WINTER PARK, Fla. — Nancy Jerome remembers a time when the road outside her parents’ home had only two lanes, and was lined with beautiful oak trees in between.
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It was a perfect setting to raise a family, she remembered. It was walking distance to downtown Winter Park and lake views in the rear.
The peace is long gone these days, as are the oak trees. State Road 426, informally known to most as Aloma or Fairbanks Avenue or Brewers Curve, is the site of frequent traffic crashes, speeding and the occasional veering car into the door of Jerome’s neighbor’s garage.
“If somebody’s on their phone or it’s late at night, and they’re not paying attention for whatever reason, they’re likely to not even realize this curve until they’re on top of it,” she said.
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That reason, plus the narrow, unprotected sidewalks, is why she won’t walk on the sidewalks while traffic is flowing.
SR 426 is owned and maintained by FDOT, but after years of petitioning by citizens, Winter Park is exploring possible upgrades to the segment by Jerome’s house – and possibly taking over the road completely.
The city held two meetings in late June and early July to explore its options, which include reconfiguring the road and sidewalks to add more room for pedestrians and a planned bike path. Discussions included raised crosswalks, additional medians and a barrier between the sidewalk and the road, especially around the notorious bend in the road.
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“We have had a significant speeding and safety problem,” Winter Park Mayor Phil Anderson said.
Staff members are still in the first steps of the takeover process. They plan to meet with FDOT soon, which will walk the city through how it’s done and provide recent examples. Both sides will then negotiate to ensure traffic won’t be restricted after the road segment is handed over.
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Although it will be years before any work happens, property owners are thrilled at the prospect.
“Winter Park is such a lovely town and they really do take care of all of their citizens,” Jerome said. “I’m just delighted that they’re finally figuring out a way to leverage that into working with the state and getting something done here.”
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