Traffic engineering outlines traffic‑calming tools and a phased school speed‑camera rollout for 2026

Orange County's traffic engineering staff presented a detailed overview of traffic‑calming techniques and the county's planned school speed‑camera pilot during the TransMAC meeting on Sept. 11.

Gerald Marks of the traffic engineering division described a menu of tools — speed cushions, mini‑roundabouts, raised intersections, high‑visibility crosswalks, rectangular rapid‑flashing beacons (RRFBs), radar feedback signs and targeted rumble strips — and explained how the county balances vehicle‑speed reduction against emergency‑response delay. "For every one of the devices that we put in the road, there's a certain delay that's associated with that," Marks said, and he described earlier estimates that conventional speed humps could delay a large fire apparatus by about "30 seconds per device," a figure the county sought to reduce by switching to redesigned speed cushions with wheelbase gaps for emergency rigs.

Marks described the county's traffic‑calming process: residents or commissioners submit requests (311 is the preferred intake method), staff evaluates engineering criteria (with exceptions for school zones), and, if a physical device is warranted, staff conducts a homeowner ballot that requires a two‑thirds affirmative return to move forward with installations on local streets.

Eugen Spear, senior engineer in traffic engineering, summarized how the division prioritizes safety projects: staff assess safety needs, project readiness and funding, look for lower‑cost alternatives where feasible (modular roundabouts, temporary curb), and coordinate with resurfacing and other capital programs to repurpose lanes or implement buffered bike lanes during maintenance work. Spear also described the county's pursuit of outside funding, including federal Safe Streets and Safe Routes programs and locally designated investment funds for corridor projects.

School speed‑camera program details. Gerald Marks and other staff explained the program framework required by state law and described the county's planned phased approach. Staff said the Florida statute authorizing school‑zone automated enforcement became effective July 1, 2023, and that Orange County adopted a local ordinance (section 35‑16) on Aug. 26, 2025 to implement the program.

For year one, staff selected 12 schools (13 school zones) after consulting each commissioner and Orange County Public Schools: Doctor Phillips and Hunters Creek (District 1); Rock Springs and Meadowbrook (District 2); Three Points Elementary and Sally Ride Elementary (District 3); Discovery Middle and South Creek Middle (District 4); Wedgefield K‑8 and Cheney Elementary (District 5); Oak Hill Elementary and Palmetto Elementary (District 6). Staff said they captured speed data at each location during arrival and dismissal periods and found that many school zones saw large shares of vehicles exceeding posted school‑zone speeds; several sites had more than 20% of vehicles at 10+ mph over the limit during study windows.

Staff described how the program will operate: cameras will be active 30 minutes before and up to 30 minutes after school arrival and dismissal periods; the statutory penalty for a vehicle traveling at least 10 miles per hour over the posted school‑zone speed is $100; the program must include a 30‑day public‑awareness period before citations begin. The county plans a procurement in October, camera installation in early 2026 and live enforcement beginning with the 2026–27 school year (target: September 2026). Staff said implementation will be managed through a memorandum of understanding with the Orange County Sheriff's Office; county staff will fund traffic‑infraction enforcement officers who process camera violations. Marks said comparable programs elsewhere have produced reductions in speeding ranging from about 45% to as much as 85% in the months after activation.

Staff said fine revenue is earmarked by statute for program administration and specified safety uses, including crossing‑guard retention and school‑zone safety improvements; staff estimated the county's share of each $100 violation would be approximately $60 after the statutory allocation but said they would provide the exact accounting. Commissioners asked about enforcement capacity, whether the sheriff could staff increased citation processing, and whether apps that alert drivers to enforcement locations reduce camera effectiveness; staff said the phased rollout of 12 schools in year one was chosen so the sheriff's office would have time to scale up personnel and procedures.

No ordinance vote took place at the Sept. 11 informational meeting; staff described the adopted ordinance and said they would return with procurement and implementation updates, annual reporting and a proposed list of additional schools for year two.