Construction is everywhere in Ruskin, according to J.C. Armstrong. He moved his family to the area about a year ago, hoping to escape some of the city traffic he left in Seminole Heights.
"We've got a new Publix coming over here on the other side of the street, supposedly a Walmart Supercenter here," he said. "This is growing. Subdivision after subdivision going up, so it's going crazy."
With the new residents and business comes a lot of traffic, more than the current signal at U.S. 41 and 19th Avenue NW can handle.
- Bay News 9's Real Time Traffic Reporter Chuck Henson takes an in-depth look at transportation issues around the Bay area.
Armstrong says the number of cars making left turns and taking extreme chances as they thread through oncoming traffic has made the current traffic signals obsolete. He believes a new signal that features a dedicated left turn arrow is needed.
"Just recently, the most recent incident has been a school bus," he said. "A failure to yield. A school bus was here, turning left, getting ready to turn southbound on U.S. 41, and the traffic coming this way, has the right of way. She didn't yield, had a bus load of kids."
According to FDOT spokesperson Kris Carson, the state has worked out a way to have nearby contractors pay for the upgrade to the traffic signals.
"The property on the northwest corner will be developed with in the next several months," she said. "And as part of the re-development the signal will be re-built. The new signal will include/provide left turn phases for all approaches."
No specific dates for the upgrade have been announced.