ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Students at the University of Central Florida say something needs to be done about the harrowing time they have every day trying to cross parts of Alafaya Trail going to and from class.
A proposal for a pedestrian bridge over the busy road, though, was shot down by Orange County commissioners, who said it wasn’t cost effective.
The Orange County Commission conducted a safety survey on a 4.6 mile stretch of Alafaya Trail to come up with other safety improvements for pedestrians.
The county's Planning and Zoning Commission voted Thursday to continue the hearing next month.
County Planner Brian Sanders said plan calls for widened sidewalks, increased landscaping in medians and mid-block crosswalks for pedestrians and bicyclists.
The county said there were more than 250 crashes involving pedestrians or bicyclists near the university from 2006 to 2014. People died in 11 of those crashes.
Student input wasn't sought in the surveys, but officials and area residents contributed feedback.
Something needs to be done because getting across the road can be a dangerous endeavor, UCF student Michael Wilkerson said.
“It can be a little hectic sometimes,” he said. “A lot of people don’t stop fully to make their right-hand turn, so you’re going to get clipped coming from UCF or going to UCF.”
He liked the idea of a pedestrian bridge because it would have changed all that, he said.
“That would be amazing if they put that up here,” Wilkerson said. “It would help with traffic, it would help with people walking across the street.”
The proposed changes are estimated to cost $4 million and take three years to construct.
The commission will vote on the proposal Aug. 18.