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Article
and Video Courtesy of Channel 8 On Your Side
By Leslee Lacey
Published
October 2, 2017
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 Watch
VIDEO
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RIVERVIEW -- A neighborhood street in Riverview has a
split personality. It’s mostly quiet as a mouse but as soon as rush hour
hits, residents say the subdivision of Riverview Meadows turns into a
speedway.
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Residents told
WFLA Traffic Reporter Leslee Lacey that drivers began
using their neighborhood as a shortcut when another
entrance opened up on Symmes Road.
Riverview Meadows homeowner Elizabeth Radhakrishnan says
she invested in the neighborhood a couple years ago
because it was quiet, safe and family friendly. Then
months after closing on her house, the second entrance
opened and non-residents began turning right from Symmes
Road onto Warren Oaks Place to get to US 301.
This lets commuters avoid waiting at a busy traffic
light at Symmes Rd and US 301. |
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“It’s very unsafe for our children and our families because what’s
happening is they are bypassing that light and it’s causing heavy
traffic and speeders,” said Radhakrishnan.
And to make matters worse, travel apps like WAZE will actually route
drivers down her small subdivision to shorten their commute.
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HOA President Gerald Torre says speeding and high
volume traffic has become a serious issue with home owners.
“There have been about three homes sold since then, and most
of them have said because of the speeders and because of all
the heavy traffic.”
Leslee took out her speed buster gun was found it was
extremely quiet with barely any cars coming by. This was
around 10 am. She saw one person cutting through and he was
traveling 8 mph over the 25mph speed limit. She caught a
resident speeding as well. |
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So, she asked Torre if she needed to come back at a different time. “So,
you think if I came back here between 5 and 7:30 I am going to have a
different picture?
“Absolutely,” replied Torre. “Ok, I’m gonna do it,” said Leslee.
So, Leslee returned after 5:30 pm and she saw exactly what the residents
were describing. Many vehicles cutting through the subdivision on a
regular basis to avoid waiting in traffic at the red light on Symmes Rd
at 301. Leslee quickly speed busted a driver going 39 mph! That’s 19 mph
over the speed limit in a small residential area.
“We’ve gone to the dept. of transportation. We went to the sheriff’s
office. We reached out to out HOA and we just can’t seem to have an
answer,” Radhakrishnan said.
Leslee reached out to Hillsborough County Traffic Management and the
sheriff’s office and will follow up on what they can do to help these
residents.
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