published: Sunday, February 17, 2013

College Drive should not be de facto link

Editor:

The Highlands County commission is scheduled to take action to authorize additional steps toward completing the construction of Phase III of the Sebring Parkway. To date, plans call for the use of College Drive as the de facto link between U.S. 27, the Sebring Parkway, and Memorial Drive.

A traffic study conducted on behalf of South Florida State College (SFSC) shows that using College Drive in this manner will substantially change the nature of traffic on College Drive. The District Board of Trustees and the administration of SFSC oppose the use of College Drive as the de facto link between U.S. 27, the Sebring Parkway, and Memorial Drive.

Both the Highlands County's current and year 2030 road functional classifications define College Drive at the lowest level of use, a minor collector. In those same plans, the county defines all the roads for which College Drive would then be the connector at higher use functions: U.S. 27 - a major arterial; Sebring Parkway - a minor arterial; and Memorial Drive - presently a minor arterial but future use as a minor collector.

The use of College Drive as the de facto link between these higher use roads appears on its face to be contrary to Highlands County's own Comprehensive Plan Transportation Element. One suggestion is to go ahead and extend the Sebring Phase III all the way to U.S. 27 north of Lake Lelia as already shown on future county plans. The county should not try to make College Drive an intermediate term expressway.

Joe Wright

Vice Chairman

District Board of Trustees

South Florida State College