The Gainesville Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization (MTPO) voted Monday to approve a plan for two pedestrian crosswalks on US 441 near University Avenue and to adopt Florida’s performance measures for transportation and pedestrian safety. 

The MTPO received a single application for its Transportation Alternative grant program. The application, from the city of Gainesville, outlined two pedestrian crosswalks near the Publix by the University of Florida.  

The city of Gainesville and the Florida Department of Transportation have already made significant changes to University Avenue in the last four years, and the proposed crosswalks would aim to improve pedestrian safety on NW 13th Street.  

Alison Moss, county transportation planning manager, said the crosswalks are located where the county has seen several pedestrian injuries. Foot traffic from UF intersects with the two largest state roads in Alachua County, causing safety risks. In 2024, FDOT reported a daily average of 27,000 vehicle trips for that section on NW 13th Street. 

This project would be within the high-risk network—the 17% of roadways within Gainesville limits where 80% of severe and fatal crashes occur. The high-risk network primarily contains state and county roads.  

One of the crosswalks would be raised, and the project would include changes to the medians. Though the project isn’t final and still needs state approvals.

Director Adrian Hayes-Santos asked if the city considered eliminating the median and using the space savings to widen the sidewalks in that area. Director Mary Alford agreed, saying drivers slow down when there’s no cement median. She said having no median might push people to use the official crosswalks because there’s no resting spot in the middle of the road.  

Gainesville staff said changing the sidewalk could include stormwater and sewer concerns.  

The MTPO approved the project for its grant program and directed city staff to review possible changes to the median and lane widths as part of the project. 

Florida requires metropolitan transportation planning organizations to adopt performance measures. Moss said most organizations simply use measures provided by the state, and she said the local MTPO is already hitting many of the metrics.  

The board agreed to use the state standard, but Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward said he’d like to see the new MTPO staff craft custom performance measures that are more useful.  

Within pedestrian safety, the state standard is zero injuries or deaths annually. Ward said the city and county also have the VisionZero goal, but he said the MTPO should have in-between standards to show progress.  

Moss said one more measurable goal would be a 50% reduction by 2035.  

The MTPO voted in December to extend an offer to Anoch Whitfield as executive director. Moss said Whitfield will start on Jan. 20 and begin to hire additional staff. The new hires come as the MTPO changes from using contracted services to building its own in-house team.