Additional input today from FDOT on the Las Olas fence-
Additional input today from
Florida Department of Transportation
regarding the Las Olas Boulevard fence.
The following additional information is from Michael Bienevu in FDOT:
Earl,
In response to “leave well enough alone,” let me give you the brief explanation on how we got where we are now.
Every year, the pavements section of the State Materials Office in Gainesville performs a pavement condition survey of all roads in the state highway system. They determine the condition of the pavements based on cracking, rutting and ride. As a pavement becomes deficient based on their rating scale, the predetermined section of roadway is placed in our work program, usually five years prior to actual construction. This is referred to as our five-year work program. Pavement condition surveys are not subjective but rather an objective, engineering evaluation of the pavement condition. Pavement conditions must meet statutory and federal guidelines and the department and districts are bound to these requirements.
Deficient does not mean failing or critical. We do not want to wait until a pavement is actually failing to resurface because of safety issues, driving comfort and the cost of rehabilitating a failed pavement section. Our resurfacing program is intended to be a proactive approach to pavement preservation. The design department attempts to prioritize programmed pavements based on condition with input from the district construction, maintenance and materials departments.
So apparently, this section of Las Olas was deficient in the ride criteria and placed into the work program. 2010 is the “programmed year” for resurfacing of this section of Las Olas and the planning and design of the project probably began about four years ago. When we perform resurfacing projects we are also required to upgrade the safety features of the area within our right-of-way. (I checked the database and found that the preconstruction ride number is 4.2 where 5.5 is considered deficient for arterials on a 1-10 scale.)
The fence (handrail) requirements consider vertical versus horizontal grade changes along the edge of our right-of-way. If the drop off is greater than 10 inches within 2 feet of the edge of the sidewalk, then we must install the barrier or handrail. This is to prevent injuries to the public and financial liabilities associated with failing to meet these criteria should some legal action commence as a result of our negligence to do so. As you may know, the costs of bringing the handrail up to existing standards pale compared to the probable costs of failing to do so. The existing PVC railing which we installed approximately 15 years ago no longer meets the required specifications so we had to upgrade the handrails to meet our minimum design and construction standards. There is nothing arbitrary or discretionary about upgrading the handrail to meet current standards.
Hope this helps.
Thanks.
Michael E. Bienvenu, PhD, PE
Director of Transportation Operations
3400 W. Commercial Blvd.
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33309
michael.bienvenu@dot.state.fl.us
954/777-4106
More info as I get it-
Earl
Reader Comments
No one cares! I’ve been in Ft. Lauderdale for 25 years and it sucks now, I’m moving mow to the West Coast of Florida away from all this muck!
I respect the ADA laws etc. but I don’t agree with some of them that include MILLIONS of dollars for curb cuts, etc. for the occasional wheelchair etc. But that’s neither here nor there. It should be cheaper to buy them all limos. I DO THINK decisions on design AND COST ! should be more carefully considered. MICHEAL let’s face it you would NOT purchase this fencing, for design, or price for your own property.
AND Speaking of roads have you driven East on Broward between Federal and NE 16th in the last few years? It’s very bad…
HELP !
I drove past the barrier yesterday and have a question. How is it necessary to have the barrier placed in front and along a wooden fence?
I agree Mark- It’s the strangest thing to see. If anyone has a picture of that I’ll post it.
Earl
AND Speaking of roads have you driven East on Broward between Federal and NE 16th in the last few years? It’s very bad…
HELP !
Broward Blvd east of Federal Hwy is a county road so it’s not FDOT’s responsibility. Broward County has scheduled to resurface it in the next few months. Maybe you’ve seen crews out working on storm drains in anticipation of the resurfacing.
As the FDOT letter indicates, resurfacing is a long-term project planned well in advance of actual construction.
Wouldn’t you fix the road first? priorities fix what is broken and then take care of the details…I have seen it before here in Town. Put a new sidewalk in then rip it up to change the street lights , put new curbs in then rip them up to make them ADA compliant…Pave the road then rip it up to change the traffic light triggers….I really am thinking of moving out after 38 years. This town will always be a construction project. It used to be a paradise.
Earl -
Thank you for researching this and identifying a course of action.
If you are doing this in your spare time, what are our elected officials doing?
As for the regulations, we have really gone overboard in the US. What’s next? Covering sidewalks with mats in case someone falls?
Hold that bus. I want to leave too. I walk that area and the new rails make it dangerous for the people on the sidewalk. If a drunk jumps the sidewalk and your walking at least before there was some place to go. With the new rails you get the feeling your going to be crushed between them. The speed limits need to be reduced and enforced. Something we haven’t seen lately for years. This town was never this aggressive in days past but it is now. Drivers don’t yield for pedestrians anymore. They are just too busy to care about others. In other cities it is rude not to be considerate of others walking, biking, ect…Not here.
Just another native fed up and ready to move away from a once beautiful town. Good luck Ft. Lauderdale I’m am giving up and moving to a friendlier place.
I used to work with a friend in the music business who used to call Ft. Lauderdale a “swamp with lights”. He’s since moved to Las Vegas, NV. I’ve always wondered why I got a sinking feeling as soon as I moved here. If the humidity and congestion aren’t bad enough, now we have “rampant refurbishing” as I’ve dubbed it and coming up with all kinds of excuses to keep construction crews occupied. Were there any accidents before this “fence” was put up? Why now?