{"id":234564,"date":"2026-04-16T18:17:30","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T18:17:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/234564\/"},"modified":"2026-04-16T18:17:30","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T18:17:30","slug":"a-new-crosswalk-could-be-coming-to-mills-avenue-by-the-end-of-the-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/234564\/","title":{"rendered":"A new crosswalk could be coming to Mills Avenue by the end of the year"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"streetCredit: Chloe Greenberg<\/p>\n

On foot, crossing the five-lane Mills Avenue is like a real-life game of Frogger (and the Weekly isn\u2019t the first to make this comparison).<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re on one side of the road, hundreds of feet from a designated safe crossing, you look for a lull in traffic. And if you must, you dash across two lanes and pause at the half-point in the middle turn lane. If it\u2019s a busy night along the stretch of trendy restaurants and bars, you\u2019ll be there for a minute, surrounded by cars going both ways.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Wait for another lull. Then, dash across the remaining two lanes of vehicular traffic to reach the other side, ideally without becoming roadkill (or distracting the extra-duty Orlando police officers commonly stationed outside of Alfie\u2019s HiFi).<\/p>\n

Jaywalking from one late-night bar to the next is a common sight along Mills Avenue, much to the chagrin of drivers and fellow pedestrians observing the most brazen attempts to cross with no small amount of horror. But that pattern of mad-dashing across Mills, threatening the safety of pedestrians and drivers alike, could potentially change by the end of the year.<\/p>\n

According to Laura Hardwicke, the city of Orlando\u2019s safety mobility manager, city officials are hoping to build a new crosswalk<\/a> at the intersection of Mills Ave and Canton Street, near Plantees, by the end of 2026. The city is hosting a public town hall<\/a> about the Mills 50 crosswalk proposal on Tuesday, April 28, at the Colonialtown Neighborhood Center from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.\u00a0<\/p>\n

About 60 percent of the design concept is already finalized, featuring a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB design) and a \u201cpedestrian island\u201d mid-way across, so pedestrians don\u2019t have to worry about crossing all five lanes of traffic at once. (One of these was recently installed on Virginia Drive near Ten10 Brewing.)<\/p>\n

\"\"The location of the city\u2019s proposed Mills 50 crosswalk along Mills Avenue. Credit: City of Orlando<\/a><\/p>\n

Hardwicke told Orlando Weekly that the project, about two years in the making, is one \u201cembedded in the community,\u201d explored in response to a 2024 request from a local resident. Increased foot traffic, brought on by the arrival of popular new bars like Alfie\u2019s (plus several restaurants planned to open in the next year) and the slow death of downtown nightlife<\/a>, have also accelerated the pace of the project.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis project is intended to create a safer crossing opportunity along a busy corridor with frequent pedestrian activity and limited protected crossing options nearby,\u201d the city states in a description of the project published online.<\/p>\n

Generally, Hardwicke said that the city \u201ctriages\u201d projects like this based on need. She said the populous stretch of bars along Mills Avenue \u2014 including several late-night hubs frequently by industry professionals in the early hours of the morning \u2014 hasn\u2019t seen any pedestrian deaths or major injuries in at least five years.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But, she admitted, they\u2019ve received more \u201cdemand\u201d for added safe crossings along Mills, even so. As of 2025, Mills Avenue sees an average daily traffic count of 26,500 vehicles daily, according to data from the Florida Department of Transportation<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The city is aiming to have 100 percent of the design completed by July and to begin construction of the crosswalk sometime this fall. The total estimated cost of the project is $500,000, to be paid for by the city. According to Hardwicke, part of the delay in construction in the first place was due to a lack of funds cited by the state Department of Transportation, which had to approve the project, since Mills Avenue is a state road.<\/p>\n

Hardwicke said the city has a good relationship with the state Department of Transportation, but admitted the state told them they didn\u2019t have the funds to pay for the project as it was moving forward. City officials decided to take on the cost, due to demand, conducted a feasibility study, and analyzed traffic data to identify the best location for a potential Mills Avenue crosswalk.<\/p>\n

The April 28 town hall will present the culmination of that work and welcome community feedback. So, if you have thoughts, mark your calendar.<\/p>\n

Orlando\u2019s daily dose of what matters. Subscribe to The Daily Weekly.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Orlando\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tThe study takes into account factors like affordability, things to do, quality of life and quality of healthcare\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"A\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tThe goal is to reduce jaywalking and improve pedestrian safety across the popular nightlife stretch of the five-lane road.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"This\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tDubbed \u201cThe Revival,\u201d the former church was transformed into a set of five townhouses in 1958\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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