By Jim Carchidi
July 14, 2026
Construction will begin next month on a series of speed management and pedestrian safety measures for a 1.7-mile stretch of S.R. 426 in Winter Park. FDOT is making the additions, expected to be complete by fall 2027, but the project is the result of a four-year effort by the Winter Park Road Crisis Campaign.
Community involvement
A partial project map showing the locations of signal timing upgrades (orange traffic signals) raised crosswalks (black ladder) and raised speed tables (white box with black angles).
Residents living between Park and Lakemont avenues formed the campaign in the spring of 2022 to raise awareness of the high volume of accidents caused by reckless drivers. Members shared eyewitness accounts and law enforcement data on social media and in emails to the city of Winter Park and FDOT.
According to the campaign website, more than 40,000 cars travel the corridor on a daily basis. Winter Park Police Department reports an average of six car crashes per month along the route with 64% resulting in property damage and 31% resulting in injuries. Osceola Avenue resident and campaign founding member Leah Milan knows first hand how dangerous the road can be.
“A car crashed into our front yard and took out all the hedges about four months after we moved in,” she said.
A photo of Leah Milan's front yard after the crash.
Milan was among the residents to discuss the final construction design with FDOT representatives at a community meeting, hosted at Winter Park Event Center on Monday, July 13. The plans include 19 safety features that resulted from nearly four years of discussions between FDOT, community stakeholders, and members of local government.
Safety first
Project maps and illustrations were displayed at the event with the locations of safety measures that include the following:
- Raised crosswalks with pedestrian hybrid beacons
- Dynamic curve warning systems
- Raised intersection with high visibility crosswalks
- Speed reducing curb modifications
- Pedestrian barrier walls
- llluminated pavement markers
- Speed radar signs
- Raised speed tables
An FDOT example of a high-visibility crosswalk with a raised intersection. Similar designs will be placed at Cortland Avenue, Sylvan Drive, Ollie Avenue, and Phelps Avenue.
A project illustrations shows the current view looking east at Phelps Avenue.
This is what the Phelps Avenue intersection will look like after the improvements.
The project will also add a left turn lane onto Lakemont Avenue, install drainage improvements along the corridor, and resurface another section of S.R 426, west of Eastbrook Boulevard to east of Oak Reserve Lane.
Phased construction
FDOT representatives field project questions from Winter Park residents during the July 13 community event.
The safety additions will be installed during an FDOT street resurfacing beginning in early August. The entire project is estimated to cost $8.88 million with the City of Winter Park committing $566,000 and the rest coming from state and federal road project funding.
FDOT Construction Project Manager Kim Navarro told The Orlando Real the project is slated to begin at Park Avenue and will be completed in phases. Most of the work will happen at night to lessen the impact on daytime commuters. But there will be some installations, like the speed tables and raised crosswalks, where traffic will need to be reduced to one lane.
“For Phase 1, we'll install the pedestrian improvements. Then the drainage in Phase 2, and then repaving. We’ll finish with the signals and signage installation.”
Construction signage and community advisories will be posted before work begins. And Navarro said FDOT consulted with Rollins College on the timing of repaving and installations by campus entrances. “They’ll be bringing students back as we start our schedule, so we'll probably double-back to complete the areas by the school.”
A good start
Milan says the safety additions are a good start, but some residents would like to see a traffic light installed at Cortland Avenue and a bike lane by the roadway. Previous FDOT traffic studies did not support a light at Cortland Avenue. And a bike lane would require additional right-of-way that would intrude on sidewalks and private property. “That’s still something to try for; maybe later,” she said.
Milan also hopes other communities will take note of what the Winter Park Road Crisis Campaign was able to achieve.
“This didn’t just happen and it wouldn’t have happened without all of us,” she said. “If we were able to do this, other residents can come together to make changes they need.”
The full project map and updates are available on the FDOT website.
Sponsor: The Orlando Real is sponsored by the Pozek Group — the #1 real estate team in Orlando and the Official Real Estate Team of the Orlando Magic.
About the Author
Jim Carchidi is an Orlando journalist and photographer with previous work at the Orlando Sentinel and Orlando Business Journal. He covers development, arts, culture, and local stories for The Orlando Real.
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