I - 275 - noise and safety

I was cc'd this email from Janice Caldwell that was sent to Robin Rhinesmith of the Florida Department of Transportation and cc'd to the Metropolitan Planning Organization and Kathy Steele of the Trib.

There are 3 issues relating to the I-275
Safety (as noted in the email below)
Noise reduction
Beautification/Visual Pollution

Can things be done to deal with all 3 issues? Can we get a Wall? Or could we get a combination of dense forest of trees and bushes and improved fencing and maybe some sort of other barrier that would help deal with all 3 problems. Or may be get the wall and the trees and bushes. The trees could act as crash barriers, the bushes could help slow the vehicle down and at the same time look better and reduce the noise. Surely there are things that other communities have done. Could be also get more decorative fencing rather than standard chain link.

"On Sunday night, technically it was Monday, February 20th at approximately
1:20am, a car overturned off of interstate I-275 and landed directly in front of
my neighbors home on Cherokee Avenue (5700 block). Thank God the children
were not playing in the street because of the hour but that is in fact where
they normally congregate to play! I've copied several other people
in this email in the hopes of being pointed in the right direction - something
has to change! Seminole Heights residents deserve to be safe in their own
front yards! Please work with us to be proactive about the interstate
situation - noise levels aside."

This email was a reply to an earlier email chain from Robin in which the following was noted:

"The Department analyzes traffic noise level changes on proposed projects
that will increase capacity (for example the addition of lanes) or changesthe
vertical/horizontal alignment of a facility in the state highway system. The
section of I-275 that you reference has not been widened (capacity increased)
since it was built. Furthermore, it was built prior to the federal noise
regulations being put into place.

The only other thing I can suggest is that you approach your city officials
with your request. They may be willing to bring it up to the Metropolitan
Planning Organization (MPO) who could seek other funding sources that would be
willing to pay for a traffic noise study and the design and construction of
potential abatement opportunities. "

2 prior related blog stories
Interstate Wall and I-275