Florida

[jwolfer]

I thought there was a small portion of FL 18 from Brooker to Worthington Springs that was never turned over to county maintenance; the much longer section from Keystone Heights to Brooker was downgraded. Maybe something new?

Or a forgotten relic like this:

I am sure.. i always assumed it all went county.. nice old keys shield

[NE2]

I thought there was a small portion of FL 18 from Brooker to Worthington Springs that was never turned over to county maintenance

Indeed there is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_State_Road_18
SR 231 south of Lake Butler has existed for decades: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_State_Road_231

[emory]

After a couple canceled resurfacing projects, it looks like FDOT and Pompano Beach are taking steps to transfer large portions of SR 811 (Dixie Highway) and SR 814 (Atlantic Blvd) off the state highway system and over to the city. http://pompanobeachfl.gov/assets/docs/db/commission_special/2015/4/items/3.pdf

This handy map is provided in the PDF file:

[1995hoo]

I don't want to put this on the "Road Trips" forum because it's so Florida-specific I figured I might get better advice here. Next month on our way south to visit relatives we're stopping to visit a friend who lives near the south end of Asbury Lake (Arthur Moore Drive) to have lunch at her place and then we're continuing south to Venice. The one thing I want to make sure I do en route is to knock off my last remaining segment of I-75 in Florida, the part between the northern junction with I-275 and the junction with I-4. That's easy enough. My wife also wants me to be sure we arrive in Venice in time for dinner, which should also be easy enough.

My question is, the most obvious route from Asbury Lake to I-75 is to drop down to Route 16, take that west to US-301, and then go down to Gainesville. Is this a good way to go? I know I read that Waldo is no longer independent and its infamous police department is dismantled, but I also note if we went west on Route 16 we'd come out near Starke, and I've read that's another notorious speedtrap. I don't speed nearly as much as I used to, but with a Virginia plate I'd still be wary of speedtrap towns. Would it make more sense to cut south on Route 21 instead, then use some other road to connect to I-75?

Thanks in advance. I have been to our friend's house before, but both times we've then gone north on the way home. This will be the first time we've stopped on the way south, and I have never used the roads between Jacksonville and Gainesville.

[Jim]

Don't be afraid to stay on 301 right down to FL 326.  That's our usual cut between US 301 and I-75.  You do need to slow down for the speed trap towns, but there aren't that many and it won't slow you down much.  In general, I've found that cutting across near Gainesville will slow you down far more than any delays for the few towns on US 301 north of Ocala.

[FLRoads]

I would say if you are traveling in the early afternoon, catching I-75 south at Gainesville shouldn't be too bad. One option if you went theAsbury Lake-Gainesville route would be to use the following roads:

• SR 21 south to CR 215 south (south of Middleburg)
• CR 215 south to SR 16 west
• SR 16 west to SR 230 west into Starke(SR 230 brings you to US 301 several blocks south of where SR 16 meets US 301)
• US 301 south to SR 24 west in Waldo

From there you could follow SR 24 into Gainesville, but continue south on SR 331 (Williston Road) when SR 24 turns west at SR 20 & 26 (University Avenue). Then just use SR 331 south to connect with I-75.

Jim's routing works just as well too, just depends on how quick you want to get to the freeway and how much time you will have.

You probably know some of these routes having traveled in Florida before but thought I'd throw them out anyway.

Word of warning when you do come down I-75 in the Tampa area; if you are traveling on a Friday you might encounter some backups on the approach to I-4. Southbound backs up more on Friday afternoons (after 3pm) for travellers heading to I-4 east, and its typically snarled from Exit 266 (CR 582A/CR 579) through to I-4, sometimes beyond. I-75 has also gotten more problematic between Bradenton and Sarasota with the ongoing construction of the diverging diamond at University Parkway (Exit 213).

Hope this helps in making your decision!

[1995hoo]

Thanks to both of you. It'll be a Sunday afternoon when we go through that area, assuming no problems. I guess I'll see what time it is and decide when to pick up the Interstate based on that. I'm not concerned about any clinches or the like except for the aforementioned I-75 and the very easy-to-get Route 9B near Jacksonville. (Yes, it's more direct to go west of the city and down Route 21 to Asbury Lake, but I don't like that route. Every time I've been that way, it felt like it took forever due to all the traffic lights. Instead, I plan to cut down to the bridge near Green Cove Springs.)

