Morse and Chitty Chatty
 

I saw an article about upcoming traffic changes to Morse and Chitty Chatty. Apparently they are going to put in a directional median opening.

Does anyone have any details as to what that will be?? How will that impact people entering or leaving Chitty Chatty?

In Feb they were talking about a roundabout but apparently plans have changed. See the minutes of the June 1O Commissioners meeting for the study and the way forward.

The drawing in Appendix C of the study on page 108 is probably what you are looking for.

Traffic builds up fairly heavily
 

Traffic right now builds up around11-2 at Morse and 44. It will be interesting to see what happens in the winter months and after the Walmart is done. Chitty Chatty and Sandalwood will have to suffer with the one choice flow. It will be nice for the Sandalwood residents because they have a close roundabout if they want to go North. Chitty Chatty wi ll have the arduous trek to Lake Deaton’s circle in order to go South.

Thanks. A very precise answer!

And a rather lengthy study - with sections on how the project will impact birds and snakes!

I am not a traffic engineer but It appears that if you are exiting Chitty Chatty and want to head south, that you will not be able to make a left turn. Instead, you will have to make a right turn and then will have to make a U turn.

For the directional median opening alternative, left-turn egress vehicles from Chitty Chatty Run would be required to make a right-turn egress and use the median opening on Morse Boulevard at Fire Station 47 to make a U-turn to travel south.

The price for a roundabout is $3,001,000 and the price for the directional median opening is "only" $196,000.

https://www.sumtercountyfl.gov/Agend...2?fileID=65100

I missed that part. I'm glad to see they stated it explicitly.

U Turn at Firehall
 

That is an option, but how pragmatic is it to wait till there is an opening there? The circle may be more efficient and expedited just to go a half mile up to the Deaton circle. Traffic won’t always be that light next to Waxman.

You're distance are a bit off.

It's about 2/10 mile from Chitty Chatty to the fire station.
It's 3/4 mile from Chitty Chatty to the stoplight at 44.
It's over a mile from Chitty Chatty to the circle at Kristine Way.

So, you drive less than a quarter mile and wait for an opening to take a U-turn at the fire station.

OR

You drive 3/4 mile to 44, wait for the light, drive another 1/4 mile to the roundabout, come back to 44, wait for the light, then drive 1/2 mile back to where you would have been if you had made the U-turn. Don't forget, they'll be adding another light on Morse for traffic exiting Walmart which you will also need to wait for... twice.

True…I’m a bit of an optimist
 

It’s a drive to the circle, but obviously a U-turn next to the new Walmart entrance may be optimistic too. Either way, it appears the county isn’t about to spend the money yet for a circle. We will all have to wallow in the mess till things sort themselves out. Right now Waxman (a stones throw) is a projected entryway for the new shopping center. I wonder if the fire station and safety may trump the whole situation in the long run. Only the naive would think traffic will lighten up at that entrance. Perhaps an additional light may be warranted.

So the consulting firm came up with three options, do nothing, a roundabout, or a directional median opening. Have they ever heard of something called a traffic light?

A traffic light was taken off the table earlier (don't remember when, prior to Feb I believe) as not recommended due to traffic volume.

Well, if traffic volume disqualifies a traffic light then they better get rid on the ones where Morse crosses 44, 466A, and 466?….

The traffic volume on Chitty Chatty Way, not Morse.

And how exactly would a traffic circle work with a 45mph speed limit? The current plan makes the most sense, IMO.

Good point, I guess a much better comparison would be the traffic volume on San Marino or Rio Grand. Morse crosses both of those roads and there are traffic lights at both intersections. Also, there is a traffic circle (roundabout) where Morse meets El Camino Real, but there is a gate there to slow down the traffic before it enters the circle.

The problem with the current plan is that it doesn’t really help folks trying to take a left turn out of Chitty Chatty Way. They have the same problem as Villagers trying to turn left onto Morse coming out of the roads north of 466 other than San Marino and Rio Grand.

When roundabouts were added to Central Parkway and Marshbend Trail, the 55 mph speed limit was reduced to 35 mph.

Isn’t there a roundabout just south of chitty chatty where Morse meets warm springs?

How does that work out?

Every roundabout that I have seen in the villages always has a speed limit sign slowing the speed limit to 20 mph.