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Tavares council declines city-funded traffic-signal study at David Walker and CR 441, opts to wait for county review
Summary
The City of Tavares voted to decline a $7,500 city-funded traffic-signal warrant study for the intersection of David Walker and County Road (CR) 441 and instead wait until the county’s next scheduled review in 2027, after staff reported past studies found a signal was not warranted.
The Tavares City Council voted April 16 to decline a staff recommendation to allocate $7,500 from the city budget to commission an updated traffic-signal warrant study for the intersection of David Walker and County Road 441 and to wait until 2027 for the county to revisit the request.
Staff told the council the intersection was studied previously in 2013 and 2020; both studies concluded a traffic signal was not warranted at those times. Staff said the county typically funds and updates warrant studies on a roughly seven-year cycle but the city could pay to have a study done earlier at an estimated cost of $7,500.
Council members who pressed for the study cited safety concerns and increased traffic from recent subdivisions. A council member who said they first observed safety problems at the intersection in the early 2000s described the location as “very dangerous” and said traffic has increased since the 2020 study. Another council member urged investing city resources toward broader traffic needs on State Road 19 and nearby corridors rather than commissioning an immediate study for the David Walker intersection.
After discussion, a motion to select the option to decline the $7,500 allocation and wait until 2027 was made and seconded. The motion passed on a voice vote. The council recorded the vote as in favor (ayes) and no opposition was announced during the roll call; three council members were present for the meeting and the motion carried.
Staff told council that if a future study recommends a traffic signal, design and construction could take about two years from the decision point because of budgeting, design and roadwork requirements. Council members and members of the public also discussed longer-term projects, including planned improvements and four‑laning of portions of State Road 19, and noted those larger projects may be required to address some corridor safety problems.
The council directed that the item remain on future agendas for follow-up as regional planning and state funding progress.
