ORLANDO, Fla. — A proposed midblock crosswalk in the Mills 50 district would improve accessibility for pedestrians trying to cross Mills Avenue in Orlando.
What You Need To Know
The City of Orlando is moving forward with plans for a midblock crosswalk along Mills Avenue at Canton Street
The project would improve accessibility for pedestrians crossing the busy street, while alerting drivers
Plans also include new signs, flashing beacons, and curb extensions
A public meeting is scheduled for Tuesday so staff can meet with community members and talk about the project
The project is intended to increase visibility for pedestrians crossing the busy street and alerting drivers as they walk through.
The crosswalk would be built halfway through Mills Avenue at Canton Street. The project map shows a striped crosswalk leading to a green and black refuge island in the middle of the roadway, which will allow people to cross the street in smaller sections instead of one long crosswalk.
Plans also include installing Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons on both traffic directions to alert drivers, new curb extensions with ADA-accessible ramps, signs, and pavement markings.
Once built, the crosswalk would change how drivers can turn across Mills Avenue on Canton Street.
Mills Avenue at Canton Street. (Courtesy: Google Maps)
City of Orlando staff are allocating nearly $176,000 for the project. The funds come from money generated from red light camera violations, which are reinvested into roadway safety projects.
Dany Sierra, who owns Another Pizza along Mills Avenue, supports the city’s project. He says he sees a lot of pedestrians at night, especially on weekends.
“As [long] as the people are safer, there’s nothing bad about it,” said Sierra.
According to the project timeline, a 90% design submittal is due in June and the final design will be submitted in July. Then, construction can start this fall.
The city’s transportation department is hosting a public meeting this week so residents, businesses and community members can learn more about the crosswalk project and safety enhancements.
It will be held at the Colonialtown Neighborhood Center from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 28.