Engineering Concerns

One of the most essential functions of our Traffic Safety Team is identifying problems on our local roadways. You and your colleagues are the experienced “eyes” we need on our local roads. Accordingly, we ask all FDOT District Two Traffic Safety Team members for help reporting traffic safety and engineering concerns.

Engineering Concerns Presentation Video with Examples

As a Traffic Safety Team member, we value your insight and knowledge of your community’s traffic safety issues. For example, some of the safety issues identified include: signs, pavement markings, signals and areas that may benefit from increased enforcement.

Submitting an Engineering Roadway Safety Concern

You and anyone within your organization may submit a traffic safety engineering concern through our Roadway Concerns online form. Please provide your name, email address, and phone number. This information will allow us to contact you to discuss the issue further or get more clarification and provide you with status updates and the final resolution.

Location of Concern

Enter as much information as you can about the location. Please indicate which county the issue is in so it can be forwarded to the appropriate team. If you know which agency owns the roadway, select the appropriate option. If unsure of the agency, simply select Other/Unknown, and we will update the information if needed. For Road Name, identify the primary road. If it is at an intersection, add the name of the intersection (or the closest intersecting road). For better clarification, describe the location using landmarks, direction (North, South, East, West), side of the road, and anything else that would help.

Concern Description

When inputting the concern description, tell us what E-Category:  Engineering, Education, Enforcement, or Emergency Services this concern is related to. Select the primary concern type. And in your own words, describe the roadway concern in as much detail as possible. If you have pictures, videos, or other relevant documents about the issue, please upload them. Sending images or videos is very helpful. Lastly, click the submit button to send your request.  

Submit a NE Florida Engineering Concern

Concern Submissions

After you submit your concern online, a notification is sent to the District 2 Community Traffic Safety Program. The concern is added to the database and assigned to the appropriate agency and E-category.

At the next CTST meeting, we introduce the issue to the team. We investigate the concern in a manner that may include a safety study, operations study, maintenance request, law enforcement deployment/activities, and/or educational initiatives. The issue will be discussed at each subsequent team meeting until the investigation is completed.

We will review the investigation results and the course of action, if any, at a meeting. We will also notify the requestor of the results of the findings and any actions that have or will be taken. If a request is not met or the ending result is not what the requestor was hoping for, please do not take it personally. Of course, we appreciate all of the engineering concerns submitted.

Remember… We Need Your Help

Together, we can solve roadway issues, reduce crashes, and help prevent serious injuries and fatalities. If you see a roadway safety issue in any of our 18 Northeast Florida Counties, please submit it online through the Roadway Concerns form.  Above all, we thank you for your continued commitment to safety!

Additional Resources and Information:

Additionally, you may read this 2018 presentation How to Submit Better Engineering Concerns. Bringing the 4E’s of safety together: Engineering, Education, Emergency Medical Services, and Enforcement.

Crash Data and 2022 Annual Report

This page includes the most recent FDOT District Two Community Traffic Safety Program (CTSP) Annual Report and Crash Data Reports. Listed below, we provide crash facts for each of the 18 Northeast Florida counties in District Two. We also have combined districtwide totals. This resource is for our local Traffic Safety Team members, partners, and agencies.

CTSP Annual Report

A summary of last year’s Northeast Florida Community Traffic Safety Program and combined crash facts from District Two. This resource may be used and shared among our Traffic Safety Team members, partners, and agencies. In addition to the crash facts for 12 Florida Strategic Highway Safety Plan emphasis areas, we highlight traffic safety efforts and community outreach in 2022 with overviews on topics addressed throughout the year. These reports are a fundamental evaluation tool as we work toward reducing injuries and deaths on our roadways. Together, we can make progress to achieve our target of ZERO.

2022 District Two Crash Data Summaries

The Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) includes roadway, user behavior, and road user emphasis areas. The crash data includes total crashes, fatalities, and injuries for each emphasis area. This year, we changed the format to incorporate demographics and key factors in the crashes. We broke out the crashes by age and gender of the at-fault driver. Also included on each fact sheet are brief takeaway points. Click here to review crash data reports by county and from previous years.

INTERSECTION Crash Data – 2022 Roadway Crash Fact Reports
OCCUPANT PROTECTION Crash Data – 2022 User Behavior Crash Fact Reports
IMPAIRED DRIVING Crash Data – 2022 User Behavior Crash Fact Reports
DISTRACTED DRIVING Crash Data – 2022 User Behavior Crash Fact Reports
AGGRESSIVE DRIVING Crash Data – 2022 User Behavior Crash Fact Reports
BICYCLIST Crash Data – 2022 Road User Crash Fact Reports
PEDESTRIAN Crash Data – 2022 Road User Crash Fact Reports
MOTORCYCLIST Crash Data – 2022 Road User Crash Fact Reports
AGING DRIVER Crash Data – 2022 Road User Crash Fact Reports
TEEN DRIVER Crash Data – 2022 Road User Crash Fact Reports
COMMERCIAL VEHICLE Crash Data – 2022 Road User Crash Fact Reports

Northeast Florida County Data Resources

We have county crash data available with previous years’ summary reports. Our team materials page has additional resources, information, newsletters, and Florida reports. These resources evaluate and establish traffic safety concerns and trends in Northeast Florida. Our Community Traffic Safety Teams work to make safety improvements with the goal of reducing crashes and saving lives.

