ORLANDO, Fla. — Orange County leaders are proposing a new set of transportation improvements despite not getting $12 billion in revenue over 20 years like they would have from a penny sales tax initiative proposed in 2022.
The measure failed after 58% of Orange County voters voted against it on last November’s ballot.
In all, the county identified $21 billion worth of needed transportation improvements.
Without generating new revenue, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said the county will do what it can out of existing funding. Instead of $21 billion, the county will have $100 million in available funding to work with to make safety and other improvements.
As owner of Retro City Cycles, Jessica Kinnee says hardly a day goes by where she doesn’t hear about one of her customers getting hit by a car.
“Every day we hear about someone getting hit on their bike, and a lot of times they are just riding to work or riding to school,” said Kinnee. “And many times, unfortunately, those drivers don’t stop after they’ve been hit.”
Kinnee blames a lot of those accidents on distracted driving, but she also believes improvements to roadways — like more bike lanes — could prevent a lot of those accidents.
“Some roads have bike lanes and then the bike just mysteriously ends," she said. "So I think if we could be more aware of where the bike lanes are make them more continuous, I think that would help."
Larger buffers between bike and car lanes are among several safety improvements Orange County leaders hope to still tackle, despite having a fraction of the money they would have for upgrades to the county’s transportation network if the sales tax increase had been approved. With $100 million, the county also plans to improve the frequency and reliability of lynx buses, add more bus stop shelters, and improve street lighting, pedestrian safety and sidewalks.
Despite being avid cyclists, Daniel Kinnee says he and his wife Jessica wouldn’t even consider trying to ride their bikes to their Orlando shop. And they say it has nothing to do with the distance.
“From Wekiwa Springs to downtown Orlando there is no safe direct route,” he said.
Jessica Kinnee says whether more safety improvements are made or not, she always urges her customers to take safety into their own hands.
“You should have a flashing light all day long because anything to make you more visible is so important,” she said.
Demings said he hasn’t ruled out making another push for a sales tax increase that could go on the ballot in 2024. He says that ultimately, the county needs more funding to make the necessary improvements to address countywide transportation challenges.
