Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council backs concept plan to stop unsafe U‑turns at Circle S; asks staff to pursue design and funding options
Summary
After engineering counts showed frequent unsafe U‑turns and damage at the Circle S entrance on Dykes Road, the council endorsed advancing a concept that would install a 4‑ft raised concrete median with a bolted 'turf curb' and construct a paved U‑turn apron; staff will take the concept to Broward County for traffic‑control review and pursue funding options for construction and maintenance.
A traffic‑safety concept to reduce dangerous U‑turns and median damage at the Circle S entrance on Dykes Road drew council backing on May 8, with staff and Kimley‑Horn consultant John McWames summarizing counts, photos and recommended physical improvements.
McWames said field observations showed frequent U‑turns immediately after flexible delineators and significant vehicle‑induced damage to the Circle S entrance landscape. He recommended installing a 4‑foot‑wide concrete raised median within the existing striped area, mounting more durable bolted 'turf curb' delineators, and constructing a paved U‑turn apron large enough for single‑unit trucks to turn safely. He also suggested extending the raised median past the Camp Lingua driveway and using flex posts and signage to prevent drivers from misusing the opening.
"The only way to control U‑turns and funnel them to the place you want them to be made is to create a raised median," McWames told council, and he described turf curbs bolted to the pavement as a more maintenance‑resilient alternative to glue‑down posts.
Council members raised questions about ownership and maintenance (Dykes Road is a town roadway under town maintenance), the likely need for Broward County Traffic Engineering review of traffic control devices, and the cost of ongoing repairs. Staff said the project could be a candidate for the county 'penny tax' category that funds trafficways projects, which would help offset construction costs.
The council gave staff consensus support to move the design forward for county review and to prepare cost and maintenance estimates for budget consideration and possible external funding sources.
What happens next: Staff will present schematic plans and cost estimates to Broward County traffic engineering and return with options for funding and a recommended construction timeline.
