OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – Florida is one of the deadliest states for pedestrians, with Central Florida especially dangerous. To try to save lives, one local lawmaker is pushing to increase technology at crosswalks around the state.
Sasha Liz Soto, who crosses Orange Blossom Trail every day, said the flashing beacons that now line it make her feel safer.
“It was really hard for us to cross, because the cars wouldn’t stop,” Soto said.
[WATCH: Safety changes coming to Michigan Avenue in Osceola County]
A new bill focused on school zones and pedestrian safety hopes to give others this same sense of security.
State Rep. Jay Alvarez, D-Kissimmee, who also served as mayor of Kissimmee from 2016 to 2020, presented the bill, HB 283, this week in Tallahassee.
“This is a targeted, data-driven safety enhancement, aligning with FDOT’s traffic engineering manual and national best practices,” Alvarez said.
The bill focuses on the design and construction plans of certain crosswalks located outside typical intersections. It would require plans to include traffic control devices with lights to make crossing safer.
The change would only apply to crosswalks in school zones or on roads with speed limits over 35 mph.
Robbie Vogan of Lux Solar, who spoke on behalf of the bill, explained how the potential law would work.
[WATCH: Improvements coming for pedestrians along Silver Star Road]
“This bill does not mandate the installation of a crosswalk and only applies prospectively to new crosswalk installations should a local government choose to install midblock,” he said.
Soto hopes cities will opt in to add the devices and potentially help save lives.
“The streets are too long and people need to cross constantly,” she said.
The bill passed its first committee, but many lawmakers asked for more clarification on the bill’s requirements as it moves through the legislative process.
A companion bill, SB 498, has not yet been heard in the Florida Senate. The bill would have to pass both houses to make it to the governor’s desk.
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