ORLANDO, Fla. – A busy Orlando street is drawing concerns from residents and business owners who say crossing it can be deadly.
At the intersection of North Mills Avenue and Canton Street, there is no designated crosswalk, leaving pedestrians to navigate heavy, non-stop traffic on their own.
Tuesday night, the city of Orlando is hosting an open house to share proposed safety improvements aimed at changing that.
Delivery driver Angel Torres knows the dangers firsthand. Torres tells News 6 he has been involved in two accidents on the street and, three weeks ago, was struck by a passing vehicle, sustaining spinal damage. He now wears a body camera while working.
“In 2021, May 5, I got hit by a car on North Mills Avenue. So. But I didn’t have [any proof] to report,” Torres said.
The fear of crossing without protection is all too real for Torres.
“Any devices to make pedestrians and cyclists safe, I will go 100% because I come from two accidents on this street,” he said.
The proposed improvements would add a crosswalk at Canton Street, install flashing beacons to increase driver awareness and create a pedestrian refuge island in the center of the road, allowing people to cross safely in two stages. For Torres, those beacons cannot come soon enough.
“The flashing beacons will be a lifesaver, like really lifesaving,” he said.
Will’s Pub owner William Walker has been advocating for a crosswalk in the area for decades.
“Well, I’ve been asking the city for quite a few things over time. But this is a state road, so everything moves really slow. They have to run everything by the state,” Walker said.
Walker has watched the dangerous situation play out for years and says the lack of a safe crossing puts lives at risk.
“A lot of people are just kind of playing Frogger across. And because the middle lane is open like that, somebody’s going to get splattered,” he said.
The open house is being held tonight by the city of Orlando to give residents a chance to learn more about the proposed enhancements and share feedback.
The meeting is expected to start run from 6 p.m to 7:30 p.m. at the Colonialtown Neighborhood Center on 1517 Highland Dr., #2605 in Orlando.