SAFE TRANSPORTATION FOR EVERY PEDESTRIAN CASE STUDY

Broward MPO Plans for Pedestrian Safety

Broward County, Florida 

KEY ELEMENTS:

Safety Planning

Implementation Focused

The Broward MPO completed a series of plans focused 

on pedestrian safety that emphasized community 

and Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) 

engagement. Following the plans, the MPO positioned 

the recommendations for implementation.

INTRODUCTION 

The Broward Metropolitan Planning 

Organization (MPO) is the federallydesignated transportation agency for 

Broward County, Florida. The county had 

been consistently ranked as one of the most 

dangerous places to walk and bike in the 

country, with an average of 5-6 walking or 

bicycling crashes per day. In response, the 

MPO led the development of successive 

plans to promote pedestrian safety and 

implement projects. 

CALLS TO ACTION

The Broward MPO established a baseline 

for improved pedestrian safety policies 

and programs with the publication of its 

Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Action Plan 

(BPSAP) in 2018. However, the inspiration 

for the BPSAP began in 2015, when the 

FHWA Florida Division recommended that 

the MPO conduct a BPSAP to address 

its pedestrian safety issues as part of its 

recertification. Through the BPSAP’s crash 

analyses, the MPO identified crash hot spots 

and created land use typologies for urban/

suburban intersections, urban/suburban 

corridors, and beach access corridors with 

matching recommendations. The BSAP 

also identified priority action items and 

'Calls to Action' to guide the MPO's work in 

improving pedestrian and bicyclist safety. 

These included commitments to set the 

stage for the development of multimodal 

policies and implementation of Complete 

Streets projects. 

For more information, please contact:

Stephanie Garcia, Complete Streets Manager

garcias@browardmpo.org | 954.876.0033

Figure 1. Graphic. BPSAP analysis of pedestrian and bicycle

fatalities on six-lane roads, illustrating that wide roads pose

significant barriers to pedestrian safety.

©2020 Broward MPO
STEP: https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/step/

Case Study: Broward MPO Plans for Pedestrian Safety

COMPLETE STREETS MASTER PLAN 

Broward County is bordered by the 

Everglades Wildlife Management Area and 

the Atlantic Ocean, and that constraint 

focused the MPO on improving the 

efficiency of the existing roadway network 

for all road users. This perspective and 

the BPSAP's 'Calls to Action' for safe streets 

laid the foundation for guiding future 

investments. The Complete Streets Master 

Plan developed a prioritized list of projects 

based on technical, data-driven, demandequity analysis, community and local 

partner input. The plan identified connector 

corridors and Bundle Areas that prioritized 

transportation and safety improvements for 

vulnerable populations (figure 2).

ROLE OF WALKING AUDITS

Broward MPO conducted six walking audits

throughout the county in collaboration

with local governments. The audit sites

were drawn from the high-ranking corridors

identified from the Complete Streets Master

Plan, and the audits sought to engage

communities, stakeholders and government

agencies early on to gather feedback and

recommend specific improvements. Over

270 people from diverse stakeholder groups

participated in the audits, including FDOT,

students, teachers, parents, residents, local

businesses and elected officials. In addition

to helping identify facility improvements for

future project scoping, the walking audits

increased local support among municipal

leaders and FDOT to move towards

implementation. As of May 2020, four of the

six projects that included a walking audit

were programmed for funding.

PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION

Broward MPO's focus on pedestrian safety

has improved project implementation in

several ways. First, the inclusion of walking

audits allowed FDOT engineers and

community leaders to build a common

dialogue on safety needs and ultimately

project scope. Second, the MPO served

in a guidance and technical resources

role to municipalities as they developed

resolutions in support of projects within

the Transportation Improvement Program

(TIP). Finally, the MPO facilitated a review

of project recommendations with FDOT

and municipalities to update project

scopes, reprogram projects, and consider

projects for rapid implementation. These

coordinated efforts have led to the 

inclusion of eight high priority projects from 

the Complete Streets Master Plan in the TIP.

Figure 2. Graphic. Excerpt of bundle area and corridor 

recommendations from the Complete Streets Master Plan.

©2020 Broward MPO