Reducing Pedestrian Deaths: Orange County Traffic Safety Experts Focus on Crossings

In recent years Central Florida has had the dubious distinction as being one of the deadliest regions in the country for pedestrians, but Orange County engineers and planners are working hard to change that narrative.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports accidents involving pedestrians account for nearly 17 percent of all traffic fatalities annually. A whopping 74 percent of these accidents occur where there is no intersection.

Providing a place where pedestrians can safely cross and, if necessary, take refuge from vehicle traffic can help improve the overall safety of a corridor. According to the Federal Highway Administration, pedestrian refuge islands reduce over half of all pedestrian accidents.

"Installing pedestrian refuge islands can significantly improve safety by shortening the street crossing distance for pedestrians," said Humberto Castillero, Manager, Orange County Public Works Department, Traffic Engineering Division. "It also serves as a safe space while someone is crossing a road without substantial traffic delays"

Orange County has adopted the Plan de Acción Visión Cero and dedicated $100 million in funding to make roads safer through the Programa Acelerado de Seguridad en el Transporte. Over the last few years, the County has studied more than a dozen roadway corridors with an emphasis on pedestrian safety improvements.

“The approval of Vision Zero Action Plan solidifies Orange County’s commitment to meeting the goal of eliminating fatalities and serious injuries on our roads,” said Chief Engineer Kelly Nowell, Orange County Public Works.

Recent pedestrian safety improvement projects include Pine Hills Road, Oak Ridge Road, Rio Grande Avenue, y el area around the University of Central Florida, which is scheduled for completion this year. Each of these projects combines different measures aimed at increasing safety, including pedestrian refuge islands.

"These projects signal a shift in philosophy from the past. Fatalities and serious injuries impact our families and our community. This philosophy helps us shift our mindset to designing roads for safety ahead of capacity", said Nowell.

For more information on the Accelerated Transportation Safety Program, go to www.ocfl/AcceleratedTransportation.