Best Foot Forward Officially Launches in Polk County, Advancing Pedestrian Safety Across Central Florida

Polk County has officially joined the movement to make Florida’s streets safer for everyone who walks, bikes, and rolls. On June 12, 2025, the Polk Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) Board passed a resolution of support for the Best Foot Forward (BFF) for Pedestrian Safety program to encourage collaboration among county departments, municipalities, law enforcement agencies, educational institutions, and community organizations.

Polk County becomes the latest community to adopt the Best Foot Forward model, joining a regional coalition of counties including Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Marion, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and Volusia, working together to address the state’s alarming pedestrian safety statistics. This expansion strengthens BFF’s position as the largest grassroots coalition of its kind in the country. 

Recent crash data involving pedestrians and cyclists in Polk County further highlights the need for targeted safety efforts: 

• 2022: 624 crashes | 58 serious injuries | 30 fatalities  

• 2023: 656 crashes | 56 serious injuries | 39 fatalities  

• 2024: 631 crashes | 55 serious injuries | 26 fatalities  

Source: Signal 4 Analytics 

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) recognizes the County as one of the top 25 most dangerous counties in Florida for these road users, a distinction that demands action. 

The Triple-E Approach to Safety 

The Best Foot Forward program, administered by Bike/Walk Central Florida, uses a proven “Triple E” method, Education, Engineering, and Enforcement, to foster behavior change and build a culture of awareness: 

• Education: Engaging residents and students on the importance of stopping for pedestrians in crosswalks according to Florida traffic laws. 

• Engineering: Assessing existing infrastructure and recommending low-cost improvements to crosswalks near schools, parks, trails, transit stops, and other pedestrian-heavy areas. 

• Enforcement: Coordinating with law enforcement and media for high-visibility awareness to remind drivers of their obligation to yield to pedestrians. 

These efforts directly support the FDOT’s Target Zero initiative, a statewide goal to reduce traffic-related serious injuries and fatalities to zero. 

On-the-Ground Enforcement Already Underway 

Even before the official resolution of support, Polk County began putting its commitment into action. In April 2025, Lakeland Police Department participated for the first time in Operation Best Foot Forward, a high-visibility enforcement effort targeting driver compliance at crosswalks near parks and trails.

The featured enforcement location was at W 4th Street & MLK Jr Avenue in Lakeland, where officers conducted crosswalk operations in coordination with Best Foot Forward partners. This crosswalk, in front of Lakeland Park, had a driver yield rate of just 29% during pre-enforcement data collection, well within the “low yielding” range based on the program’s historical metrics. Lakeland PD issued 24 warnings and citations during the enforcement to drivers who failed to yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk. 

Read more about the April enforcement operation here. 

What’s Next for Polk

As Polk County officially joins Best Foot Forward, the first phase of work is already underway. BFF and its local partners have selected and begun evaluation of crosswalks countywide, prioritizing high-risk areas near schools, parks, and community hubs. The driver yield rate assessments help guide future education campaigns, engineering improvements, and enforcement efforts to better protect people walking.  

View the full list of crosswalks and what they’ll help us learn.