Polk County Operation Best Foot Forward Enhances Crosswalk Safety

Operation Best Foot Forward Initiative

• 🎯 Operation Best Foot Forward is a crosswalk enforcement operation run by the nonprofit BikeWalk Central Florida.
• ⚠️ The initiative aims to improve pedestrian safety, particularly in Polk County, which has been identified as one of Florida's deadliest counties for pedestrians.

Enforcement and Driver Behavior

• 🚦 During a two-hour enforcement period near St. Joseph Catholic School, police observed that only 32% of drivers stopped for pedestrians.
• ⚖️ In that period, police issued 20 warnings and six citations, each costing $164, with many drivers unaware of the legal requirement to stop.
• 🚗 Distracted driving is cited as a potential reason for drivers not yielding to pedestrians.

Impact on Student Safety

• 🏫 In the past year, Polk County recorded over 20 instances of students being struck by vehicles while walking to or from school, with 13 fatalities.

Future Improvements and Expansion

• 📊 Data collected from this operation will inform a crosswalk improvement plan, including recommendations for better striping, signage, and low-cost countermeasures.
• 🗺️ Polk County is currently the only county in the Tampa Bay area using this data-driven approach, with hopes to expand the program to Tampa.
• 🤝 The program emphasizes that everyone has a role to play in safety, including pedestrians and bicyclists who should always look both ways before crossing.