Oviedo plans a city with no traffic deaths

The city of Oviedo has big plans for public safety over the next 15 to 20 years: eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries caused by traffic accidents.

During its Sept. 16 meeting, Oviedo City Council adopted the 2024 Vision Zero Action Plan, which is part of a larger initiative with Metro Plan Orlando, partnering with Seminole County and the Florida Department of Transportation. It follows the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program for possible future grants.

There are more than five deaths and 35 serious injuries on roadways per week in the Central Florida region, which consists of Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties, according to Vision Zero. Thirty percent of the deaths are walkers or bicyclists. From 2018-2022, the region had nearly 326,000 crashes, 1,500 deaths and 9,500 serious injuries, according to the plan’s study.

The plan identified the top-five intersections in Oviedo in terms of high injury and crash potential:

1. Mitchell Hammock Road and South Norma Avenue
2. S.R. 434 and Alafaya Woods Boulevard
3. S.R. 434/South Central Avenue and Mitchell Hammock Road
4. C.R. 419/Broadway Street and Avenue B
5. S.R. 434/North Central Avenue and West Artesia Street

“I think that’s a big deal, having the mindset of trying to reduce fatalities on the road and having a plan that actually affects that,” councilmember Natalie Teuchert said.

While the city of Oviedo already has among the lowest numbers of traffic deaths and serious injuries — there were two traffic-related deaths, both of which involved distracted driving, and 19 serious injuries between 2018-2022 — officials said being part of the larger region’s improvement is important.

Oviedo’s Vision Zero Action Plan

“Oviedo is certainly, from a starting point, in a better position than a lot of cities because we do have a lot fewer deaths and serious injury,” Assistant City Engineer/Engineering Manager Paul Yeargain said. “That being said … any death is not acceptable, so our goal is still, and remains, that we don’t want to have any deaths caused by some sort of vehicular incident, and obviously we would strive to eliminate any serious injuries. That’s still our goal.”

Yeargain attributes Oviedo’s low traffic fatality and serious injury numbers to the fact that the city does not have many high-traffic, high-speed roads with speed limits over 50 mph as other municipalities in the Central Florida region.

The plan’s goals include identifying areas and roads with the highest risk of serious crashes, focusing efforts in disadvantaged communities that can be affected at higher rates by crashes, determining which projects can have the biggest impacts, and providing educational and outreach programs and events.

“The first [step] would be really changing the culture of drivers in the city,” Yeargain said. “Getting people to really be aware of the speeds they’re traveling, aware of pedestrians and bicyclists within the travel way … just making sure everyone understands and sort of embraces the culture.”

Oviedo officials began working with Metro Plan Orlando in mid-2023 on devising the city’s plan and, with City Council’s approval, can begin to implement it. 

While cost estimates have yet to be determined, much of the improvements already overlap with the city’s Capital Improvement Plan, Yeargain said.

“We all have a part to play,” he said. “It’s not just the city redesigning a road or implementing a specific project. It’s also drivers and pedestrians and bicyclists also being aware of their surroundings. … not looking at your phone or texting.

“It’s a team effort.”