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MTPO asks FDOT to remove on‑street parking and backs protected bike lanes on Newberry Road segment
Summary
After weeks of technical review and competing recommendations, the MTPO adopted a joint recommendation asking FDOT to remove on‑street parking on a stretch of State Road 26/Newberry Road and pursue protected on‑street bike lanes, and the board directed staff to send FDOT a clarifying letter about the board's priorities.
The MTPO on Sept. 16 approved a joint recommendation and directed staff to send FDOT a clarifying letter asking that on‑street parking be removed on a segment of State Road 26/Newberry Road so the corridor can be restriped with protected bike lanes.
Background: FDOT presented a multi‑use off‑street path as a funded option, and the technical advisory committee (TAC) and FDOT staff favored that multi‑use approach. City staff, the citizen advisory committee and MTPO staff, however, recommended removal of private on‑street parking and installation of protected on‑street bike lanes to restore public right‑of‑way and improve safety.
Why it mattered to commissioners and the public Board members and public commenters said safety and visibility for vulnerable road users are paramount on the five‑block stretch, where parked vehicles limit sightlines and multiple driveways create conflict points. Kristen Young of Gainesville Citizens for Active Transportation told the board: "The on‑street parking is blocking the visibility for all road users...This is not a safe project to have on‑street parking with a two‑directional bike path." Several commissioners said the striping that removes parking and creates protected lanes is a lower‑cost, quicker safety improvement than a larger off‑street rebuild.
Funding and schedule implications FDOT said the multi‑use (off‑street) concept could be funded through the MTPO's SU allocation but cautioned that the MTPO has only a limited annual SU allocation (about $3 million) that is programmed across projects. The board asked FDOT to pause further concept work while county and city staff coordinate priorities and said staff should present a clarifying letter confirming the MTPO's preferred approach.
Vote The motion to adopt the joint recommendation and send a letter to FDOT passed, with one nay recorded.
Next steps Staff will send the MTPO's clarifying letter to FDOT and will coordinate with FDOT and the steering committee process so the project aligns with the upcoming county bicycle‑pedestrian master plan and MTPO priorities. The board discussed using SU funds for initial phases if the project remains a top priority.
