DELAND, Fla. – A new Central Florida Safety Strategic Plan is unifying dozens of local governments, transportation organizations, law enforcement agencies, advocacy groups, schools, and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) in their efforts to improve safety on local roadways.
The plan details opportunities to develop safer streets and change behaviors, and a steering committee and focus groups are already hard at work on the priorities, known as “action steps.”
“Target Zero is Florida’s statewide goal to eliminate fatalities and serious injuries on our roadways,” said FDOT District Five Safety Administrator Loreen Bobo, P.E. “The Department and its partners have had a focus on safety for years, but the new Central Florida Safety Strategic Plan allows us to share strategies and best practices more broadly. By aligning our efforts and complementing each other’s work, we’re more likely to make progress on our common goal of getting to zero.”
There are early signs the combined efforts are starting to pay off. In 2024, there were 631 traffic fatalities in the nine Central Florida counties that make up FDOT’s District Five – down 15% from the 745 traffic fatalities in 2023. The drop was the first double-digit decrease in at least 10 years.
“While we don’t know exactly why the number of traffic fatalities dropped last year, we do know there is a major emphasis on prioritizing safety in our infrastructure projects, and we’re working harder than ever – through intensive educational outreach – to encourage people to drive, walk, and bicycle as safely as possible,” Bobo said.
The partners in the unified safety effort agree there is still much to be done to improve traffic safety. The Central Florida Safety Steering Committee is made up of representatives from counties and cities and each of the five Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) and Transportation Planning Organizations (TPO) in FDOT District Five. The steering committee meets quarterly to guide the plan’s action steps. Other participants serve on focus groups working on the nine initial priorities.
“District Five, under Secretary John Tyler’s leadership, is providing a platform for collaboration, exchange of information, and to get some goals down to try and reduce these traffic accidents,” said Marion County Commissioner Craig Curry, a member of the steering committee.
Progress and resources are shared through the FDOT District Five Office of Safety website at fdot.gov/D5Safety. One of the focus groups is developing a “Getting to Zero” checklist for transportation planners and engineers at all levels of government to use when designing roadway improvements with safety features.
A recent summit for Community Traffic Safety Teams (CTST) is an example of one accomplishment this spring. Each county has a CTST made up of law enforcement officers, local government transportation engineers, school officials, FDOT safety experts, and other groups working on safety initiatives. At the CTST Summit, each team presented a case study so the teams could share ideas and learn from each other.
“I think it is a great opportunity to share best practices and ideas with other communities, and to also say what is working best for us and how we can move the area forward,” said Cape Canaveral City Councilman Don Willis, a steering committee member.
FDOT and partners will gather for the 2nd Annual Central Florida Safety Summit on Friday, May 9, in Daytona Beach to recap the start of the Safety Strategic Plan this past year and to set the stage for the work in the coming year. They plan to meet annually to keep the momentum going.
“If we are moving in the same direction and are unified in our efforts, I think it’s just a lot more powerful,” said Space Coast TPO Executive Director Georganna Gillette, a member of the steering committee. “And I think that we really have a strong shot at getting closer to zero fatalities and serious injuries.”
