OVIEDO, Fla. – The city of Oviedo is looking to get results with a new pilot program aimed to help pedestrians when crossing busy roads.
The program, which was suggested by Mayor Megan Sladek, will provide flags for pedestrians to use at crossings without signals.
“A lot of times our streets are so wide, it takes sometime to get across and we don’t have signalized crosswalks everywhere,” Sladek said.
The flags are located at the existing crosswalks at Division Street at the Oviedo branch of the Seminole County Public Library. According to a news release, city engineers researched programs in other areas and say the concept has helped improve safety, especially in coastal areas along A1A.
Rebecca Lomonaco and her three kids got to test it out after spending time at the park Friday.
“It’s fun and it’s bright and the cars can see us, so people don’t always see small people. We stayed at the beach before and there’s been flags up and down like A1A so it’s great that we are bringing things that are working to our side,” Lomonaco said.
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Sladek said the city workers will conduct a study over the next few months to see how well the pilot program works and said the goal is to eventually place more flags throughout the city and school zones.
“It takes time to get across and when people sling pass, it’s a little bit scary especially for kids,” Sladek said.
In 2018, a similar program was placed in St. Augustine Beach after concerned residents pushed to get orange flags for pedestrians to carry while crossing the road at a busy intersection.
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