For a long time, Orange County has been struggling with high rates of pedestrian fatalities. This is because Orange County is home to some of the busiest and most pedestrian-occupied locations in the state.
According to a research that was published in 2023 by Injured in Florida, which is comprised of personal injury attorneys, Orange County is the third-deadliest in the state for pedestrians. This alarming figure has driven a new wave of safety measures that have been implemented.
To address this issue, the county government has initiated the Accelerated Transportation Safety Program (ATSP) in conjunction with the national Vision Zero project in order to improve the safety of the streets within the county.
“The residents of our community have made it abundantly clear that they want to see improvements made to the safety of pedestrians, bicycles, roads, lighting, and other areas,” was the message that we received.
During a meeting of the Board of County Commissioners, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings stated that this is something that is not just constant throughout the county but also throughout the entire county.
The ATSP, which is led by Demings, has committed one hundred million dollars over the next five years to projects that are targeted at enhancing the safety of pedestrians.
This program brings together local, state, and national partners to develop more secure walking and bicycling paths, improve lighting, and make public transportation more accessible. The funding for this initiative comes from current sources of revenue.
Vision Zero: A commitment to zero fatalities
Orange County has also accepted the Vision Zero framework, which is a national safety strategy with the ambitious aim of eliminating all traffic fatalities and serious injuries.
This adoption occurred in cooperation with the Accident and Traffic Safety Program (ATSP). In order to reshape transportation safety, Vision Zero acts as the driving philosophy for the county.
This is accomplished by putting an emphasis on mobility options that are safe, healthy, and equitable.
We have determined nine projects as a part of the Vision Zero effort, and we have done so in conjunction with the commissioners and the general public.
“These nine projects include corridors, intersections, and studies that cover the entire area,” noted Humberto Castillero, who is the manager of the Traffic Engineering Division of the Orange County Public Works Department.
Safety improvements in action
For the purpose of ensuring the safety of students, a comprehensive set of initiatives is currently being carried out across Orange County, with a particular emphasis on fourteen schools. As part of the planned upgrades are:
The rebuilding of the curb ramp and sidewalks includes the improvement of the accessibility of the walkways and ramps.
Improved visibility at intersections, which helps to reduce the risk of accidents occurring at night.
In order to improve pedestrian visibility and control, raised crosswalks and pedestrian lights have been implemented.
Enhanced signal technology that alerts automobiles to pedestrian crossings is known as rapid-flashing beacons. The investment breakdown allots 55% of the cash for street lighting, walkways, and other safety improvements.
The remaining 45% of the funding is allocated for improving public transit, increasing the frequency of LYNX buses, and installing new bus shelters in order to enhance the user experience.
Orange County Public Works has finished 19 improvements through the program as of Monday.
These projects include the installation of nine speed tables, nine miles of new sidewalk, eleven miles of new street lights, six LYNX routes with reduced wait times, and a new LYNX bus route that travels from the airport to Disney Springs.
A dedicated funding strategy
Because of the failure of a referendum on a sales tax in 2022 to pass, Orange County officials were forced to rely on monies that were already available in order to make necessary upgrades to public transportation and safety.
This led to the development of the ATSP. Each Orange County commission district was responsible for determining the specific requirements of the project in order to develop a plan that was both equitable and efficient.
If the county continues to use the sales tax at its current rate, it is anticipated that it will be able to fund a total of one hundred million dollars for transportation safety over the course of the next five years.
Accessing the ATSP Dashboard: Citizen engagement made easy
The Orange County Public Works Department has produced an interactive map that is known as the ATSP Dashboard in order to provide a clear image of the projects that have been funded by the ATSP.
Developed by the Geographic Information System (GIS) team, this tool offers a graphical representation of the $55 million in traffic safety projects.
Residents have the ability to investigate planned projects in their geographic area, gaining access to both visual data and textual summaries that provide an overview of safety enhancements and deadlines.