Clermont asks for consultant study of crossing options on State Route 50 near downtown

City of Clermont officials said they will seek funding for a consultant study to evaluate alternate pedestrian crossings at several State Route 50 intersections near downtown.

Mayor Warren presented the request, describing four initial candidate intersections — East Avenue, Lake Street, Fifth and Eighth — and suggested the consultant would determine whether solutions such as tunnels, bridges, or enhanced surface crossings are feasible. “This final initiative from the public services department is requesting funding for an alternate pedestrian crossing study,” Mayor Warren said. “What we would like to do is engage a consultant to study the opportunity, to provide some sort of a safe alternate crossing.”

The study would include traffic and pedestrian counts, speed and sight‑line studies, conceptual plans and order‑of‑magnitude cost estimates, staff said. The city plans to use the study as a foundation for grant applications and to support conceptual requests to the Florida Department of Transportation. Staff and council also discussed adding Blossom/Bloxham as a study location because of frequently observed mid‑block crossings and past safety incidents.

Council members urged the city to frame grant requests as fixes to a state road that bisected the city’s historic plan, arguing the state should help mitigate the long‑term consequences of placing a highway through the downtown. Staff additionally suggested tying pedestrian improvements to trail and parks plans and to regional trail networks to improve grant competitiveness.

No dollar figure was finalized at the workshop; staff said they will prepare a one‑page summary and seek legislative and grant funding pathways. The item will be refined with the council and the city’s legislative contact prior to any formal appropriation request.