Bike/Walk Central Florida's Operation Best Foot Forward for Pedestrian Safety Program's vision is that if the rate of drivers that stop for pedestrians in crosswalks increases, then more pedestrians will cross in crosswalks. The program uses a four "E" approach to encourage drivers to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks: Evaluation, Enforcement, Education, and Engineering. In 2024, in Volusia County, enforcement has helped increase driver yield rates 23% at the crosswalk at Ocean Shore Boulevard and Tom Renick Park in Ormond Beach. Enforcement and engineering interventions have increased the driver yield rate at the crosswalk at W. Highbanks Road and the Spring-to-Spring Trail in DeBary by 22%.

The Volusia-Flagler TPO is funding the program's expansion into Flagler County over the next year. A stakeholder coalition representing the jurisdictions of Flagler County was recently formed and included members of law enforcement, city/county technical staff and planners, and TPO committee, board and staff. A workshop was held in January to discuss the crosswalks that will be chosen as the locations for enforcement operations, the first of which is expected to take place between February 11-21, 2025. Below are the eight crosswalks chosen (with aerial links to Google Maps):

Flagler County 

• Bird of Paradise Dr & Matanzas Woods Pkwy 
• Belle Terre Pkwy & SR 100 (north crosswalk) 

Palm Coast 

• Town Center Blvd & Royal Palms Pkwy
• Bulldog Dr & SR 100 (north crosswalk) 

Flagler Beach 

• N. Ocean Shore Blvd at Gamble Rogers State Park 
• Ocean Shore Blvd & S 3rd St 

Bunnell 

• SR 100 & S. Chapel St 
• Main St & W Moody Blvd 

Pedestrian hybrid beacons (PHB) are traffic control device designed to help pedestrians safely cross higher-speed roadways at midblock crossings and uncontrolled intersections. The beacon head consists of two red lenses above a single yellow lens. The lenses remain dark until a pedestrian who wants to cross the street pushes the call button to activate the beacon, which then initiates a yellow to red lighting sequence consisting of flashing and steady lights that directs motorists to slow and come to a stop and provides the right-of-way to the pedestrian to safely cross the roadway before going dark again.

Nearly 74% of pedestrian fatalities occur at non-intersection locations, and vehicle speeds are often a major contributing factor⁽¹⁾. As a safety strategy to address this pedestrian crash risk, the PHB is an intermediate option between a flashing beacon and a full pedestrian signal because it assigns right-of-way and provides positive stop control. It also allows motorists to proceed once the pedestrian has cleared their side of the travel lane(s), reducing vehicle delay.

PHBs are used where it is difficult for pedestrians to cross a roadway, such as when gaps in traffic are not sufficient, or speed limits exceed 35 miles per hour. They are very effective when installed at locations where three or more lanes will be crossed, or traffic volumes are above 9,000 annual average daily traffic. Installation of a PHB must also include a marked crosswalk and pedestrian countdown signal. If PHBs are not already familiar to a community, agencies should conduct appropriate education and outreach as part of their implementation⁽²⁾.

⁽¹⁾ National Center for Statistics and Analysis. (March 2020); Pedestrians: 2018 data (Traffic Safety Facts, NHTSA)

⁽²⁾ U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration FHWA-SA-21-045

Smart Driving College Challenge Launches

The Smart Driving College Challenge was created from a project that Pamela Blankenship, VFTPO Community Outreach Coordinator, and Stephanie Phillips, FDOT Bicycle & Pedestrian Coordinator, developed during a Social Marketing in Transportation course they participated in (through the University of South Florida (USF) and the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR)). Social marketing is an approach to behavior change that uses traditional marketing tools to promote sustainable and positive social change. It seeks to develop and integrate marketing concepts with other approaches to influence behaviors that benefit individuals and communities for the greater social good.

Smart Driving College Challenge and Safe Roads App: From their Social Marketing project, the Smart Driving College Challenge was created to decrease cell phone use and distracted driving while promoting safe driving habits among college students. Funded by FDOT, students and faculty from four Volusia County colleges/universities (Daytona State College, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Bethune Cookman University, and Stetson University) are encouraged to download the "Safe Roads Challenge" app, register, and enter the code they are provided that is specific to their school. The app then automatically (in the background) evaluates and scores each of their driving trips by analyzing ten key driving skills including phone use, acceleration, braking, and speeding. The scores consider external factors like weather, traffic, and road conditions. By providing scores for each trip, students can become more aware of their driving habits and are encouraged to improve the areas that score lower.

