TO:JacobStewart,ENC3331Professor

FROM:JessicaLangone,ENC3331Student
DATE:24March2016
SUBJECT:AnalysisMemoReport:FourWayStop

TheintersectionatDeerfieldBlvdandTopsfielddriscurrentlyatwowaystop,withthethrough
trafficonDeerfield.Thisintersectionisproblematicduetotheobstructedviewturningonto
DeerfieldfromTopsfieldcausingcarstopullouttoofarintothelaneandforcingthemoverthe
crosswalkinordertoseeapproachingtraffic.Thissectionofroadisaresidentialroadwherethe
speedlimitis30mph,butisnotheeded.

Overview

ThereisafourwayintersectionatDeerfieldBlvdandTopsfieldDr,placedawkwardlyina
schoolzone,nexttoachurchandfirestation,wherecarshavetopulloutintothelanebefore
beingabletoseeothercarsspeedingaroundthebendintheroad.Inresponsetothissafetyissue
Iproposeputtinginafourwaystopatthisintersectiontohelpregulatethetrafficinthearea.
ThereisalreadytwostopsignsleadingoutfromthedevelopmentsonTopsfieldDr.butplacing
twomoreonDeerfieldBlvdwillhelpregulatethetrafficandhelppreventanyaccidentsthat
wouldoccurinthefuturefromtheobstructedview.

ContextandHistory

CurrentlythefourwayintersectionatDeerfieldBlvdandTopsfieldDrispositionedinaschool
zone,borderingtheparkinglotofachurch,andiswithin350ftofafirestation.Atthis
intersectionthereisahugeproblemwithturningouttotheleftfromthestopsignsonTopsfield
Dr.TherearetwostopsignsonTopsfielddratthisintersection,butatbothofthesestopsigns,
theviewisobstructedfromthestreetoppositethechurchandfirestation.

ImagesofIntersectionforContext:

CrosswalksalongDeerfieldBlvdandTopsfielddr:
NotethattheCrosswalkalongDeerfield
onlyhasaschoolzonesignwarning,noyieldorstopsignapproachingthiscrosswalkonthe
busystreet,whosespeedlimitissupposedtobe30mph(yetthisspeedlimitisnotheeded).

OverviewofIntersection:
Notethebendintheroadtotheleft,thisiswheretheobstructedview
comesintoplay.WhenturningoutofDeerHollowontoDeerfield,theviewtotheleftit
obstructedcausingthemainissue.Carsspeedaroundthisbend,whichisblockedbythetreeand
NeighborhoodSignintheimagebelow.

ViewfromFireStationSideofSt:
CurrentStopSignwithinDeerHollowlookingonto
Deerfield.


ViewfromChurchSideofSt:
TurningoutfromTopsfieldontoDeerfield

DistancefromFireStation:
315ftfromintersection

In2006a
SchoolRoutePlanforJohnYoungElementarySchool
hadthisintersection,at
DeerfieldandTopsfield,surveyed.Thispreviouslyconductedschoolrouteplanhasalready
evaluatedthesafetyconcernsofthearea,thelocalcrossingguardevensayingthatatthis
locationindicatedthatmanymotoristsonDeerfieldBoulevarddonotheedthespeedreduction
signs.Thisschoolrouteplandonein2006addressesthesafetyissuesattheintersectionof
DeerfieldBlvdandTopsfieldDr,andinthepasttenyearsthisroadhasgottenevenworse.

TheaverageannualdailytrafficforDeerfieldBlvd.was12,287in2014and11,037in2013
accordingtotheOrangeCountyPublicWorkswebsite.Thesecounts,beingtwoandthreeyears
old,showthatthetrafficonthisroadisincreasing,whichisprobablyduetotheincreasing
developmentinthesurroundingareas.DeerfieldBlvdisoneofthemanyroadsthatconnects
JohnYoungParkwaytoOrangeBlossomTrail,twomajorroads.ThesectionofDeerfieldwhere
theintersectionliesislessthanamilefromJohnYoung.Thisintersectionalsoreceivesallthe

trafficafterschool,includingthetrafficthatfollowsthebusschedule,sothereisagoodtwo
hourperiodtwiceaday,from7amto9amandfrom2pmto4pm,wherethisroadiscrowded
withschooltraffic(e.g.kidswalkingandridingtheirbikeshomes,carswithchildrendriving
home,andbuseswithchildrendrivingthemtobusstops).

RhetoricalSituation

Theexigenceforthiscampaignisthesafetyissuescreatedbytheobstructedviewwhileturning
ontoDeerfieldBlvdfromTopsfieldDr.Myaudiencewillbethepeopleinthecommunitythat
liveandworkoffofDeerfieldBlvd,S.ScottBoydtheDistrict1CountyCommissionerfor
OrangeCounty,andtheOrangeCountyCityCouncil.Thepeopleinthecommunityare
specificallythecommutersinthearea,peoplewhoattendHolyCrossChurchonthisstreet,the
peoplewhoworkinandusetheFireStation,andthestudentsandstaffatJohnYoung
ElementarySchool.Ineedthepeopleinthecommunitytobackmeinmycampaign,specifically
peoplefromthechurch,includingtheYouthLeaderMrs.TinaShannon,whowouldbeableto
supportmewhenbringingmycampaigntotheCityCouncil.IneedtoinfluencetheOrange
CountyCityinordertomeettheobjectofmycampaign,soIrecognizethattheirmainobjective
istokeepthecitizensofOrangeCountysafeandhappy.IrecognisethatS.ScottBoydhas
recentlyworkedwiththeOrangeCountySheriffsOfficeandOCPSontrafficconcernsatSunset
ParkElementaryschool.SooneofmymainprioritieswillbetoconvinceCommissionerBoyd
thatimplementingstopsignsonDeerfieldBlvdiscrucialtothesafetyofthearea

