SARASOTA, Fla. -- One more cyclist is out of the hospital tonight according to Sarasota Memorial Hospital...one remains in stable condition. They were one of four cyclists struck by a car last week.
Sadly, one of them recently died from his injuries.
Wednesday, members of their bike club and other homeowners along Center Road where the accident took place asked county commissioners to make the road safer for everyone.
“People consider Center Road part of I-75,” Don Lacoste told Sarasota County commissioners.
Lacoste asked commissioners to slow traffic down from 45 mph to 35 mph on this 4-lane road in Venice.
“It’s almost like a race to Rockley Road … 45 mph is a joke!” says Lacoste .
Rockley Road is the intersection close to where the four bicyclists from the Coastal Cruisers Bicycle Club were hit by a car a week ago.
Lacoste says, “We are part of 564 cyclists consider each other family. When four of us get hurt, it’s difficult on the club.”
FHP is investigating but says the cyclists were hit as they moved from the bike lane to the inside lane.
“They can be going 55, 60 miles an hour. You are within 3 feet of automobiles,” says Lacoste .
“It’s going to endanger our children,” Patricia Abde told commissioners. She too wants traffic on this road to slow down.
“My concern is the drivers and pedestrians up and down Center Road,” says Abde .
Abde and other homeowners from Meadow Run subdivision live off Center Road and East Village Drive just west from where the cyclists were hit.
Abde says, “I want 35 (mph) on Center Road. It’s just like driving 75 mph right now … at night you can hear speeding up and down Center Road.”
To help ease traffic congestion, homeowners asked commissioners to deny a developer’s access road along the street leading into their neighborhood. While they didn’t get it, they hope to get a traffic light at the intersection and a 10-mile drop in the speed limit.”
“I’ll keep fighting,” says Abde.
If commissioners don’t make these safety changes, many here worry.
Lacoste says, “There’ll be more accidents, more fatalities.”
Commissioners told homeowners they’ll consider putting in a traffic light at East Village Drive and dropping the speed limit.
►Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the 10 News app now.
Have a news tip? Email tips@wtsp.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.
