Road 68 corridor range from approximately 10,000 Average Daily Trips (ADT) to 50,000 ADT. In response, the City has been implementing elements of the Road 68 Corridor Study to improve safety and traffic, and most recently installed medians and upgraded signal lights.
The post construction study shows that there has been a reduction in the number of accidents and, most importantly, a reduction in major collisions, including a 54% reduction in mid-block accidents. Upgraded signal lights that allow emergency vehicle pre-emption showed a 48 second time savings in traveling from Fire Station 83 (on Road 68) to Sandifur Parkway.
There are a number of other safety and traffic improvements that have been identified in the Corridor Study to be completed in upcoming years, including additional turning lanes from Burden Boulevard to Road 68 and from Road 68 to westbound I-182.
“The Road 68 improvements have shown to help make drivers and residents safer and we are working hard to implement other enhancements to the area”, said Public Works Director Ahmad Qayoumi.
The full Traffic Review is available at: http://bit.ly/1O7VBFg