Largo presents corridor study with options to narrow lanes, add buffers and improve crossings near Mildred Helms Elementary

The City of Largo and consultant Kimley‑Horn presented findings from a corridor improvement study for a half‑mile section of Clearwater‑Largo Road immediately south of West Bay Drive, near Mildred Helms Elementary School. The study offers three scenarios to address speeding, crash history and a five‑foot sidewalk immediately adjacent to the travel lane where students walk.

Study options and findings - Scenario A — incremental: targeted landscape medians and a mid‑block crossing. Lower cost; addresses a single crossing but would not provide corridor‑wide buffers. - Scenario B — repurpose one northbound and one southbound travel lane to create a four‑lane roadway with an on‑street bicycle facility, wider sidewalks and buffers. The consultant reported a reduction in fatal and incapacitating crashes of roughly 67% in model results and estimated substantial reductions in…