Tallahassee drivers report street parking issues, suspicious toll messages

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02-08-2025

Q. Barbara tells us that speed limits on Kerry Forest Parkway are completely ignored by too many drivers. If we can get the police out here to write speeding tickets they will also write following too close tickets.
A. We are all familiar with scofflaws on Kerry Forest Parkway. Disregard for the red traffic signal at Velda Dairy is not uncommon. Let's ask our TPD traffic enforcement squad to police the area before a serious injury is the result.
Street parking sign missing?
Q. Margie reports a problem with parking by the owners and or tenants who occupy the townhouses/ apartments on Edenderry Drive right off Shamrock Street North. Instead of parking in their garage or driveways they park on the opposite side of the street from their house.
The street is narrow, if someone is turning onto Edenderry from Shamrock and someone is exiting and if a car is parked right there it is very hard to get on or off the streets without being hit by traffic on Shamrock.
Further in, cars park on Edenderry right where Riverchase Drive exits onto Edenderry. When a car is exiting River Chase and a car is trying to turn onto Riverchase it is almost impossible due to the car parked on Edenderry. The No Parking Here To Corner sign is gone and needs to be put back up to prevent an accident there.
A. Margie, the privilege of operating a motor vehicle in Florida requires all holding such a driver license be familiar with Florida traffic law. Accordingly, in this case a very extensive Florida Statute, 316.1945 stopping, standing, or parking prohibited in specific places- subsection (1)(b)3 states No Parking within 20 feet of a crosswalk or intersection. Although the No Parking here to corner signs must be replaced, subsection (1)(b)3 tells us everything we need to know about parking near an intersection. Penalties include towing the violating vehicle and monetary fines for the driver that parks a vehicle outside fs: 316.1945.
Not knowing the law does not preclude vehicles being towed for improper parking or the driver who parked the car improperly being cited if a traffic crash should occur.
We ask our traffic engineers to install/ reinstall the No Parking Here To Corner signs at both intersections. We thank our traffic law enforcement division for enforcing fs: 316.1945 (1)(b)3 at these two intersections.
Suspicious toll messages
Q. Joe received an official looking text from Florida HS&MV stating he owed $6.99 for not paying a toll. He reports no particular info of the event was provided. Is it a legitimate claim? I don't use toll roads. I am a senior citizen.
A. Joe you will never receive an official message by text from Florida Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles or any other state agency. Not for any reason. A certified letter maybe but never a text message. The message you received has no legitimacy. Text messages come with a phone number, if you should receive another text claiming it is from the State of Florida let me know the accompanying phone number. Probably a spoof number but people attempting to extort money, and $6.99 was likely a test run..
Road conditions worsening
Q. David, referring to our Street Scene report of Pedrick Road's degraded pavement condition has this to say about seeing just one road mentioned in poor condition. The city is doing a very bad job of road maintenance. Ocala Road has needed resurfacing for at least 7 years. Almost any main street is in poor condition such as High Road, Fourth, Sixth and Seventh Avenues. Duval, Monticello, Bronough, Brevard. Some have to do with poorly done patchwork. We see very little resurfacing. The condition of Ocala and Monticello for many years show the city is not taking road maintenance seriously.
A. David, you speak for quite a number of Street Scene readers saying the same thing over many years. I'd like to find a believable reason the City of Tallahassee is turning a blind eye when it comes to maintaining roads and streets under their responsibility. There are just too many to be completely ignored. On a regular basis Street Scene reports local roads needing maintenance. We do thank Tallahassee public works for resurfacing Pedrick Road but David gives his list of roads in need, let's continue there. City of Tallahassee, be ready for more needy streets after this hits the presses.
Trucks on Old Bainbridge Road
Q. Bertha says, I may be kicking a stalled truck on this subject but I still have to swerve to the right on Old Bainbridge Road east of 27 when these tractor trailer trucks pass me on the left. There is barely enough room for 2 car lanes much less 18 wheelers. It seems better than it was but it's still pretty bad. There has got to be a way to get semis off this canopied family friendly road.
A. Bertha, this uphill fight has been very exhausting but I'm telling everyone with these menacing and dangerous GPS guided tractor trailer trucks banging their way through narrow, sometimes unimproved, local roads, don't give up. Street Scene is gaining momentum in convincing the GPS (Global Positioning System) industry and the US trucking industry to change the way they direct truck traffic off multilane main highways onto local roads.
A trip to Pasco County
Q. Julie is telling anyone who will listen that US-19 through Pasco County is a dangerous road and asks Street Scene to include her concerns in the online section of the Tallahassee Democrat to get the attention of law enforcement. Speeding is rampant and so is cellphone use while driving and DUI. But you don't see police until after something happens. We need help here, I hope you will include the lack of traffic enforcement in your column.
A. Street Scene is very familiar with this beautiful area of Florida made less beautiful by traffic crash statistics. US-19 is a well maintained six lane divided highway with dedicated right and left turn lanes throughout. The problem, as you point out, Julie are irresponsible drivers and the lack of traffic law enforcement.
Street Scene calls upon FHP, Pasco County Sheriff and Local Police in the many municipalities to join forces to establish a task force to set up a life saving project to saturate the known problem areas with officers writing traffic citations and making arrests. I know from personal experience employing such a blitzkrieg of law enforcement works to wake up habitual speeding violators and actually get them and the drug impaired off the streets altogether. I was a team member of a DUI squad that had a set-goal to reduce traffic fatalities. We met our goal.
Philip Stuart is a retired Florida State Trooper, Traffic Operations Projects Engineer and Forensics Expert Witness. Write to [e-mail].
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee drivers question bogus toll messages, parking issues
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