Highway 41 Is Dangerous! (Sarasota, Nokomis: house, costs, title)

[justNancy]

Originally Posted by NYNYmommy

Is 41 Tamiami? And when people say "west of the trail" are they referring to this road?

Yes. 41 is Tamiami, although it has other names, depending on the city.
I said in my earlier post that it runs from Tampa to Miami, but it actually runs further north. I've always been told the name "Tamiami" comes from Tampa-Miami. I'll have to do a Google search to confirm!

[Algenubi]

I had a Geico insurance agent tell me today only 30% of Floridians have auto insurance, I dont know if I beleive that.

[On-da-Beach]

Originally Posted by gypsychic

LOL - US 41 is a cakewalk compared to really bad highways like US 19 in Pinellas or freeways like I-4. I have lived here for years and never thought 41 was that bad - danger can exist on any well-travelled road, people need to drive defensively.

Whole heartedly agree!!

[LovePalms]

I'll throw in my $0.02. US41 is a cakewalk compared to some of the real killers. (I'm thinking of you, NYC.) IMO, the particular problems here are twofold. First, you have a high number of older drivers with slower reaction times. And second, you have a large number of tourists, so the driving etiquette is uncertain at best. People drive differently in different parts of the country, which makes it harder to predict how someone will react.

In 2009, in Sarasota County, there were 78.8 accidents per 100M miles traveled, and 1.0 fatalities per 100M miles traveled. Florida's overall rate was 120 accidents per 100M miles traveled and 1.3 fatalities per 100M miles traveled. The 2009 national rate was 1.13 fatalities per 100M miles traveled (I couldn't find a good source for the accident rate).

In short, Sarasota County seems pretty typical, which surprised me.

DHSMV: Statistics, Studies and Publications
FARS Encyclopedia

[41mag]

BUILD SOME MORE ROUND-A-BOUTS lol

[TamRE]

41 isn't quite as bad in Charlotte County as Sarasota County, but when the snow birds are in town, it definitely gets worse. There have been quite a few accidents on 41. I think more than I-75. People just don't pay attention. Once you get to know the areas, you find ways around 41.

[whakru]

Originally Posted by Rushmore

I have lived in the NYC metro area (most aggressive drivers on the worst roadways available, all under constant "repair"), the DC metro area (you can sit on the Beltway for three hours to drive 15 miles), the Baltimore metro area (I sat on 82 N. in a snowstorm last year...FOR 10 1/2 HOURS because, well, it's Baltimore, and, well, they didn't have any plows and of course everyone simply walked away from their cars), and the San Francisco metro area (where everyone seems like they're reading the paper while driving), each for years at a time.

Anyone who thinks 41 is "bad" has never been on the Cross-Bronx Expressway.

Anyway, everyone drive carefully.

I totally agree with you Rushmore. I live in the Chicago area and visit Sarasota often and 41 is NOTHING compared to the roads and highways around here. The problem usually stems from the fact the some drivers feel that they have a sense of entitlement and everyone else be damned. I always amazed at the number of drivers that want to occupy the space that I am in when I am driving, particularly on the Tri State Tollway. And believe me I am no shrinking violet on the road so compared to me these people are just crazy! It is survival of the fittest out there.

We have many "pseudo" highways like 41 (actually we have 41 because it starts up here and goes all the way to Florida) and they are all the same. I actually like driving in Florida because it seems a lot tamer than Chicago.

Also, to the poster who was considering not moving....I wouldn't base the whole move on this one road. It really isn't THAT much of an impact.

[wondermint2]

I came across this web site from the Nokomis Area Civic Association: Nokomis Vision For Commercial Corridor
From their web site:
What Nokomis residents have stated that they would like to see: "TAMIAMI TRAIL MORE LIKE A BOULEVARD VS. A FREEWAY. Maintain lush and attractive native landscaping, along with striking architectural design to calm traffic. Explore and implement options for the removal, control and maintenance of invasive non-native vegetation at the US 41 crossings of Dona Bay / Shakett Creek and Roberts Bay / Curry Creek to restore the natural shoreline habitat and enhance the visual aspects of this Scenic Highway corridor." -----AMEN

What Nokomis residents have stated they would not like to see: "Tamiami Trail to be a raceway through Nokomis and serve to divide the community" -------DOUBLE AMEN (Driving South on Tamiami Trail coming into Nokomis - I need to make a LEFT TURN off of Hwy 41 (Tamiami Trail) onto my residential street - thus I need to slow down a bit as I approach my turn-off point - and upon doing so cars go flying by in the right lane speeding at 70mph all the while giving me a dirty look like I'm crazy or a granny driver). FDOT you need to improve Tamiami Trail in Nokomis.

[jnanner]

Originally Posted by Rushmore

I have lived in the NYC metro area (most aggressive drivers on the worst roadways available, all under constant "repair"), the DC metro area (you can sit on the Beltway for three hours to drive 15 miles), the Baltimore metro area (I sat on 82 N. in a snowstorm last year...FOR 10 1/2 HOURS because, well, it's Baltimore, and, well, they didn't have any plows and of course everyone simply walked away from their cars), and the San Francisco metro area (where everyone seems like they're reading the paper while driving), each for years at a time.

Anyone who thinks 41 is "bad" has never been on the Cross-Bronx Expressway.

Anyway, everyone drive carefully.

all i can add to that is... Major Deegan

41 seems ok to me, not a highway just a busy main road. I would like more North-South options and east west connectors though.

[wondermint2]

Originally Posted by jnanner

all i can add to that is... Major Deegan

41 seems ok to me, not a highway just a busy main road. I would like more North-South options and east west connectors though.

In the Sarasota city limits I agree that YES Hwy 41 is like a busy main road. HOWEVER as you head South leaving the city limits into Osprey and then Nokomis - Hwy. 41 then becomes more like a freeway. (read the comments from the NACA article that I posted to see how Nokomis residents feel about it). It's the only place I've ever been where there are long stretches with drivers going above 55mph (and no stop lights for long distances) - AND yet all the while people are turning left on & off (without stop lights/signs) just as it was a lazy city street with a 30 mph speed limit). For example I-75 is a freeway but cars exit on the RIGHT - and it's not a free-for-all with cars making left turns and mad dashes to the median to turn left. It's difficult enough to do this on a normal boulevard with a 40mph speed limit - it becomes much more tricker with cars racing by at 70mph (and yes many cars on Hwy 41 in Nokomis do 70mph even though the posted speed limit is 55 mph).