Prizes awarded: For this Challenge, a sign-up bonus is awarded to the first 300 participants in each school who download the app. Prizes (gift cards) are then awarded weekly and at the midway point during the Challenge and include $25 and $75 gift cards. A grand prize of $250 in gift cards is awarded to one randomly chosen high-scoring student from each school. The school that has the highest overall driving score is crowned the winner and the "Safest School in Volusia County" earning their school $1,500!

Partnerships: The Smart Roads College Challenge runs from January 27 through March 9, 2025, and is one way the Volusia-Flagler TPO and FDOT are working together to drive down fatalities and serious injuries on our roadways. FDOT Bicycle & Pedestrian Coordinator Stephanie Phillips noted that "the Smart Driving College Challenge is a positive, fun way to encourage safer driving behavior. We are so pleased to co-host with the Volusia-Flager TPO and have the opportunity to partner with all four universities in Volusia County. Our community is leading the way to #TargetZero in Central Florida."

Interested in the Safe Roads app? You don't have to be a student to use the Safe Roads app; anyone with a cell phone can use it to track and score their driving trips; and gift cards are randomly awarded for scores above 80. Download it now by searching "Safe Roads Challenge" in the App Store or Google Play and sign up.

The Florida Bicycle Association is now accepting applications for the School Grants for Safer Students program that offers schools up to $500 each to teach free, online, 30-minute safety lessons. The interactive lessons teach safe practices to young drivers and children who ride bicycles, aiming to reduce traffic-related injuries and create safer roads across Florida.

The program pays elementary schools and high schools up to $2 per student who completes a lesson, up to $500 per school. 

“Many people, including parents, don’t know what to teach kids when talking about bicycle safety. We’re bringing that knowledge,” said Ed Barsotti, a volunteer who donates his time to manage the initiative. “It’s very rewarding to look at the before-and-after results to see how much kids learn.”

High schools use modules designed for young drivers and adult bicyclists, while elementary schools use modules geared toward 3rd through 5th graders. Middle schools may be included in future cycles of the program. The lessons are brief, engaging, and easy to incorporate into classroom activities, providing critical education in a convenient format.

Last year, the inaugural program reached 3,866 students at 16 schools, awarding a combined $6,522 in funding to schools that implemented the lessons. This year, more than $9,000 is available. The Florida Bicycle Association is calling on parents, teachers, and community members to urge schools to apply for the funding.

“By reaching young drivers and children who bicycle, we’re taking real steps toward reducing crashes and injuries, and building a culture of safety and respect on Florida’s roads,” said Kelly Morphy, Executive Director of the Florida Bicycle Association. "There is no denying the positive impact of this program in Florida so far.”

Funded in part by a grant from the Florida Department of Transportation, the program is modeled after a similar initiative that Barsotti launched in Illinois that has reached more than 250,000 students.

Applications are simple and funds are awarded on a rolling basis until expended. For more information or to apply, visit FloridaBicycle.org/SaferStudents or email ed@floridabicycle.org.

February Calendar

*Meeting held in the Conference Room at the Volusia-Flagler TPO office (1 Deuce Court, Suite 100, Daytona Beach)

**Meeting held in the Airline Room at the Daytona Beach International Airport (700 Catalina Drive, Daytona Beach)

February TPO Board and

Advisory Committee Activities

During February, the TPO Board and advisory committees will take action on a Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) amendment, the Volusia-Flagler 2050 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) Goals and Objectives, and Public Involvement Plan (PIP). The TPO Board will also take action on an amendment to the Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP). Presentations will be given on the Volusia-Flagler 2050 LRTP, the annual update to the Flagler County Transit Development Plan (TDP), and the 2055 Florida Transportation Plan (FTP) Update.



Information on TPO Board and Advisory Committee agendas is available at TPO Agendas and information on the TPO's community outreach/activities can be viewed at Outreach & Activities.

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