Commissioners add roadway safety projects and ask engineer for striping report; budget constraints cited

County staff and commissioners discussed candidate safety projects identified by the County Transportation Safety Development (CTSD) group and directed the county engineer to inspect local roadways and report back with recommendations on where striping or other safety improvements are most needed.

At the Jan. 28 CTSD meeting, staff said the group prioritized several safety concerns, including Highway 181/1805 (Leon), the Highway 81 / Highway 90 corridor near Ponce De Leon (school access), congestion near Highway 81 outside Ponce De Leon Springs and backup congestion at key intersections. Commissioners added locally requested items such as a stoplight on Highway 79 at Saint John's Road and prioritized backup power for caution (flashing) lights.

Several residents and a member of the public raised concerns about faded center and edge lines on county roads and safety for drivers at night. Staff provided per-mile striping cost examples from vendors: a solid line estimate of $1,300 per mile and a broken line estimate of $8.50 per mile for conventional traffic paint; the county engineer noted that thermoplastic striping lasts longer but costs more.

Commissioners asked the county engineer to ride county roads, produce a prioritized list of stripe/thermoplastic candidate segments, and return with a cost estimate. Commissioners and staff acknowledged there is no dedicated budget for striping in the current year's maintenance budget and that actual implementation is contingent on available funds and any FDOT scrapprogram funding opportunities.

No formal appropriation was made at the meeting; the board asked the engineer to bring back a report with recommendations and probable costings for future budgeting.