Tommy Duque, a 20-year-old industrial and systems engineering senior at the University of Florida, was biking across University Avenue one evening headed to campus. Just as he approached a crosswalk, a car sped through the red light.
“I would have gotten hit if I was like three seconds earlier crossing the road,” he said.
These close calls aren’t uncommon for bikers and pedestrians who commute across Gainesville. Area residents were invited to a community workshop at The Historic Thomas Center to share input on making Gainesville’s roads safer and more accessible.
The open-house-style workshop aimed to present two significant master-planning efforts and open them up to critique. One is the first countywide Safe Streets and Roads for All action plan — developed in coordination with the city of Gainesville and UF. The other is the Bicycle and Pedestrian master plan, which hasn’t been updated in over 20 years.
This was the second community workshop seeking public input for the plan. The first open house was held in November 2024.
Transportation Planning Manager for Alachua County Alison Moss manages these safety efforts.
“We’re looking at systemic safety,” she said. “Safety issues that occur all throughout the county, not just at particular locations.”
The current infrastructure plan was revisited following a rise in fatal crashes during the pandemic and the availability of federal grant funding. Moss said local agencies typically would have to pay out-of-pocket for initiatives like this.
The workshop included drafts of possible bike routes and highlighted underserved areas where they could be implemented. The drafts were developed in collaboration with consultants and based on estimated infrastructure needs.
Visitors were prompted to mark the areas on city maps they believe are most dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists. Additionally, notepads were spread throughout the facility for participants to write any comments.
Many attendees at the workshop agreed that University Avenue is a frequent site of crashes and other traffic incidents.
Sarah Gamble, a 44-year-old architect and assistant professor at UF’s school of architecture, bikes to and from campus everyday, crossing a section of University Avenue that doesn’t have any crosswalks.
“I’m constantly thinking about my safety,” she said. “I have two young children and we don’t take walks on University Avenue because we’ve seen so many cars jump the sidewalk, hit fences, go into people’s yards.”
To address these concerns, the plan outlines the high injury network, which is a set of roadways and intersections where the highest concentration of fatal and severe injury crashes occur.
It helps prioritize and allocate the limited resources the city has available.
Software developer and bike commuter Jesse Strode said that, of all his concerns about pedestrian and bike safety, the most dangerous situations involve cars turning right on red.
“There are no good quality intersections for the most part,” he said.
With insight from Gainesville locals, the county will take the responses into account when creating the action plans.
The workshop displayed a projected timeline for both plans. The Safe Streets and Roads for All master plan is set to be created in September, while the Bicycle Pedestrian master plan is set to be adopted by the county in January.
For more information about the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, visit: https://growth-management.alachuacounty.us/Planning/BikePedMasterPlan
For more information on the Alachua County Safe Streets and Roads for All action plan, visit: https://alachuasafestreets.com/