ORLANDO, Fla. – On Tuesday, during an Orange County Commission meeting they will take a vote on if they will approve a major change for some drivers that say it could make the road safer.
The conversation centers around Taft Vineland Road from Central Florida Parkway to South Orange Avenue. As of right now, the speed limit is at 45 or 40 mph on the road, but the commission will decide if they want to decrease the speed limit to 35 mph.
According to officials, the route’s crash data indicates 806 crashes from January 2020 through December 2024; 28% caused injuries and four fatalities. The reason for discussion in the first place is because concerned citizens requested the change after they said it presented a safety risk.
Ana Chavez says she drives on Taft Vineland almost every day, and it’s always something she thinks twice about.
“I really hate it. It’s the one that takes me to work, it’s the one that takes me home, and I try to avoid it. Sometimes, I go around maybe 2 or 3 miles to avoid this street,” she said.
Chavez says she hopes for the speed limit change, “It will be great because people really don’t respect the speed limit.”
But not every driver agrees with the possible change. Enreque Reyes says he also takes the route for work and likes the speed limit how it is.
“For me, it’s good. This is the only road I take, and it’s better than the other ones,” he said.
Reyes says if they drop the speed limit, he believes it will cause more problems, “that will create more traffic. “
Chavez goes on to say how she thinks the change could be a solution for the better.
“When they recently put the middle road divider and a sign so people don’t turn left where it was prohibited, they stopped doing it, so I think the changes will help,” she said.
The county commission meeting is held Tuesday at 9 a.m.