[FLRoads]

No problem. Since you're doing it on a Sunday afternoon, traveling should be fairly easy, even through the construction zones along I-75.

I totally agree with you on NOT wanting to drive SR 21 between I-295 and Middleburg! When I lived in Gainesville I would take weekend trips to Jacksonville, and would sporadically use SR 21 because of the traffic lights, especially between I-295 and the Lakeside area north of Middleburg.

And speaking of Middleburg, there should still be a Key shield around if you want to see one. Main Street in Middleburg should have one for SR 21.

[Alex]

Found a study by the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization for the replacement of the Arlington Expressway from Florida 109 (University Boulevard) east to the flyover ramps at Florida 113 (Southside Connector). Besides a No Build alternative, the main alternatives are a six-lane urban boulevard with a 44 foot median and a six-lane urban parkway with a 98 feet median and linear park. Both include 12 foot travel lanes, 7 foot bike lanes and 8 foot sidewalks. The alternatives would consolidate both the current freeway mainline and adjacent service roads.

The study cites stagnant traffic counts since the 1990s and indicates that the demand is more consistent with an urban principal arterial instead of a freeway. It also cites needs for accessibility improvements for pedestrians.

[1995hoo]

....

And speaking of Middleburg, there should still be a Key shield around if you want to see one. Main Street in Middleburg should have one for SR 21.

Thanks for that tip. I'll keep it in mind, though I have a feeling we won't pass through there because of where our friend lives (her place is on the southern portion of the lake) and which way we're going (Venice). Middleburg is slightly to the northwest, so I'm guessing we'll drop back down to Route 16 and head west to one of the routes suggested above.

[FLRoads]

....

And speaking of Middleburg, there should still be a Key shield around if you want to see one. Main Street in Middleburg should have one for SR 21.

Thanks for that tip. I'll keep it in mind, though I have a feeling we won't pass through there because of where our friend lives (her place is on the southern portion of the lake) and which way we're going (Venice). Middleburg is slightly to the northwest, so I'm guessing we'll drop back down to Route 16 and head west to one of the routes suggested above.

No worries! Just thought I'd throw that out there since you would be in close proximity to it.

[1995hoo]

....

And speaking of Middleburg, there should still be a Key shield around if you want to see one. Main Street in Middleburg should have one for SR 21.

Thanks for that tip. I'll keep it in mind, though I have a feeling we won't pass through there because of where our friend lives (her place is on the southern portion of the lake) and which way we're going (Venice). Middleburg is slightly to the northwest, so I'm guessing we'll drop back down to Route 16 and head west to one of the routes suggested above.

No worries! Just thought I'd throw that out there since you would be in close proximity to it.

Sure thing, and I appreciate it. Just have to see how our schedule is going that day because, obviously, we don't know how far we'll make it on the first day heading south to get to Florida in the first place. My goal is always to make it to the exit for JAX Airport and then stop for the night there, but we don't always get that far due to all sorts of reasons (main two would be either traffic or my going too far out of the way trying to find new roads). So if we don't get that far, it reduces the time for side trips the next day since we told our friend in Venice we'd get to her place in time for dinner.

[jwolfer]

I don't want to put this on the "Road Trips" forum because it's so Florida-specific I figured I might get better advice here. Next month on our way south to visit relatives we're stopping to visit a friend who lives near the south end of Asbury Lake (Arthur Moore Drive) to have lunch at her place and then we're continuing south to Venice. The one thing I want to make sure I do en route is to knock off my last remaining segment of I-75 in Florida, the part between the northern junction with I-275 and the junction with I-4. That's easy enough. My wife also wants me to be sure we arrive in Venice in time for dinner, which should also be easy enough.

My question is, the most obvious route from Asbury Lake to I-75 is to drop down to Route 16, take that west to US-301, and then go down to Gainesville. Is this a good way to go? I know I read that Waldo is no longer independent and its infamous police department is dismantled, but I also note if we went west on Route 16 we'd come out near Starke, and I've read that's another notorious speedtrap. I don't speed nearly as much as I used to, but with a Virginia plate I'd still be wary of speedtrap towns. Would it make more sense to cut south on Route 21 instead, then use some other road to connect to I-75?

