Walking and biking in Orlando is deadlier than in any other major city in Florida — and the nation.
But the city’s new transportation director, Billy Hattaway, is a reformer. And he’s trying to change the wide, high-speed roads that put people at risk.
Recently, the City of Orlando kicked off a 4-week test of a particularly dangerous stretch of Curry Ford Road. I’m a biker and have lived in downtown Orlando for over 20 years…I have avoided biking on Curry Ford at all cost. The test involves cutting Curry Ford from 4 lanes down to two (plus a middle turn lane) and adding bike lanes on both sides of the street.
The test has caused quite an active debate in the nearby Nextdoor.com discussion boards…with some going as far as to claim that the city (or someone) is getting rich from adding bike lanes (not sure I follow the logic there) and online petitions to remove the bike lanes. Some excerpts from of the Nextdoor posts:
On Saturday April 14th, the city is hosting the first Curry Ford Community Bike & Pedestrian Safety Fair:
Curry Ford Road is undergoing a temporary transformation to make the corridor safer and more accommodating for all modes of travel. This includes a reduction in travel lanes and the addition of bicycle lanes and mid-block pedestrian crossings. This community event will focus on bicycle and pedestrian safety by providing demonstrations, interactive drills, helmet fittings, and giveaways. Walk or ride your bike to the free event.
