- April 26, 2024
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Pedestrians and drivers could see some changes to their daily commute in the near future. During Monday's city commission meeting, commissioners approved grant applications to construct and install the following:
Before approval, Zone 1 Commissioner Dwight Selby brought up his concern that the midblock crosswalks might not be as effective as the crosswalks built in with traffic lights.
"People tend to want to cross the street at corners," he said.
City Engineer John Noble said that A1A has a problem with pedestrians crossing parts of the road without crosswalks because there are a few off-beach parking areas without traffic control signals to help people cross.
Specifically, Rockefeller Beach Park was brought up as an example. Zone 3 Commissioner Rick Boehm said the park is county property, and they should be the ones installing the crosswalks.
"It's a county project," he said. "Ormond Beach shouldn't be doing this."
"It's silly that someone builds a parking lot on A1A and doesn’t facilitate a safe way for people to cross it," Selby said. "I think it would be better and safer to put it at a corner then in the center of the road."
City Manager Joyce Shanahan said she and other officials recently met with Heather Post from the Volusia County Council and talked about installing a bridge so it would be safer for residents to get from one corner to the other.
When it comes to the rectangular rapid flashing beacon, or RRFB, Selby said he wishes the new midblock crossings would come with them because he thinks drivers are more like to slow down.
"I think these things are dangerous without the flashing beacon," he said. "I don't think drivers are looking for pedestrians, and I think pedestrians have a false sense of safety."
Noble said that the Florida Department of Transportation has been giving the city resistance when it comes to installing RRFBs.
"We've been knocking on their door long enough they’re tired of hearing form us," he said.
