TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL)--Jaywalking is an issue that's been a problem in Tallahassee for sometime. Now transportation officials have a plan to stop it.
Transportation leaders want to add a fence along the median on portions of Tennessee Street.
Crossing the busy six lane road is part of a daily routine for many of these jaywalkers.
"Sometimes you get stuck in the middle for like a minute or so, that's a little bit scary but I've never had a problem with it but I've been living here for a year now," said jaywalker Daniel Mineo. "It's just something you do. Everyone does it."
"I'm really worried about the traffic," said jaywalker Zhau Juan.
They know jaywalking can be dangerous but they say it's the quickest way to get to campus.
To officials at the Florida Department of Transportation, it's not about the convenience it's all about safety.
Transportation officials say they've explored many options.They believe the best solution to stop people from getting hurt or killed is to possibly remove trees, then add a fence along the median on parts of Tennessee Street, adding two new crosswalks.
While city leaders want the jaywalking to stop, they don't want the trees to come down.
"We were very surprised when the solution first put forward involved removing a number of trees that actually DOT helped us plant years ago," said Michelle Bono, the Tallahassee assistant to the city manager. As people who live here know, we really value that a roadway is not just a means of moving traffic it's also about the community."
"It's not our intent to just cut the trees down," said Ian Satter, the Department of Transportation spokesperson. "We're looking at every way to maintain the trees. Whether they stay here or not we're going to work hard to keep those trees alive."
City leaders want the Department of Transportation to hear the public's thoughts on the issue before the plans are finalized. The department says there's not any plans for a formal public meeting but you can share your input with them. The pedestrian improvements are part of $3.3 million road resurfacing plan that could begin in the fall.
