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Alachua County adopts Safe Streets and Roads for All plan to target high-injury corridors
Summary
The county adopted a federally supported Safe Streets action plan after reviewing five years of crash data. The plan prioritizes projects ranging from rural lane-departure countermeasures and protected left-turns at signalized intersections to added crossings and separated bike-ped facilities; staff will use the plan to apply for implementation grants.
Alachua County commissioners on March 10 adopted the county's Safe Streets and Roads for All action plan, a data-driven effort supported with a Federal Highway Administration grant and local match to identify and prioritize projects aimed at reducing fatalities and serious injuries.
Plan highlights: Transportation Planning Manager Allison Moss said the consultant analyzed crash data from 2019 through 2024 (roughly 36,000 crash records), identifying 953 serious-injury and 281 fatal crashes in the review period. The plan groups countermeasures around five systemic issues: rural lane departure crashes (rumble strips, safety-edge paving), high-speed corridors (greater than 40 mph), signalized left-turn crashes (protected left-turn phasing or timing changes), red-light running detection and bicycle/pedestrian safety (separated facilities, additional crossings).
Priorities and near-term work: The consultant produced a ranked list of segments and intersections by expected crash-mitigation benefits and underserved-community criteria. Top-priority segments include portions of Southwest 20th Avenue, Southwest 75th/Tower Road and several higher-speed county corridors. Site- and context-sensitive countermeasures range from high-visibility crosswalks and raised crossings to lane reconfiguration and access-management interventions. The county plans to publish an online dashboard that allows the public to explore crash types, severity and project prioritization.
Funding and next steps: Adoption positions the county to apply for federal implementation grants and to pair county matching funds where available. Moss told commissioners the notice of funding opportunity for implementation grants is expected to be released soon and the consultant will help select competitive project bundles for grant applications. Commissioners and staff noted coordination with the City of Gainesville's Vision Zero effort and with the regional TPO on potential matches and project sequencing.
Board action: The commission voted to adopt the Safe Streets and Roads for All action plan as presented and directed staff to use the prioritized lists in upcoming grant applications and capital planning.
