BTacticalLRIntro

The Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) partnered with the City of Fort Lauderdale, the Lake Ridge Civic Association, and Street Plans to improve multimodal safety along Northeast 15th Avenue with paint and traffic calming infrastructure! During the four-day Btactical installation, over 100 community volunteers of all ages came out to lend a hand with painting striped bike lanes, curb extensions, crosswalks, asphalt art, and planting lush landscaping to further enhance the pedestrian experience and connect the Lake Ridge Community!  The temporary safety improvements will transform Northeast 15th Avenue at a lower cost than permanent infrastructure.

“Broward MPO’s mission is to plan, prioritize, fund and deliver connectivity and transportation options for a long-lasting, positive impact on growing communities,” said Gregory Stuart, Executive Director of Broward MPO. “Northeast 15th Avenue is a vital route for people of all ages who regularly walk or bike to grocery stores, libraries, schools, and parks within the Lake Ridge Community. We’re reconnecting a community through temporary pedestrian-focused infrastructure with a couple of gallons of paint, we hope to increase safety, accessibility, and connectivity for all users of the road.”

City of Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis, City of Fort Lauderdale Commissioner Steve Glassman, Florida Representative Chip LaMarca, Florida Representative Christine Hunschofsky, Florida Senator Gary Farmer Jr., other state and local elected officials, and Lake Ridge Civic Association President Michael Albetta came out in support of the Btactical Installation and to help paint alongside community volunteers. To celebrate the completion of the quick-build project, a ribbon-cutting event was held on May 14, 2022, and a children's and adult’s bike from Carvelle Bikes were raffled off to two lucky volunteers.

In November 2021, local governments submitted project ideas to the Broward MPO as part of the Tactical Urbanism BTactical Program, aimed to increase multimodal safety, accessibility, and connectivity in Broward region through the implementation of Quick-Build projects. The Broward MPO selected Northeast 15th Avenue located in the City of Fort Lauderdale to be implemented as the second pilot project of the program. The primary components of the quick-build project are intersection improvements, wayfinding and informational signage, traffic calming features, crosswalks with decorative surface treatments and upgrading the existing bike lanes to protected bike lanes. The project will be reversible and adjustable according to the needs of the community. The City of Fort Lauderdale is also currently pursuing multiple funding sources to enable permanent improvements on this corridor.

This quick-build project increases visibility through pedestrian treatments and traffic calming. Over the next several months, the project will be evaluated to see what works and where there is opportunity of improvement for a future, long-term solution to the street. Pedestrian and bicyclist counts are being conducted to evaluate the use of the corridor, as well as speed data. A survey will be conducted to collect feedback from the community to evaluate the effectiveness of the project. To access the survey CLICK HERE.

The BTactical Lake Ridge installation is one of the few ways the Broward MPO is using funding from the Infrastructure Investment Jobs Act (IIJA) to increase the quality of life for those who live, work, and play in Broward!

Partners and stakeholders involved in the planning and implementation of the BTactical pilot project include the City of Fort Lauderdale, Lake Ridge Civic Association, Feldman Development, Fort Lauderdale Garden Center, TerraCast products, Publix, Carvelle Bikes, Native Wildflowers Nursery, Café Vico, Croissan' Time, Firehouse Subs, Gulf Stream Brewing, Padrino's Cuban Restaurant, and Walgreens.

The Tactical Urbanism Program, BTactical, is a Broward Complete Streets Initiative effort to quickly implement multimodal safety improvements on the Broward Roadway Network, following the recommendations of the set of priority action items identified in the Bicycle & Pedestrian Safety Action Plan and Complete Streets Master Plan. The Broward MPO is committed to improving transportation safety and offering a variety of choices with improved comfort for those who live, work, and play in Broward. For more information visit: https://www.browardmpo.org/tactical-urbanism