The Florida Department of Transportation presented results of an Orange Blossom Trail safety project that FDOT officials said reduced speeds and cut the number of serious pedestrian and bicycle crashes in a one-mile stretch.

FDOT District 5 safety administrator Loreen Bobo told the Transportation Mobility Advisory Commission on Oct. 9 that the corridor was one of Central Florida’s deadliest for people walking and biking until the agency installed a mix of engineering measures, reduced the posted speed and added pedestrian controls.

FDOT said the corridor previously posted 40 mph limits and recorded about two to five pedestrian fatalities a year in the worst years; the agency lowered the posted limit to 35 mph, added raised crosswalks, pedestrian hybrid beacons (PHBs), in‑road lighting and other speed‑management features and reported nearly three years with zero pedestrian fatalities for that one‑mile segment until a July crash ended that run. Bobo said the project cost about $8.9 million and that the corridor had seen both fewer crashes and fewer fatalities and serious injuries since the work was completed.

Why it matters: FDOT framed the project as an example of the “safe systems” approach—engineering, enforcement, education and safer vehicles—to reduce deaths. Bobo said speed is a dominant risk factor: a pedestrian struck at 40 mph has a far higher probability of death than at 20 mph, so the agency focused on design changes that make drivers less likely to travel above the posted speed.

What FDOT did: Bobo described three speed‑management strategies applied on OBT: enclosure (protected or narrower lanes and medians), engagement (streetscape and landscaping to “draw drivers in”) and deflection (roundabouts, raised crossings and chicanes). The project added mid‑block crossings, raised crossings and PHBs at several locations and worked with transit and truck operators on geometry so buses and large vehicles could use the corridor. FDOT also reported national recognition for the project and follow‑up interest from the Federal Highway Administration in replicating the approach elsewhere.

Commissioner and commission questions focused on cost, traffic flow and truck operations. Commissioners asked whether the changes slowed overall throughput; FDOT said average delay increased by about four seconds per vehicle but that throughput remained similar and that large vehicles could traverse the raised crosswalks when designed appropriately. Commissioners also asked about community pushback; FDOT said the corridor now has crossings spaced about every 600 feet and that the department had not received sustained opposition after installation.

Behavior and enforcement: Bobo emphasized that infrastructure can reduce risk but cannot eliminate risky behavior, and she said the July fatality involved a driver who fled the scene and later turned himself in. She urged education and outreach—helmet fitting, school programs and digital campaigns—and noted FDOT’s increased community engagement since 2021.

Background and takeaways: FDOT said the OBT corridor had three mid‑block crossings installed earlier (2007) but required a more holistic redesign. The agency credited changes in state guidance—target speeds and speed‑management guidance added in 2018—for enabling engineers to design roads where posted and design speeds align. Bobo said FDOT is now identifying candidate corridors for a “next OBT” treatment, balancing budgets and corridor characteristics.

Commission response: Commissioners, and the district commissioner who attended, praised the project and urged the county to coordinate on similar treatments on county‑owned corridors. Several commissioners urged increased education and employer engagement to change driver behavior alongside engineering work.

Ending: FDOT recommended combining targeted engineering on high‑injury corridors with community outreach and enforcement; the agency said it would continue to identify similarly dangerous corridors in Central Florida and pursue treatments that match local context and community goals.