Federal grant could spark improvement on 6 of Orlando’s most dangerous roads
An influx of federal dollars will help guide safety improvements to some of Orlando’s most dangerous roads, as the city strives toward the lofty goal of eliminating traffic deaths by 2040.
The city won a federal grant of $606,000 to examine stretches of Kirkman Road, Colonial Drive, Orange Blossom Trail, Orange Avenue, Rosalind Avenue and Semoran Boulevard over the next 18 months.
The selected areas fall within Orlando’s “high-injury network,” where a disproportionate number of crashes resulting in severe injuries or deaths happen.
“These are some of the most dangerous areas of Orlando,” said Christina Martin, the deputy transportation director.
City commissioners will vote on accepting the grant money Monday, launching an effort that will study one road in each of their districts except for District 1 in southeast Orlando. The application was submitted in 2021, and redistricting the following year moved one project into District 2.
Specifically, the grant will fund studies of:
Kirkman Road from Conroy Road to Raleigh Street
State Road 50 from Ferguson Drive to Maguire Boulevard
Orange Blossom Trail from Winifred Street to State Road 50
Orange Avenue from State Road 408 to State Road 50 as well as Rosalind Avenue from State Road 408 to State Road 50
Orange Avenue from Pineloch Avenue to State Road 408
Semoran Boulevard from Grant Street to Dahlia Drive and Curry Ford Road from Larkin Avenue to Bowen Drive
Any improvements can make a difference in Orlando, which sits in a region that is routinely ranked as one of the nation’s deadliest for pedestrians in Smart Growth America’s Dangerous By Design Study, said Emily Bush, the executive director of Bike/Walk Central Florida.
“They’re major thoroughfares through the city and our region,” she said of the roads selected. “These are big roads and the opportunity to implement some changes here at a small scale is huge.”
In Smart Growth America’s most recent study in 2022, Orlando was considered the eighth deadliest metro area for pedestrians, in a region which includes Seminole and Osceola counties as well. The Daytona Beach metro area was ranked the nation’s most dangerous.
Orlando city leaders committed to the so-called Vision Zero initiative in 2017, and hope to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2040. From 2017 to 2021, traffic deaths have increased each year, peaking at 49 in 2021, the most recent year with data available.
According to grant documents, enhancements that could be considered are better sidewalk connectivity, more bike paths, new crosswalks, increased access to transit, and other operational changes. Other safety enhancements are already underway downtown, including decorative and raised crosswalks, and flashing beacons.
Martin said the planning grant will include about 18 months of study, and the city hopes to receive additional federal dollars to implement the results. The city will kick in about $150,000 toward the study.
The RAISE grant, an acronym for Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity, is the fourth received by a Central Florida city since 2009.
Orlando received one in 2010 to start a bus-rapid-transit line in Parramore. Orange County and St. Cloud have also received them.
In announcing the 2021 winners totaling $1 billion in investment, U.S. Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg said his agency received applications totaling 10 times the amount of grant money available.
