TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) -- The Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency held a community meeting Thursday evening to share the status of the Airport Gateway Project and seek community feedback for future changes.
The goal of the Airport Gateway Project is to provide improvements and beautification to roads leading to downtown Tallahassee from the airport. The areas of focus for Thursday's meeting are the neighborhoods around South Lake Bradford Road, Liberty Park and Springhill Road.
Locals in attendance say speeding along South Lake Bradford Road is a problem and they worry it will only get worse. Frank Messersmith, who owns several properties on Lake Bradford Road says, "If you add at least 2 more feeders onto South Lake Bradford Road, then that's a lot more traffic and that is our concern. We would like to restrict it and keep the traffic on Capital Circle."
Proposed improvements include Springhill Road changing to a 4 lane with a multi-use trail and roundabouts being added to South Lake Bradford Road. Autumn Calder, the planning manager with Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency, tells us the new modifications create a better balance between neighborhood preservation and economic development.
Maps of the areas in question, showing what's proposed for the airport gateway project were set up, asking residents mark suggestions and comments. Advocates for the project say roadways should meet the needs of the growing population of Tallahassee.
Betsy Henderson, a long-time Tallahassee resident, says, "They have no choice but to improve the roads. They either do it now, or wait until they have bad congestion and then the public is screaming that they need to do something about improving the roads and keeping the traffic moving in the city."
Signs will designate Springhill Road and Lake Bradford Road as the gateway to the airport and downtown. Thursday's meeting brings the Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency one step closer to creating the best proposal possible for the airport gateway project.
The Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency is hosting an open community meeting Tuesday, January 30th, focusing on the Providence, Callen, and Elberta Empire neighborhoods.