Golf Cart and Low-Speed Vehicle Safety

Golf Cart and Low-Speed Vehicle Safety has been an ongoing and increasing concern in FDOT District Two. These lower-speed vehicles are seen throughout Northeast Florida golf cart neighborhoods and RV resorts. Children are particularly vulnerable and more often injured in golf cart accidents than adults. These injuries include life-altering head, neck, or spine trauma. Compounding the issue, golf carts lack the safety features and protection that regular cars have.

New Florida Law Restricts Teen Golf Cart Drivers

In recent news, the age to drive a golf cart will increase in Florida. Governor DeSantis signed the new bill tightening restrictions for teens driving golf carts on May 11, 2023. It goes into effect on October 1, 2023. Representative Cyndi Stevenson, who represents parts of St. Johns, filed the HB 949 legislation, which The Florida Sheriff’s Association supported.

“As we adopt new options for mobility, safety regulations will also have to evolve,” Stevenson previously told First Coast News. “We are seeing more people in the ER with serious avoidable injuries. This bill is a common-sense way to reduce pain, suffering, trips to the ER, and even loss of life.”

In the new law, a golf cart may not be operated on public roads or streets by a person under 18 years of age unless they possess a valid learner’s driver license or valid driver license. This means a 15-year-old with a learner’s permit may drive a golf cart. Anyone who is 18 or older unless they possess a valid form of government-issued photographic identification. This violation of the law would include a noncriminal traffic infraction, similar to moving violations.

Reference Materials for the Golf Cart and Low-Speed Vehicle (LSV) Safety Discussion

Safety Concerns and Studies:

LSV or Golf Cart Local Guidelines, County Ordinances, Florida Law, and National Education:

Rural RV Community Policies and Information Regarding Golf Cart Rules
IIHS/HLDI Low-Speed Vehicle Crash Tests
FLHSMV’s Guide to Owning LSVs
First Coast News: Should golf cart communities toughen their rules?

Golf Carts and LSVs in the News

Micromobility

Micromobility usage is on the rise nationally and in Florida. The FDOT District Two’s Community Traffic Safety Program examined what Micromobility currently looks like in Northeast Florida. In this presentation, we will discuss what micromobility is—and isn’t. We will look at the increased popularity of micromobility nationally and its use in Northeast Florida and consider some of the safety challenges associated with the increased use of micromobility devices while keeping in mind the goal of ZERO fatalities on our roadways.

Watch the Micromobility video presentation:

How micromobility is defined is important because the functional and legal definitions determine the rights and responsibilities of micromobility device users operating on public streets and, accordingly, how law enforcement, public safety educators, and transportation planners and engineers can work to help improve safety outcomes.

From an industry perspective, they must be:

  • fully or partially electrically powered.
  • lightweight, under 500 pounds.
  • relatively low-speed—under 30 miles per hour.
Micromobility Device Examples

Examples include powered bicycles, also known as “E-bikes,” standing scooters, seated scooters, self-balancing boards like “Segways” and some “Hoverboards,” non-self-balancing boards, powered skates, and a range of other similar devices.

We highlight Florida Statutes and how micromobility is defined in Florida law. We discuss local regulation and Florida’s “Home Rule” principle. As a result, local governments can prohibit use on trails and sidewalks and regulate “for-hire” devices up to and including prohibition.

Flip through the presentation slides:

In five years, from 2016 to 2019, the use of shared, for-hire devices has increased more than seven-fold. Use accelerates as fleets of scooters and e-bikes are deployed in more cities.

While electric devices differ from “Active Transportation” modes like walking and pedaling a bike, the safety and infrastructure focus are similar. Micromobility devices are treated the same as traditional bicycles from a legal perspective because they generally have similar speed, maneuverability, and weight. Accordingly, strategies to enhance bicyclist safety, as well as strategies to make streets safer for pedestrians, will generally benefit micromobility users as well.

Micromobility Infrastructure Needs
Micromobility Docks, Corrals, Dockless

The infrastructure options to make micromobilty safe and effective are similar to those for cycling —namely, lower-stress facilities. Accordingly, networks that include low-stress facilities such as protected bike lanes, shared-use paths, bike boulevards, and cycle tracks will be more appealing to and improve the safety outcomes of a broader group of conventional bicycle and micromobility users.

