Chula Vista Avenue, is a residential street, that goes for one mile north from County Road 466 at the La Zamora gate to Rio Grande Avenue.
It has become the crosstown speedway.
This was caused by development overloading Rolling Acres Road and Morse Boulevard.
There are over 100 driveways that enter on to Chula Vista Avenue. Many of the residents on Chula Vista Avenue are super seniors. That is, they are over 75, many are over 80.
The posted speed on Chula Vista Avenue is 25 miles per hour. This is the same speed limit on Rio Grande Avenue, a through street with no driveways entering on it.
Traveling north from the La Zamora Gate it drops 30 feet in a slight S curve for two-tenths of a mile just short of Palermo Place.
From that point it is straight, wide and unimpeded for a half mile till a slight curve at Torres Place. This begs drivers to push the speed limit, and they surely do.
The white lines on each side of Chula Vista Avenue designate a pedestrian walk way and a bicycle path. They do not designate a multi-modal path/golf cart path. Vehicles have been clocked at over 60 miles per hour on Chula Vista Avenue. On average, over 10 vehicles per day pass the radar sign at at least 10 miles per hour over the posted speed of 25 miles per hour.
Some things that would help slow and reduce traffic on Chula Vista Avenue:
• Signs at both ends of Chula Vista Avenue stating “No Through Traffic, and “No Truck Traffic.”
• Four-way stop signs at Palermo Place (Valle Verde) and Ventura Drive (La Reynalda) with rumble strips or speed bumps.
• Road narrowing, north and south, at Palermo Place, Del Rio Drive, Ventura Drive and Torres Place.
• Vigorous and rigorous enforcement of the above measures.
Carl Kusky is a resident of The Villages and lives on Chula Vista Avenue.
