FDOT's proposed safety changes to A1A get push back

ORMOND BEACH, Fla. - The state on Thursday presented its proposed plan to bring changes along A1A in Ormond Beach.

The Florida Department of Transportation wants to install raised medians and crosswalks at several spots from Milsap Road to Granada Boulevard.

The state said the raised medians would have openings with reduced conflict points for vehicles in an effort to reduce the number of crashes. 

RELATED: FDOT lowers speed limit along stretch of A1A where girl was struck by motorist

Giorgio Kouzoudjian is the owner of the Beach Village Gift Shop. He said he thinks the medians would do more harm than good.

“It’ll be almost like putting a fence in front of your business because it’s just gonna push people up the street,” he said.

Lena Lux, manager of the Tipsy Taco next door, said she’s nervous about the flow too.

“People coming from the opposite direction would have to do a U-turn to come into our business,” she said.

Both Lux and Kouzoudjian, however, are on board with the project’s idea to put crosswalks at six different spots including Rockefeller, River Beach, Arlington, Seminole, Osceola, and Bosarvey Drive.

“The traffic lights are so spread out that there’s no way people would be able to walk from one traffic light to another just to get a safe crosswalk,” said Lux.

FDOT said the $3.3 million project is still in the design phase and construction would begin in the Fall of 2021.

Click here to see more information about the project. https://www.cflroads.com/project/443512-1