Traffic is always on everyone’s mind, but it’s not just a matter of getting to your destination on time, it’s also a matter of staying alive. Well, we hear that the University of South Florida Center for Urban Transportation Research has awarded the Town of Cutler Bay funding to promote the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) “Alert Today, Alive Tomorrow” campaign, which begins on Wednesday, March 29. Officers from the Cutler Bay Policing Unit will be highly visible at major intersections throughout the town where there’s a history of accidents, conducting traffic monitoring, and providing education and enforcement during the campaign.
Major Leonard Ricelli has some grim statistics. “In 2014 2,494 people lost their lives in traffic crashes on Florida’s roadways. More than 24 percent, or 606 of them were pedestrians, and more than 5 percent, or 135 were bicyclists. This project will enhance the Policing Unit’s efforts to educate the public on Safe Pedestrian, Bicyclist, and Driver behaviors that will lead to a reduction in traffic crashes resulting in pedestrian and bicyclist injuries and fatalities.”
The Town of Cutler Bay has worked hard over the years to increase the safety of local roadways, regularly doing things like providing bicycle safety education and distributing bicycle helmets to residents during community events. Cutler Bay is currently in the process of completing a Complete Streets Analysis and a Traffic Calming Analysis in an effort to improve options for mobility.
“We are a champion of the Complete Streets concept which means that all of our roadway development projects are designed to improve the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists,” says Town Manager Rafael Casals. “We have added dedicated bike lanes to our main corridors, improved our sidewalks, and enhanced our crosswalks. We are proud to partner with the FDOT and the University of South Florida on this campaign.”
The “Alert Today Alive Tomorrow” campaign is presented via TV, radio, social media, transit advertising, local education, and enforcement activities. In 2013, the media campaign was rolled out in the ten Florida counties that had the highest numbers of pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities and injuries. The message that “Safety Doesn’t Happen by Accident” is a reminder for all roadway users to pay attention and follow the rules of the road. For information about the “Alert Today, Alive Tomorrow” campaign, visit www.alerttodayflorida.com.
For information about the town’s efforts to improve roadway safety visit the town’s website at www.cutlerbay-fl.gov or call 305-233-5189.
Congrats to the town team! We hear that the town exceeded its fundraising goal at the 2017 Relay for Life of Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest & Cutler Bay on March 18. Team Cutler Bay, AKA “Scooby Doo” to go with the TV show event theme, raised more than $1,600 to support the American Cancer Society’s search for a cure to fight Lymphoma cancer. Great work, guys and gals!
Thought of the Day:
Relativity applies to physics, not ethics. – Albert Einstein
Gary Alan Ruse contributed to this column.
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