Traffic slowdown for C.R. 455
Montverde seeks to slow traffic through town
Montverde is hoping to slow drivers speeding through the town, a small but growing Lake County community on rolling hills along Lake Apopka.
County Road 455, the town’s one main road, is a popular route for drivers commuting between north and south Lake. But the road is dotted with residential homes and cuts through Montverde Academy as it curves from Minneola and Ferndale to Clermont and Orange County.
Montverde Mayor Joseph Wynkoop asked the County Commission to do something to slow traffic, which he said has increased in recent years.
“Please help us keep our residents and roads safe,” Wynkoop said in an email to commissioners on April 20.
Wynkoop included statistics showing there were “close to 2,000 vehicles that were going over 50 mph on a 35 mph road and some as high as 90 mph” during a survey around Thanksgiving 2021.
“I know it’s kind of been a burning issue with Montverde,” County Commission Chairman Sean Parks said at a commission meeting on Tuesday. “Essentially, there is a lot of concern about increased traffic and speeding.”
Town officials wanted two stop signs along the road and have discussed getting the speed limit lowered to 30 mph.
County officials proposed some changes in the short term, which include stop signs at Fosgate Road and CR 455 at the town’s western edge.
Assistant County Manager Fred Schneider also said the county could place more radar signs, which display a vehicle’s speed and flash at speeders, along the road.
He added that another possibility is narrowing the lanes from 12 feet wide to 10 feet wide, which studies show can slow drivers. This plan also would create a 2-footwide shoulder, which would provide more space for cyclists, who often use South Lake hills for training.
In the future, Schneider told the commission, the county could look at installing traffic islands at one or two locations on the road, which also can reduce traffic speeds.
The county also would like to see CR 455 added to the state Department of Transportation’s Complete Streets program, which would redesign the road to make it safer and also add sidewalks, a bike lane and a bike/pedestrian path.
Wynkoop will bring those proposals to the Montverde Town Council. The work would begin later this year, if Montverde agrees and the commission passes the proposal at an upcoming meeting.
“We will continue to monitor it and move forward with other controls if needed to control speed in that area,” Schneider said.