Thanks in advance. I have been to our friend's house before, but both times we've then gone north on the way home. This will be the first time we've stopped on the way south, and I have never used the roads between Jacksonville and Gainesville.

My ex wife and I lived in that neighborhood. It's a couple blocks from the house. The CDP IS Asbury Lake but everyone calls it Lake Asbury.

As for getting to i75. CR 218 east(really south) to SR 16. Then to Starke via 16 or 230.  You could take 21 south to SR 26 at Melrose turn right and you are 4 miles from 301.  21 is 2 lanes with 60mph speed limit and the Clay County sheriff department has increased enforcement since a real bad head on collision last year. Keystone Heights can slow you down a bit and there are lots of lakes out there and many Jacksonville folks have lake houses out there so weekends can get busy, so you can't easily pass.

Overall I like 21->26->301.

I have run into traffic back ups on 326 at 75,  a couple trucks stops at the exit. But not that long

[1995hoo]

Thanks again for the tips. Made the drive yesterday and ultimately took 16 to Starke, then 301. We were listening to the Nats—Pirates marathon on the radio (it was not over by the time we reached Venice) and I didn't notice the turn for 326 until it was too late to turn, so I put on the sat-nav and it had us connect via US-27 in Ocala. Worked fine. Didn't see a single cop, though I think slowing down in Waldo was probably the right move because all the vehicles with Florida plates slowed down and got in the right lane (Floridians seem to have a pathological fear of the right lane, so when they moved right I said "this is serious here"!).

I-75 was miserable after the nice empty US route.

[Fred Defender]

I thought there was a small portion of FL 18 from Brooker to Worthington Springs that was never turned over to county maintenance; the much longer section from Keystone Heights to Brooker was downgraded. Maybe something new?

I live not far from Worthington Springs. Indeed, it is still FL 18 east from there to Brooker.

Speaking of Brooker. This sign used to hang just north of Brooker at the interection of S231 & S235. Key words: "used to".

[Fred Defender]

I thought there was a small portion of FL 18 from Brooker to Worthington Springs that was never turned over to county maintenance

Indeed there is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_State_Road_18
SR 231 south of Lake Butler has existed for decades: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_State_Road_231

I've always wondered why SR231/CR231 was/is not known as 121A. It splits from SR121 a few miles north of US441 north of Gainesville, passes through Brooker and rural Alachua, Bradford, and Union Counties before intersecting 121 again in Lake Butler.

[jwolfer]

Thanks again for the tips. Made the drive yesterday and ultimately took 16 to Starke, then 301. We were listening to the Nats—Pirates marathon on the radio (it was not over by the time we reached Venice) and I didn't notice the turn for 326 until it was too late to turn, so I put on the sat-nav and it had us connect via US-27 in Ocala. Worked fine. Didn't see a single cop, though I think slowing down in Waldo was probably the right move because all the vehicles with Florida plates slowed down and got in the right lane (Floridians seem to have a pathological fear of the right lane, so when they moved right I said "this is serious here"!).

I-75 was miserable after the nice empty US route.

Waldo's police department was disbanded about 2 years ago.. the city uses Alachua County sheriff for police services. So speeding is no longer the cash cow

[1995hoo]

Yeah, I had heard that, but as an out-of-stater in my own car, I figure if the in-staters slow, it makes sense to follow their example, you know?

[Fred Defender]

Waldo's police department was disbanded about 2 years ago.. the city uses Alachua County sheriff for police services. So speeding is no longer the cash cow

Although I live not too far from the 301 corridor, I seldom drive that way. I simply never speed through any municipality along that highway. City of Alachua is another one. I live about ten miles north of Alachua and I NEVER speed anywhere inside the city limits. APD loves to patrol US441 in the vicinity of I-75 where the speed limit is 45. They used to like to sit at the US441 offramp and catch motorists coming down the hill, especially at night. I haven't seen them there recently. But nowhere in town is safe from their radar.

