CASSELBERRY, Fla. – The city of Casselberry is working on a plan to improve pedestrian safety along State Road 436.
During a meeting on Monday, commissioners discussed the S.R. 436 Improvements Strategy and how the city plans to move forward with completing the proposed changes
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Public Works Director Dr. Kelly Brock presented the options for the multi-million dollar project, which is part of Casselberry’s Vision Zero Plan.
“The idea of Vision Zero is to achieve zero deaths and serious injuries on all of our roadways by 2040,” Brock said.
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Following the meeting, the city’s Public Works Department was directed to begin work on a federal grant application that could save taxpayers millions.
If approved, the project would bring significant changes aimed at protecting both drivers and pedestrians.
S.R. 436 was chosen as the focal point of safety improvements because of the number of serious crashes involving pedestrians.
“We looked at five years of data. There were 11 fatalities, 12 serious injuries, and hundreds of crashes with injuries,” Brock said. “It’s too fast. That’s part of it. The other problem is you’re trying to mix uses.”
In addition, city data shows that over the past five years, the corridor has seen over 500 crashes.
Among the options for improvements are additional crosswalks, wider sidewalks, and narrower vehicle lanes.
“Twelve-foot lanes are really built for speed. If we’re trying to slow people down, we’re proposing 11-foot lanes, which is still within standard, but should help slow people down a little bit,” Brock said.
The city has allocated $5.2 million in local funds for the project and has to decide if it will pursue a federal grant for additional funding.
“This grant leverages our local dollars four-to-one; if we have four million dollars to put in, we could potentially get a $20 million project out of that,” Brock said.
The planned improvements include new crosswalks at Lake Howell Road and Winter Woods Boulevard, in addition to upgrades near Howell Branch Road.
The time frame for completion of the project would depend on which funding path the commissioners decide.