In the wake of the latest Smart Growth America Dangerous by Design 2019 report — again ranking Central Florida as one of the most dangerous places for people to walk — regional officials, advocates and organizations continue to work together for pedestrian safety.
Media in Central Florida has also stepped up to bring attention to this problem, helping to explain how the report ranks each metro area, talking directly with residents affected by our dangerous roads every day and helping to explain what is being done to end this epidemic.
Central Florida News 13’s Ryan Harper helps to explain the Pedestrian Danger Index (PDI), which is how the study ranks metro communities. PDI measures how deadly it is for people to walk, based on the number of people struck and killed by drivers while walking, controlling for the number of people that live in that state or metro area and the share of people who walk to work.
Watch the full segment to see how Ryan Harper puts into perspective how we ranked among other dangerous places for walkers in Florida.
WFTV Channel 9 took to the streets to interview people out and about trying to cross Central Florida’s roads safely, noting that whether you are in a crosswalk or not, you’re still in danger. The segment goes on to explain that it’s not just Central Florida, it’s all of Florida – in fact, nine metro areas in Florida are listed in the top 15 worst communities for people walking.
City of Orlando’s Transportation Director, Billy Hattaway, cites two major issues as contributors to this problem: roads designed for high speeds and distracted driving. A combination of Vision Zero, which aims to eliminate all pedestrian fatalities through education and enforcement, and funding from Orlando Stops, a red-light camera program, are two ways that the City of Orlando is working to solve this problem. See the full segment below.
