LAKE WALES, Fla. (WFLA) – More than 200 people packed a large room inside a clubhouse in the Lake Ashton retirement community in Lake Wales to hear about infrastructure and road projects in the area.
Many residents said they showed up at 9 a.m. on a Monday to hear from county leaders about plans to widen nearby Thompson Nursery Road.
The project expands Thompson Nursery Road from two lanes to four lanes from Hwy 27 to W. Lake Ruby Road due to growth in the area.
“Was this what you expected?” asked a reporter after the meeting.
“No,” replied Patti Anderson.
Anderson said she is opposed to plans that include a bike lane in the road widening project because drivers make it too dangerous.
“They cut in and around and around traffic. They’re tailgating. They’re speeding. You put a bike path in the middle then that’s only going to cause problems,” said Anderson.
Many residents, but according to a county commissioner, not all, prefer a multi-use lane off the road for all non-vehicular traffic.
“We’re very disappointed in the intransigence of the commission,” said Robert “Tip” Franklin, a concerned resident.
Franklin shared his concerns with 8 On Your Side in June.
The season may have changed, but his opinion has not.
“They’re not looking to the future. The plans for this project were developed slightly after the turn of the century. At that time, where we are now was probably under an orange tree,” said Franklin. “Florida, unfortunately, ranks number one in the nation in bicycle path deaths and that’s the design that they’re implementing right now.”
Commissioner Rick Wilson answered a pre-submitted question about why the county commission did not listen to residents’ concerns about the project.
“There’s a lot of people in this county and we have to look at everything,” he said. “We are not going to be having a multi-use trail.”
He said he, staff members and consultants held meetings with concerned residents, some of whom said they did not prefer a multi-use lane over a bike lane.
Polk County roads and drainage director Jay Jarvis recommended the bike lane plan, saying it provides consistency in the corridor.
The project started in the early 2000s, Jarvis said.
“We feel that it’s still just as safe as it’s always been. We’ll continue and that will always be one of the options we’ll look at,” said Jarvis.
Jarvis said the project is not a “done deal” as the county commission still needs to approve the design contract.
“Things can change but once the board pretty much adopts the design contract that we’ll be bringing to them, then it’s pretty much set. Major changes typically don’t occur after that point,” said Jarvis.
Franklin said he will continue his opposition to the project.
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