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Barbara Kyle
John Hunter
Assessment of potential final projects for ENC3250_CMB-14Summer

Introduction
In this report I will compare two local, identifiable exigencies and choose one on
which to take action. For the Roadblock project, I would examine the current
pattern of downtown road closures on Amway Center events nights in terms of its
background, overseeing authority, and impact on downtown businesses. I would
also examine alternatives to this pattern. For the Lymmo Light project, I would
examine the current traffic light pattern for the downtown Lymmo bus service in
terms of its hours of operation, background, overseeing authority, and impact on
City electrical and citizen fuel costs and carbon monoxide output. I would also
examine alternatives to this pattern.
Importance
For the Roadblock project, my businesses, and others, are negatively affected by
traffic jams caused by constant road closures. A thriving downtown business tax
base is beneficial to all of Orlando. For the Lymmo Light project, the downtown
Lymmo buses have their own dedicated lanes and traffic lights; however, the lights
run even when the Lymmo service is not in operation, which slows traffic, resulting
in higher gas use and greater carbon monoxide output, and also uses electrical
energy for the lights. As night time activity and traffic in downtown Orlando
continues to grow, stopping cars for buses that aren't even running will cause
increasing traffic problems.
Qualifications
For the Roadblock project, my company has been downtown for over twenty years,
in three different locations. I've seen many patterns of road closures. I've also had
previous experience lobbying the City for business/ patron -friendly parking
modifications and road closure changes. For the Lymmo Light project, I've worked
and driven downtown for the last ten years and have seen the increase in number
of visitors and cars.
Purpose
The goal for the Roadblock project is a new pattern of road closures during Amway
Center events. The current pattern is very circuitous and inefficient for patrons
approaching Downtown from the south and east. I believe a simple re-location of
the current roadblocks will allow easier traffic access to Downtown during Amway
Center events. For the Lymmo Light project, the goal is the turning off of Lymmo

Bus traffic lights when the Lymmo Bus isn't running, resulting in electrical/fuel costs
savings, smoother running traffic and lower carbon monoxide output.

Research
For the Roadblock project I would research traffic patterns (average numbers of cars
using Amway center parking, average time of traffic lights) for Downtown. I would
look to find out why the roadblocks are placed in their current location. I would also
contact Orlando Transportation Division for any statistics they can provide. For the
Lymmo Light project I would find out the hours that the Lymmo buses run, and look
for research on average time for a traffic light stop and any information on cost of
running traffic light signals. I would research average amount of fuel used and
carbon monoxide emitted during the average traffic stop.
Audience
For the Roadblock project I would contact Angela Hill, the City Commissioner of
District 5 (Downtown area) and also the head of the Orlando Police Dept. traffic
division. They work in tandem to set the road closures. I would ask for a specific
relocation of road closures. Their objections might include inefficiency or
unforeseen impact on businesses in the new closure pattern. For the Lymmo Light
project I would contact Angela Hill, and also the head of the Orlando Police Dept.
traffic division. I would contact the Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority
to find out who the City liaison is. The objections might include the cost of turning
off/re-starting the traffic light system or drivers thinking the Lymmo lanes were open
for all cars if the signals were off.
Report type
For the Roadblock project, a feasibility study has some of the elements useful to me,
a proposal has others. Since much of my data is anecdotal for this project (four
years of seeing the same traffic jam at the same road closures) there wouldn't be a
heavy alternative research component. For the Lymmo Light project, a feasibility
study has more elements useful to me, such as the forum for presentation of
detailed statistics.
Evaluation
The importance of the Roadblock project is of concern to me and a relatively small
number of business owners in the affected area in terms of economic impact from
limited accessibility for patrons. The scope of the Lymmo Light project
encompasses the multitudes of drivers and pedestrians in the downtown areas

affected in terms of vehicle wait times at lights which result in higher fuel
consumption and carbon monoxide output.
The audience for the Roadblock project is Angela Hill, City Commissioner of District
5 (Downtown area) and also Sgt. Robert Baer, liaison of the Orlando Police Dept.
traffic enforcement division. The audience for the Lymmo Light project is the
Orlando City Council, which approves any changes to traffic light systems and the
Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority, who designed the system and
manages it for the City.
Objections for the Roadblock project could come from the Amway Center
management who want to keep the current street closure pattern, which
presumably provides maximum utility for their business. Objections for the Lymmo
Light project could come from the Traffic Division in terms of the costs and/or
manpower involved in starting and stopping the Lymmo traffic lights on a daily
basis.
Research for the Roadblock project will involve polling the businesses affected by
the current street closures and seeing if they have, and are willing to share, any
data on the impact the closures have, as well as looking into traffic patterns
(numbers of cars, average time of traffic lights) for Downtown. I would also look to
find out why the roadblocks are placed in their current location. For the Lymmo
Light project, research would include defining the hours that the Lymmo buses run,
average time for a traffic light stop, the cost of running traffic light signals, the
average amount of fuel used and carbon monoxide emitted during an average
Lymmo Light traffic stop.
Conclusion
Both projects offer challenges in terms of connecting with the audience, which is the
liaison for a governmental bureaucracy, which can be resistant to change. Both
projects involve gathering research to encourage the altering of downtown traffic
patterns. Where a different street closure pattern in the Roadblock project could
possibly impact other businesses not currently impacted, creating a new set of
unhappy business owners for the City, the Lymmo Light project presents as more of
a win-win for the City in terms of potential savings on electricity for the Lymmo
traffic lights, reduced carbon monoxide output for downtown visitors and lower fuel
costs for downtown drivers.
With all this in mind, I will pursue the Lymmo Light project. The measurable,
comparable nature of the data involved (traffic light wait times, amount of fuel
used, amount of carbon monoxide emitted) is more definite and accessible than the
data for the Roadblock project, which is anecdotal evidence from business owners
and conjecture about the effect of a different street closure pattern. The Lymmo
Light project also has a greater ostensible benefit for all parties involved in terms of
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reduced costs, healthier atmosphere and increased vehicular efficiency downtown.

Overall, the Lymmo Light project stands as a more defined, obtainable project.