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Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Panama City Beach Intersection Draws Concern

A Panama City Beach Fire Department captain contacted News 13 to let us know why he thinks changes should be made at Highway 98 also known as Back Beach Road and Clara Avenue.
Details in this News 13 Problem Solver report.

Captain Joe Cocco of the Panama City Beach Fire Department knows all too well about the danger of Back Beach and Clara.  During his twenty years with the department, he says he has responded to many accidents in this area...some of them fatal.  Captain Cocco expressed his concern over safety to the Florida Department of Transportation following a fatal accident at Back Beach and Clara last January. And, Captain Cocco says he lost a friend in a July fatal accident at the intersection.  “I truly believe a traffic light would have prevented that accident from happening.  I think speed needs to be lowered on back beach road,” says Captain Cocco.

F-DOT says a study has been conducted on the intersection.  According to F-DOT Spokesman Tommie Speights, “it is a very busy intersection...however, during our analysis study of last year, it did not warrant a signal otherwise, the traffic count was not met.”

In the meantime, Major Dave Humphries of the Panama City Beach Police Department says for law enforcement it is a tough job to police this intersection.  “I’m no engineer...but common sense tells me when we keep having serious, significant, and sometimes fatal crashes...it doesn’t take an Enstein to figure out we need a traffic light there.”

But, F-DOT says at this time until more development comes and the traffic count increases there are no plans for a light.  So, what can be done?  Speights says, “well one of the things that we can do is maybe get some type of variable message board out there that says “intersection ahead”…until we do get something in the form of a signal there.“

Speights also says that a new traffic signal to be installed near the Clara Avenue intersection may make a difference.  The signal is approved for Nautilus Street.  Speights says it should provide gaps in traffic and reduce the average speed along Back Beach Road.


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