Shared micromobility services are not currently as common in Northeast Florida as in other parts of the state. To date, three communities have active contracts with micromobility providers.

Micromobility in Gainesville
Micromobility in Jacksonville
Micromobility in St Augustine

Safety challenges are similar to bicycles. However, an E-bike or powered scooter can attain relatively high speeds faster and with little effort. Lack of experience is another critical factor.

Safety strategies include applying bicycle and pedestrian countermeasures. These include pedestrian safe crossings, low-stress bike infrastructure, and encouraging the use of helmets and safety equipment.

Our Community Traffic Safety Team members play an essential role in developing and implementing strategies to address these safety challenges. This includes working with local governments to include best-practice provisions in micromobility vendor contracts concerning geofencing and management of the public right-of-way; planning, designing, and construction of low-stress bicycle infrastructure to provide for overall mobility advantages; and working with businesses, chambers of commerce, and local law enforcement to provide educational material to tourists and other potentially inexperienced micromobility users.

We hope you take this opportunity to learn about Micromobility. Additionally, check out bicycle and pedestrian safety resources and tips.

Micromobility news and resources:

“E-scooters, which were a novelty just a few years ago, are here to stay. Everyone deserves to feel safe on the road, and we must do more to prioritize safety for this growing mode of travel.”

GHSA Executive Director Jonathan Adkins

Complete Streets

The Community Traffic Safety Program in Northeast Florida is committed to education, outreach, and the Target Zero goal of reducing serious injuries and deaths on our roadways. This presentation explains why FDOT’s Complete Streets are essential for safety and mobility. Learn about the policy, design guidance, strategies, and project examples.

Watch the video presentation of Complete Streets:

Because most of Florida’s population growth and development occurred in the “age of the automobile,” our transportation system can be challenging to non-motorized road users—pedestrians and cyclists. Complete Streets are essential for the safety and mobility of vulnerable road users.

The presentation includes national and Florida bicycle and pedestrian crash trends. In 2019, Florida had the highest number of bicycle fatalities. Pedestrian crashes account for approximately 20 percent of the fatal crashes in the 18 counties comprising District Two.

Recognizing these challenges, the FDOT Complete Streets policy was officially adopted in 2014. The approach for the Department is to consider all users of all ages and abilities in how it plans, designs, builds, and operates its transportation system. Complete Streets are roads designed not only for passenger cars and trucks but also for transit riders, pedestrians, and cyclists.

Flip through the Complete Streets presentation:

The context classification system broadly identifies the various built environments in Florida based on the general characteristics of land use, development patterns, and connectivity along a state roadway. These attributes provide cues to the types of uses that will likely utilize the road. This is used to make decisions about design parameters. The presentation provides an overview of each roadway context class.

Eight Context Classifications can be found throughout Northeast Florida:

  • C1 Natural – lands preserved in a natural or wilderness condition, including lands unsuitable for settlement due to natural conditions.
  • C2 Rural – sparsely settled areas which may include agricultural land, woodland, and wetlands.
  • C2T Rural Town – rural and natural areas immediately surround small concentrations of developed regions.
  • C3R Suburban Residential – primarily residential uses within large blocks and a disconnected, sparse major roadway network.
  • C3C Suburban Commercial – mostly non-residential uses with large building footprints and parking lots. Buildings are within large blocks and a disconnected/sparse roadway network.
  • C4 Urban General – areas with a mix of uses set within small blocks with a well-connected roadway network.
  • C5 Urban Center -typically concentrated around a few blocks and identified as part of a civic or economic center of a community with a well-connected grid network.
  • C6 Urban Core – areas with the highest densities and building heights within large, urbanized areas. Buildings have mixed uses and are close to roadways with a well-connected grid network.
  • LA Limited Access – roadways with grade separation and limited access, such as interstates and expressways.

Examples of strategies used in District Two to make streets safer and more complete for all users:

Towards the presentation’s conclusion are examples of successful Complete Streets projects in the Northeast Florida area, including before and after photos. One project on US 17/Main Street in Jacksonville reduced lane widths to provide space for a landscaped median and introduced street trees, enhanced crosswalks, and other features to manage speeds. As a result, it improved safety and made the roadway more accommodating for pedestrians.

Another example is along Archer Road in a more suburban area of Gainesville; we see how lane widths were reduced to provide for bicycle lanes. For instance, the introduction of a mid-block crosswalk to improve pedestrian connectivity.

A shared-use path was constructed on the right-of-way along State Road 207, a rural highway in East Palatka. The design and operation of the roadway were left unchanged for motorists. However, the new pathway provides for safer mobility of cyclists and pedestrians along the road.

We hope you take this opportunity to learn about Complete Streets and try new transportation options. The state of Florida celebrates Mobility Week to promote awareness of safe, multimodal transportation choices. Additionally, please check out our bicycle and pedestrian resources, and share the traffic safety messages.