LATEST UPDATE: OCT 2O23
SR426 IMPROVEMENTS - Preferred Alternative Presentation by FDOT
October 4, Wednesday, between 5:30 to 7:00PM, FDOT presented the preferred alternative safety improvement for SR426. This was at the Winter Park Events Center, 1050 W. Morse Blvd. Winter Park, FL 32789.
Scroll down for FDOT’s safety improvements.
FDOT’S PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE DESIGN
Summary (as of May 2023)
Fix426 team has been in constant communication with the Winter Park Police Department, local City officials and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) requesting support/assistance since this initiative started in 2022. From these efforts, we've been able to get data, direction, and attention to address the safety issues of SR426.
FDOT set a budget to fund the study for speed management and safety in the corridor. They have created a COALITION to evaluate transportation solutions. The coalition is composed of government and community partners (Advent Health, Rollins College, Park Avenue District, Windsong HOA, Lake Virginia Condo, Polasek Museum, All Saints Episcopal Church, WP High School, Women’s Club of WP, and Fix426). The COALITION was created to evaluate a variety of factors including safety, pedestrian and bicyclist mobility, speed management, and traffic operations. The overall goal of this effort is to improve the corridor for all users.
Since that COALITION meeting in November 2022, FDOT team worked on the analyses of the corridor incorporating inputs from the community into the development of potential improvements. They also held a meeting last June 1st, 2023 to share the draft improvements with the Coalition and obtain initial feedback.
Fix426 electronic petition is still going on and has generated significant support from Winter Park residents and those of other neighboring cities. There’s also a Winter Park Crisis Campaign Facebook page with over 170 active members who share their thoughts, ideas, stories, sentiments and warnings about accidents on the SR426.
For the past 12 months, our cause has been covered on television by FoxNews and myNews13 (Spectrum) multiple times, and various online publications such as the32789.com, Bungalower, fox51, fox35, newsbreak featured the SR426 safety issue story as well.
To get more information about FDOT’s Project Visioning Team, please scroll below. (Within the Project Visioning Team is a coalition. FDOT created a coalition to evaluate transportation solutions for the segment of SR426 from west of S. Park Avenue to east of N. Lakemont Avenue, a distance of approximately 1.7 miles. The coalition is evaluating a variety of factors including safety, pedestrian and bicyclist mobility, speed management, and traffic operations. The goal of this effort is to improve the corridor for all users)
Year 2022…
Q2-Q3 2022, Fix426 team created this website and began its quest to ask support from the community, WPPD, City Officials, and FDOT to address SR426 SAFETY issues.
Q4 2022, FDOT created a Project Visioning Team to help guide road improvement recommendations.
Below are slides showing topics discussed as of Nov 2022.
What has been done in the past?
Prior to 2022 and the formation of Fix426:
A speed study was completed in December 2020 which resulted in speed sign on eastbound Brewer Avenue.
To provide some traffic control, overhead flashing warning signs was also installed on the approaches to Brewer Avenue in both directions.
To warn drivers of an approaching bend and assist drivers in safe and curve maneuver, chevron signs were also installed.
How this all began…
Last February 2022, city officials invited residents to a meeting to discuss SR426 issues. Safety issues and concerns were brought up and as a result, residents now has the support of the mayor (and hopefully all of the city commissioners) to bring attention and urgent action to this subject.
Since that meeting, a handful of the residents have been meeting independently to coordinate and plan for an effective group effort to address safety issues brought on by the SR426 traffic. This is also how the Fix426 Winter Park Crisis Campaign got started.
This group is working closely with City officials to get Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to expedite efforts in addressing our safety concerns.
Police officers have also been directed to the area to conduct more enforcement and help curb the speed and traffic violations. Speed boxes were also deployed Eastbound and Westbound Aloma measuring traffic and speed.
We need to come together and ask FDOT for more.
“The greatness of a community is
most accurately measured by
the compassionate actions of its members"
- Coretta Scott King