Orlando Standard

Orange County, Florida Government issued the following announcement on August 20.

Saving Lives: Transportation Planning Division and Public Works Department Awarded for Best Practices in Orange County Code Amendments

Making Florida’s communities livable requires careful planning and execution for pedestrian safety and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This can be challenging, especially for Florida cities, which are ranked highest in the nation for pedestrian injuries and fatalities. To address this, Orange County’s Transportation Planning Division and Public Works Department successfully developed and implemented comprehensive Orange County Code/Land Development Code amendments to enhance pedestrian safety and meet ADA needs in site development, streets and sidewalks in the County.

As a result, Orange County has been selected for an American Planning Association Florida Chapter (APA Florida) Award of Merit in the Best Practices category. The County will receive this recognition at the 2021 Florida Planning Conference in Miami at the Awards Ceremony, which will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 1 at 8:30 p.m.

“We’re very honored to be recognized by the APA,” said Diana M. Almodovar, P.E., Deputy Director of Public Works Department. “This project required a lot of work by several County staff members who were committed to making a difference. We put together the ordinance for the benefit of this community.”

The project integrated policies and recommendations from the County’s Comprehensive Plan, Sustainability Plan, Walk-Ride-Thrive! pedestrian safety program, and federally-required ADA Self-Evaluation/Transition Plan for public rights-of-way. It amends six chapters of the Code/Land Development Code. The ordinance made extensive changes to the Code’s standards for site development and the transportation network countywide, including for special planning areas/overlay districts, to contribute to a safer, more connected, and more accessible built environment and transportation network.

Over a multi-year period, Transportation Planning staff led an interdisciplinary team from Development Engineering, Planning, Zoning, Traffic Engineering, and Building Safety Divisions, with additional reviews from the County Attorney’s Office and the Environmental Protection and Roads and Drainage Divisions. The team researched standards, drafted the ordinance and conducted all public outreach, leading to the Orange County Board of County Commissioners’ adoption on Oct. 13, 2020.

“Our focus was on addressing parts of the code that can improve pedestrian safety directly, but also going above and beyond to integrate state and federal best-practice standards that help achieve that goal, even though they aren’t required at the moment,” explained Alissa Barber Torres, Chief Planner, Orange County Transportation Planning Division, Planning, Environmental & Development Services Department. “We drew together safety, transportation and development experts from many divisions within the County, and this collaboration enabled us to holistically improve safety and accessibility.”

As soon as the ordinance was adopted, the County immediately proceeded to implement it by applying standards to all new development. Staff provided internal and developer trainings to integrate standards into projects and reviews with minimal disruption and delay.

“This was a comprehensive and inclusive five-year process, including development, reviews and revisions, training, and meeting with several advisory boards and professional associations,” said Torres. “Because these changes were implemented immediately, we’ve already seen a meaningful and immediate impact, which is very gratifying.”

For more information on the code amendments and the APA award, contact Alissa Barber Torres at Alissa.torres@ocfl.net.

Photo Caption: With adoption of pedestrian safety/ADA-related Code amendments, Orange County’s multifamily development now has wider sidewalks, required pedestrian access points in screen walls, as well as more connected streets and sidewalks, bicycle parking, and ADA curb ramps.

Original source can be found here.