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County backs Best Foot Forward pedestrian safety program, pledges collaboration with law enforcement and cities
Summary
The Lake County Board unanimously approved a resolution of support for the Best Foot Forward pedestrian safety program after a countywide assessment found low driver yielding rates at sampled crosswalks; the program combines low‑cost engineering, enforcement and education.
The Lake County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution July 22 supporting Best Foot Forward, a pedestrian‑safety program run locally by Bike/Walk Central Florida in partnership with FDOT and local law enforcement.
Program summary and local findings: Bike/Walk Central Florida staff presented a county pilot that measured driver yield rates at a sample of crosswalks across Lake County. The review identified multiple crosswalk locations with low driver yield rates (below 33%), and recommended a mix of targeted education, periodic enforcement campaigns, and low‑cost engineering changes that have shown measurable improvements in other counties. Program staff showed examples from neighboring jurisdictions where simple treatments — stop‑here signs, leading pedestrian intervals, and in‑street signing — increased driver yield rates by 15–40% at treated locations.
Board action and outlook: Commissioners endorsed the program and its multi‑pronged approach. The resolution does not obligate funding but signals county support and encourages interagency collaboration. Program organizers asked local law enforcement partners to participate in selective enforcement events and for municipal partners to consider low‑cost engineering improvements at priority crosswalks.
Ending: County staff and the program will collaborate to identify priority locations for follow‑up work and public outreach; the program noted FDOT funding for the initiative and asked municipalities to take sites for planned treatment and enforcement cycles.