IntryingtoconveymymessageIwillcreateanarrativeforthesituationinwhichsafetyisthe
keyconcern.Iamcharacterizingthesurroundingneighborhoodasasafeplace,whosecitizens
areinterestedinkeepingtheareathatway.Approachingthesituationinthisway,the
intersectioniscompromisingthesafetyofthearea,especiallyinaschoolzonewiththe
crosswalkacrossDeerfieldtotheconnectingneighborhoodofDeerHollowthatismainly
traversedbyelementaryschoolstudents.Iwillalsodiscussthatthisareaisparticularly
dangerousbecause,asaresidentlivingandworkinginthisarea,thedaytodaytrafficprovesthat
carsstillarespeedingaroundthebendonDeerfieldBlvdheadingtowardthechurch.Turningleft
outofDeerHollowonTopsfieldDr,itisimpossibletoseethesecarsuntiltheyaretoocloseto
avoidcollision.Thisobstructedviewisalsoparticularlyproblematicwhenchurchletsoutand
thereisaninfluxofcarsofthisroad.Thistrafficpreventsresidentsfromleavingtheir
neighborhoods,andclogsupthestreetsectionwherethefirestationsambulancewouldneedto
exitincaseofanemergency.Understandingandworkingthroughtheseproblematictraffic
patternswillneedtobeexaminedduringfutureroadconstructionanyway,addressingthe
problemnowwillallowresidentsthesafetytheyneedtocontinuedailylifeduringfuture
problematictrafficpatterns.

ConstraintsIforeseearecomingfrommylackofexperienceinaddressingthecitycounciland
lackofexperiencewithtrafficcalmingmeasures.Inoticethereisaproblemandthatnooneis
movingtosolvethisproblem(thisisapparentwithmyresearch).Idontseegainingsupport
fromthecommunityasmuchofanissue,sincemostpeopleIhaveaskedaboutitasa
preliminarysurveyhavebeenpositiveabouttheidea.IdoseethattheCityCouncilmaynot
agreethatthiswouldbethecorrectTrafficCalmingMeasure,butwithmyknowledgeofthe

policiesfromtheFLGreenbook,(FloridaGreenbook,E.2.c.IntersectionSightDistanceandC.1.
StopSigns)Iwillbeabletosupportmyclaims.Ifafourwaystopisrejected,Iwouldbeableto
suggestthattherestillshouldbetrafficcalmingmeasurestakenintheareaforsafetyreasons.

Otherconstraintsthatareproblematic,comingfrommeandfromtheCityCouncil,aretimeand
money.Whilethisisalwaysanissuewhendealingwithgovernmentofficials,tryingtoconvince
thecouncilthatthiscauseisworththetimeandmoneythatwillhavetobespentwillbe
somethingIwillhavetoworkthrough.

ProblemsVSSolutions

Themainproblemswithmyproposedfourwaystopisperhapstheproximityofproposedstop
signstotheexitofthechurch,althoughinthiscase,yieldsignswouldbeproposedasaplanb.
Theinstallationofnewstopsignscouldalsoberejectediftheyaredeemedaninconvenienceto
throughtraffic,butsincethereisalsoacrosswalkatthisintersectionthatcrossesDeerfieldBlvd,
andtheonlytrafficsignhereisaschoolzonesign,thereneedstobeadditionalsafetymeasures
takenregardless.

InordertopersuademyaudiencesIwillbeusingabasisthateveryonewithinthecommunity
agreestotheuniversalunderstandingoftheimportanceofroadsafety.Idointendtoorganizea
petitionforthoseinthecommunitytosignandIwillbeusingtheassumptionthatthepeople
signingthepetitionforthestopsignswillbeinagreementabouttheimportanceofsafety.Iwill
alsobeusingthisassumptionwhenIreachouttotheOrangeCountyCityCounciltopresentmy
civicengagementcampaign,sincetheirmaingoalsarethesafetyandhappinessofthecitizensin
OrangeCounty.

Conclusion

IdohopethatwithmycampaignIwillbeabletobringawarenesstothesafetyissueatthe
intersectionofDeerfieldBlvdandTopsfieldDr,evenifthefourwaystopIproposeisrejected.

IbelieveIwillbesuccessfulinbringingthisissuetotheattentionofthecouncilandDistrict1
CountyCommissioner,andthatsomesortofTrafficCalmingMeasurewillbeimplementedat
thisintersection.

Links

Proximitytothefirestation
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/28.3811778,81.4225573/Orange+County+Fire+Rescue,+290
0+Deerfield+Blvd,+Orlando,+FL+32837/@28.3808309,81.4239199,18z/data=!4m8!4m7!1m0!
1m5!1m1!1s0x88dd874a16c0a321:0xd0d08fa8846ac7dd!2m2!1d81.4234693!2d28.3808758

Trafficinthearea
http://www.orangecountyfl.net/TrafficTransportation/OrangeCountyTrafficCounts.aspx#.Vu7Kg
RIrITE


CurrentTraffic(toreferenceondifferentdays)
https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chromeinstant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF8#q=traffic
+reports+for+deerfield+blvd+orlando+fl

JohnYoungElementarySchoolRoutePlan
http://www.orangecountyfl.net/Portals/0/resource%20library/traffic%20%20transportation/Publi
c%20Schools%20Safety%20Studies/John%20Young%20Elementary.pdf

FloridaGreenbook
http://www.dot.state.fl.us/rddesign/FloridaGreenbook/FloridaGreenbook.pdf