The death of another pedestrian trying to cross State Road A1A March 24 has intensified debate on state Department of Transportation plans for crosswalks and flashing beacons – some mid-block – going in along the dangerous roadway.
Stephanie Delli was killed on A1A in front of Lou’s Blues when she crossed in an area without a crosswalk in front of a vehicle driven by Eric Petersen, 48, of Indian Harbour Beach, who was heading south on A1A. The investigation is ongoing.
The project for 18 crossings in 6.2 miles from U.S. 192 to Pineda Causeway in some cases involves the use of pedestrian-activated Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons to notify motorists of a pedestrian in the crosswalk.
The project – now being targeted by some on social media as more dangerous – was based on several studies done by the FDOT regional traffic safety team, which included gathering data, observing trends and conditions, said Steve Olson, FDOT District Five Regional Communications manager.
“Yes, there has been some opposition expressed recently, but the project has been supported by the TPO (Transportation Planning Organization),’’ he said.
Vocal project opponent Brevard Clerk of Courts Scott Ellis says the current plan may need to be scrapped entirely. The crosswalks will never be effective due to driving habits, driver distractions, pedestrian distractions and visibility issues, he said.
“If the crosswalks and flashing lights were removed, I would leave the medians in place and go back to the normal method of crossing streets, where pedestrians yield the right-of-way to vehicles. The medians do allow pedestrians to cross a four-lane highway two lanes at a time. Obviously, slower will help, but the design itself is seriously flawed and cannot be fixed by playing with speeds. The crosswalk design is one large incurable defect,’’ Ellis said.
FDOT will do another study at the project locations to compare pedestrian traffic and safety before and after the installation of the crosswalks and a speed study to see if the introduction of the crosswalks affected speeds traveled through the corridor, he said.
“Typically what happens is that improvements such as these become a part of the overall experience, creating a different roadway context on this beachside corridor,’’ he said.