Seagrove Tom Thumb needs to be safer for walkers and cyclists

[Augie]

Honestly, I have stood at the cross walk at the end of Somerset Bridge road with delivery trucks, people driving all over the place, people getting upset and motorist burning rubber out of the gas station. Not to mention the regular traffic on 30-A has picked up speed in this particular area, you just think to yourself. Im gonna get killed here.

[Beach Runner]

Drivers on 30A need to be more respectful for people and courteous to drivers. We make a point to do that, in particular, at the Tom Thumb intersection. Even when it should be clear to other drivers that we are stopping to yield to pedestrians and other vehicles at that intersection, other drivers going the opposite direction frequently roll on through. Stopping for others costs a tiny amount of time yet helps others.

[Seagrovestateofmind]

As a new owner at Seagrove Highlands off of Somerset Bridge Road, I concur that this intersection is a mess. I was down last week, and it was a challenge at times to get accross the street. About one in five cars would stop for pedestrians. Not to reopen the ongoing discussion, but none of the road cyclists ever stopped.

When the big delivery trucks park out next to 30A, it is hard for drivers on Somerset Bridge to see east without almost pulling out into the intersection. Then you end up blocking the path.

[Word6er]

Around 8:45 this morning, there was a small traffic jam in front of the Tom Thumb in Seagrove. Five vehicles were lined up in front of me. It appeared that a vehicle struck the back of a moped. The driver of the moped looked a little bruised up and pushed his moped over to the Tom Thumb parking lot. The driver that struck the moped was waiting in the Tom Thumb parking lot.

I just read this post yesterday about the Tom Thumb in Seagrove and thought it was crazy that this took place this morning.

[kurt]

Whoah!

[LJHOMES]

I totally agree about the area near Tom Thumb/Seagrove. Delivery trucks block visibility for cars and walkers and people pulling in and out of the lot for gas and shopping are reckless and in a big hurry. Add the 30A motor vehicle traffic, bikes and walkers and you have a formula for tragedy. Before this happens what steps can we homeowners take to get some laws enforced and changes made to make the area safe?
Who do we contact in Walton County?

[Lake View Too]

Whoah!

Really! Word on the street is that the moped driver was looking down at his iphone, reading the SoWal app about the traffic problem at Tom Thumb, when he was hit... I'M JUST JOKING!! Seriously, I think Tom Thumb needs to get its vendors to park their trucks on the side, or the back of the building when unloading. It's a simple thing that would reduce one of the biggest problems of a very complex intersection.

[NotDeadYet]

That intersection in one word: Can you say Cluster****?

The intersection by Bruno's and Butterfly Bikes is a close second.

[lenzoe]

If it had been an LSV instead of a moped it would have qualified for a double Whoah! At least.

[Seagrovestateofmind]

Absolutely agree that parking on the side or in back would help some.

[hippiechick]

I live very close to the Tom Thumb in Seagrove. I drive by every morning and every afternoon. Mornings aren't too bad, but afternoons, good grief. You have Tourists with all their Beach stuff trying to cross to and from the Beach, Motorists trying to get gas, delivery Vehicles all over the parking area, locals and tourists alike trying to park to buy essentials, plus non stop traffic of bicycles, golf carts, pedestians, and frankly it is a receipe for disaster. It is amazing to me that noone has been hit yet. Making delivery vehicles pull the side of the building would help. But you have a small quicky store in a heavily populated Tourist driven tiny town, and this is what you get. I would like to suggest the manage of the Tom Thumb, who ever that is, address the parking of the large trucks to make it a safer place to pull in and out of.

[Beauty hunter]

That intersection in one word: Can you say Cluster****?

The intersection by Bruno's and Butterfly Bikes is a close second.

For real- i agree with your assessment- 5 * word that packs some punch ~ i always called the Tom Thumb intersection little NYC
If u want something done about it, you'll have to open your mouth & do it {not specifically u NDY- whoever}

[gailforce]

Crossing guards at certain times of the day?

[FlutterBy]

Agreed. I was there in February and there was a line of cars out to 30a, with cars lined up in both directions, and no one had room to move. This was the weekend of seaside yard sale so it may have been busier than normal but i think the point is definitely relevant.

[Seagrovestateofmind]

Was back down this weekend. One morning a big truck was parked parallel to 30A and was almost even with Somerset Bridge Rd. I had to stick 3 ft of my MINI out into 30A to have any vision to the left. If anything other than a road bike had been coming, it could have been very bad. Basically had the same problem with one parked parallel to Somerset Bridge another time this weekend. Someone is going to get messed up big time there.

[netvoe]

Before this happens what steps can we homeowners take to get some laws enforced and changes made to make the area safe?

For those who live off Somerset Bridge Road - you may ask "Beachwood villas" owners to open the gate on the east side of this property. So you can completely avoid Tom Thumb

[Augie]

I do believe the gates at Beachwood as well as Village of Sugar Beach were originally installed to keep traffic from using their residential areas as a cut thru to avoid the Tom Thumb chaos.