FDOT: Notoriously dangerous stretch of OBT marks safety milestone

ORLANDO, Fla. — What transportation officials once considered the most dangerous stretch of roadway for pedestrians in Central Florida has marked a notable safety milestone.

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It has not seen a single pedestrian death in a year.

We’re talking about the stretch of Orange Blossom Trail between Holden Avenue and 34th Street in Orlando.

Channel 9 spoke with the Florida Department of Transportation about the new infrastructure there that is proving successful.

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“Since we have completed construction, we have had zero pedestrian fatalities, and that is exactly what we were going for,” FDOT’s Loreen Bobo said.

Bobo said the reverse course seen in the recent data is incredible.

It showed 15 pedestrian crashes in 2015 and 19 in 2016. FDOT officials said based on the alarming date, they knew they needed to take action.

“This was our stretch of road that had the most pedestrian fatalities and serious injuries in our entire district, in our nine counties,” Bobo said.

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So for years, FDOT researched and designed. And in October 2023, the agency finally completed construction on safety improvements.

Those improvements included newly-installed pedestrian hybrid beacons, raised crosswalks and median fencing making.

Bobo said FDOT also relocated some of the bus transit stops so they are closer to the crosswalks.

To date in 2024, there have not been any pedestrian fatalities on the notorious stretch of OBT.

FDOT told Channel 9 it will duplicate these improvement efforts in some areas of Brevard, Volusia and Flagler counties.

You can watch Alexa Lorenzo’s full report above.

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