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Clearwater exploring 1-way streets to relieve congestion

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By PETER BERNARD | WFLA

Published: November 4, 2009

CLEARWATER - Visit Clearwater Beach on a nice, sunny day, and you will likely run into some traffic when the time comes to pack up your towels, chairs and suntan oil.

Visit on a holiday weekend and you could be stuck in traffic for an hour or more when you try to get off the barrier island.

City officials are trying to find ways to ease the congestion.

Clearwater city leaders, mindful of a new parking garage set to open in January at the Hyatt Regency, and a second garage in the planning stages just to the south, want to turn Coronado Drive into a one-way road, going south.

They also want to make nearby Hamden Drive into a one-way route going north.

"The main concern was when people start to leave the beach, they're going to be making left turns on Coronado to get off the beach," said Clearwater Mayor Frank Hibbard. "It's a safety issue as they make those left turns."

Hibbard participated in a drop-in event Wednesday afternoon at the Clearwater Beach Library to show residents the latest plans. People who wanted to see what the city was proposing were invited to view maps, photos and drawings.

Some don't like the plan. Denise Tallarida lives on nearby Devon Drive. She said the one-way street plan could make it harder for her to get off the island and to the mainland.

"It's channeling us into the traffic" she said, as she pointed to a map.

A neighbor, Steve Panos agreed. "We got such a hard time to get out of there. You don't believe it," said Panos.

But city leaders say they have to do something to relieve congestion. A vote on the one-way street plan could come in early December. The goal is to have the streets changed before 2010 spring break.

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