Bicycle Safety Awareness in Orange County
By Orange County Commissioner Bryan Nelson
A group comprised of civic leaders, public safety officials, engineers, educators, transportation planners, advocates, and concerned citizens established BFF under the leadership of former Orange County Mayor Linda Chapin, also known as Best Foot Forward to create improved bicycle safety and awareness in Orange County. Partners of BFF include Orange County Government, Apopka, Town of Eatonville, Orlando, and Winter Park. Currently, Metro Orlando ranks the most dangerous community in the country for pedestrians for more than a decade. Something as simple as crossing the road on a bike has become a serious threat in Orange County and BFF is working to reduce these injuries as soon as possible. Already, in recent improvement studies have shown an increase from 12% to 45% in marked crosswalks on roads 35 mph or less and from 1.2% to 23% in marked crosswalks on roads 40 mph or higher in driver yield rates. The program has
Orange County Commissioner Bryan Nelson
boosted the number of crosswalks to be observed and added higher speed roads, but there is still work to be done. A recent study named the Pine Hills Road Pedestrian/Bicycle Safety shows plans to improve street lighting along Pine Hills Road including connecting roads from Colonial Drive to Silver Star and Silver Star to North Lane. Providing greater visibility of pedestrians/bicyclists and can result in a potential reduction in night crashes. Also, the provision of pedestrian/bicycle safety educational programs to further educate people on bicycle awareness will be put in place. The long-term goal of this program is to cut pedestrian injuries in half in ten years to create a safer environment for citizens. Popular intersections such as Pine Hills Road & El Trio Way and Silver Star Road & Kingsland Avenue have begun to be tracked and monitored to examine how local drivers are reacting to signs and roads. Community outreach is an important aspect of this program so the word can get out about bicycle safety and awareness. Best Foot Forward has presented and distributed materials at 322 organizations and has been mentioned in local HOA meetings, school presentations, health fairs, and other gatherings in the community. Some tips to keep in mind when crossing an intersection in the orange county area can be seen below:
- Cross at designated Crosswalk
- Carry a flashlight to increase visibility at night
- If you must walk on street for any reason, walk facing the oncoming traffic
- Be careful at intersections where drivers may fail to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians while turning onto another street.
The UCF Police Department has also decided to crack down on bicycle safety. On their website, they have added a helpful list of safety tips that will keep local students safe in the area while riding a bike. For example, UCF PD has stated that bikers should wear a helmet, use a rearview mirror, make you visible at night, and most importantly observe and obey all traffic laws. Evans high school is educating students about awareness and safety and even supported the launch of the school’s After-Safety Watch. This education to the future of our district will keep the roads safe and full of educated drivers, bikers, and walkers. In order to bring continued awareness regarding Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety to the community myself along with local community partners will host Camari’s Day which is today from noon until 3:00 p.m. at Wheatley Park in Apopka. Join us as we celebrate the life of young Camari, who struck and killed by a distracted driver. Sponsors include Orange County Commissioner Bryan Nelson, Walk-Ride-Thrive, Orange County Sherriff’s Office, Bike/Walk Central Florida, Monica Zow, and spin city Cycle. Free helmet fittings and 200 free bicycle helmets will be given out at the event on June 10th. There will also be bicycle safety presentations for the youth along with foods drinks and a bounce house for all the hyper children of Orange County.
Drivers, bicyclists, and walkers must obey all the rules if we are to have accident free interactions.