SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. (SNN) — The city of Sarasota ranks in the top 25 cities in Florida for traffic crashes resulting in serious and fatal injuries to pedestrians and bicyclists.
The Sarasota Police Department implemented a High Visibility Enforcement program on Wednesday to improve safety.
The program is offered by the Florida Department of Transportation and the University of North Florida. It will go on until May 2024 throughout Sarasota, focusing on several key roads that have been selected based on crash data.
“Based on those crash data, based on time of day, all that kind of information goes in. UNF then tells us, ‘these are your high crash locations, these are the days, these are the times.’ And then we go out and work those areas,” said SPD Traffic Homicide Investigator Jason Frank.
The roads were selected based on crash data involving pedestrians, bicyclists, and cars.
Some of those roads include:
- North Washington Boulevard (US 301) from 12th Street to 24th Street
- South Tamiami Trail (US 41) from Webber Street to Hibiscus Street
- South Tamiami Trail (US 41) from Arlington Street to Bahia Vista Street
- North Tamiami Trail (US 41) from May Lane to Gary Drive
- Fruitville Road from Tarpon Avenue to Midwest Parkway
“The speed limit is faster than it is on side streets, local roads, connector roads. Those are 40 and 45 mph on those thoroughfares in and out of the city. Obviously with a higher speed you’re going to see more dangerous crashes. Wider roads, more lanes, bicyclists, pedestrians thinking that they can make it all the way across when they can’t. Improper crossing at crosswalks, things like that,” said Frank.
The goal of the program is to increase awareness of and compliance with traffic laws that protect the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists.
“You need to be cognizant of your surroundings. As a pedestrian, put the phone down. When it comes to drivers, the same thing, put the phone down. Bicyclists riding with traffic, having lights, light colored clothing. If you really think about it, it’s the common sense things that people forget about when it comes to safety,” said Frank.
Violations may result in warnings or citations.
Although this campaign ends in May, SPD wants the community to know that this isn’t the only time they do this.
“We just do it during that time period associated with this contract. A lot of people have questioned ‘why do you only do it during this time?’ We don’t, we do it year round,” said Frank. “And I want to stress that we’re out there everyday. You may see us, you may not, but we’re doing the best we can to educate everyone on the roadways to make them safer.”
All interactions with residents and visitors in the city of Sarasota will be documented and the results will be sent to the Florida Department of Transportation for evaluation at the end of the safety campaign.