[Max Rockatansky]

Waldo's police department was disbanded about 2 years ago.. the city uses Alachua County sheriff for police services. So speeding is no longer the cash cow

Although I live not too far from the 301 corridor, I seldom drive that way. I simply never speed through any municipality along that highway. City of Alachua is another one. I live about ten miles north of Alachua and I NEVER speed anywhere inside the city limits. APD loves to patrol US441 in the vicinity of I-75 where the speed limit is 45. They used to like to sit at the US441 offramp and catch motorists coming down the hill, especially at night. I haven't seen them there recently. But nowhere in town is safe from their radar.

The problem is you have a lot of towns that annex parcels along US 301 just to grab some extra land to patrol for traffic ticket fines.  Unless you really have a good understanding of corporate limits it's probably best just to be careful closing in inhabited location.  What the town that the state actually had remove the part of 301 that they annexed?  I can't remember it for the life of me bust they got busted for running a speed trap and misusing the funds.

[jwolfer]

Waldo's police department was disbanded about 2 years ago.. the city uses Alachua County sheriff for police services. So speeding is no longer the cash cow

Although I live not too far from the 301 corridor, I seldom drive that way. I simply never speed through any municipality along that highway. City of Alachua is another one. I live about ten miles north of Alachua and I NEVER speed anywhere inside the city limits. APD loves to patrol US441 in the vicinity of I-75 where the speed limit is 45. They used to like to sit at the US441 offramp and catch motorists coming down the hill, especially at night. I haven't seen them there recently. But nowhere in town is safe from their radar.

The problem is you have a lot of towns that annex parcels along US 301 just to grab some extra land to patrol for traffic ticket fines.  Unless you really have a good understanding of corporate limits it's probably best just to be careful closing in inhabited location.  What the town that the state actually had remove the part of 301 that they annexed?  I can't remember it for the life of me bust they got busted for running a speed trap and misusing the funds.

The town was Hampton.

[Max Rockatansky]

Waldo's police department was disbanded about 2 years ago.. the city uses Alachua County sheriff for police services. So speeding is no longer the cash cow

Although I live not too far from the 301 corridor, I seldom drive that way. I simply never speed through any municipality along that highway. City of Alachua is another one. I live about ten miles north of Alachua and I NEVER speed anywhere inside the city limits. APD loves to patrol US441 in the vicinity of I-75 where the speed limit is 45. They used to like to sit at the US441 offramp and catch motorists coming down the hill, especially at night. I haven't seen them there recently. But nowhere in town is safe from their radar.

The problem is you have a lot of towns that annex parcels along US 301 just to grab some extra land to patrol for traffic ticket fines.  Unless you really have a good understanding of corporate limits it's probably best just to be careful closing in inhabited location.  What the town that the state actually had remove the part of 301 that they annexed?  I can't remember it for the life of me bust they got busted for running a speed trap and misusing the funds.

The town was Hampton.

Yes, thank you.  Anyways, I'm not sure if Google is up to date on the corporate limits of Hampton but this shows where they branched the town limits out to get a part of US 301:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Hampton,+FL+32044/@29.8642807,-82.1503619,15z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x88e6013baa6175d7:0x62db8f3fd3689569!8m2!3d29.8644091!4d-82.1309371!6m1!1e1?hl=en

[Brian556]

In Orlando, 2016 GSV shows old E-W Expwy sign revealed on Orange Ave at split at Lake Lucerne:


https://www.google.com/maps/@28.5343661,-81.3768603,3a,20.2y,339.72h,88.63t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sgLgucCrVM66qugUz6ORzuA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

[Avalanchez71]

I saw some videos of a guy that used to hold up speed trap signs in Lawtey and Hampton.  He said that in Hampton they would hide behind a trash bin in a parking lot.

He was arrested in Lawtey for holding up his signs.  I think I read that they ended up having to pay him out for the unlawful detention.

[Max Rockatansky]

I saw some videos of a guy that used to hold up speed trap signs in Lawtey and Hampton.  He said that in Hampton they would hide behind a trash bin in a parking lot.

He was arrested in Lawtey for holding up his signs.  I think I read that they ended up having to pay him out for the unlawful detention.

Considering how much abuse was going in Hampton especially it wouldn't be the least bit surprising.