Crossing Guards See Crosswalk Enforcement Ramping Up in Six Central Florida Counties

Operation Best Foot Forward wrapped up its most expansive enforcement to date last Friday, with 14 law enforcement agencies across six counties issuing 366 warnings and citations to drivers that failed to yield to pedestrians. Many of the crosswalk locations chosen for enforcement were located within one mile of a school where students walk, in recognition of Crossing Guard Appreciation Day earlier this month. In total, there were 25 enforcement details conducted at 22 crosswalk locations.

During Operation Best Foot Forward, plainclothes officers and deputies cross streets at marked crosswalks, giving drivers enough time to slow down and stop safely. Drivers who do not stop as Florida law requires face a $164 citation and three (3) points on their license. Operation Best Foot Forward is part of the Best Foot Forward coalition’s larger effort to improve road safety.

Occurring February 6 – 16, this two-week high-visibility window saw returning participation from law enforcement partners in Orange, Osceola, and Seminole Counties. For the first time, law enforcement partners from Brevard, Volusia, and Marion Counties also participated as part of FDOT’s Target Zero initiative to reduce traffic-related serious injuries and deaths to zero.

Some of the crosswalk locations targeted near schools include:

Police departments from Apopka, Casselberry, Orlando, St. Cloud and Winter Park also returned as regular participants of Operation Best Foot Forward. For the first time, police departments from Holly Hill, Indian Harbour Beach, and Daytona Beach Shores joined the operation. Crosswalks were enforced in both Cape Canaveral and Viera by Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, while Volusia County Sheriff’s Office ran crosswalk details in DeBary and Ormond Beach.

Thank you to our local news broadcast stations for bringing awareness to the enforcement, with 48 media placements reminding an estimated 646,000 Central Florida viewers that it’s the law in Florida to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks. We’d also like to give a special shout out to all our Best Foot Forward partners who were able to attend a crosswalk enforcement to support, including elected officials such as Apopka Mayor Brian Nelson, Brevard County Commissioner Rob Feltner, and Apopka Commissioner Nick Nesta, as well as partners from:

• Orlando Health
• MetroPlan Orlando
• River to Sea TPO
• Ocala Marion TPO
• Space Coast TPO
• Orange County Government
• Town of Oakland
• City of Holly Hill
• City of Kissimmee
• City of Winter Park
• City of Daytona Beach Shores
• City of Indian Harbour Beach
• Bike/Walk Central Florida Board of Directors

Additional pictures are available to view on our Operation Best Foot Forward Flickr album. To see the full enforcement schedule with an interactive map of the crosswalk locations, visit https://www.iyield4peds.org/operationbff/