NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — Tampa Bay is the fourth deadliest region in America for pedestrians and cyclists, with more than 200 deaths last year alone.
The I-Team has been digging into what’s causing so many fatalities and what can be done to prevent them.
Crosses, flowers, faded photos and “drive safely” signs dot U.S. Highway 19 in Pinellas and Pasco Counties.
“Total devastation”
“She got killed right here, in this spot,” said Antoinette Nichols, pointing to a sign posted near the intersection of Highway 19 and Ridge Road in New Port Richey.
Nichols was talking about her daughter, Rhonda Gryzb, who was hit by a pickup truck while crossing the busy roadway on Jan. 2, 2017.
“Total devastation. She was my best friend,” said her sister Shannin Henrickson. “She wouldn’t drive because of this crazy traffic.”
She died walking home from a restaurant where her adult son worked.
Rhonda was struck in what a recent study identified as a pedestrian fatality “hot spot.”
Dr. Robert Schneider, who is the chairman of the Department of Urban Planning at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, used U.S. Department of Transportation data to identify the worst places in America for pedestrian deaths.
“We were looking for concentrations of crashes where there were at least six of those fatalities over an eight-year period,” Schnieder said.
A 20-mile stretch along U.S. Highway 19 in Pasco County revealed seven hot spots.
“It was really shocking to see hot spot after hot spot within that short distance,” Schneider said.
Between 2003 and 2018, 137 pedestrians died on those 20 miles.
Jaywalking and high speeds can lead to disasters
A growing population and increased traffic create danger zones in areas where roads used to be easier to cross.
“It’s very hard with this road, very hard,” said Peter Romanger.
He gave up his car a few years ago and now relies on buses, a bike and his own two feet to get around.
He said it’s nearly impossible to safely cross all six lanes of Highway 19.
“A lot of your senior citizens like me don’t have the time to get across the street with the time they give you on the flasher,” Romanger said. “It’s too fast, and it’s unreal.”
That’s if pedestrians use crosswalks, which on U.S. Highway 19 can be several blocks apart.
“If the traffic signal is a quarter mile away from you, that means you have to walk a quarter mile and then back a quarter mile just to get to the location that you can see,” Schneider said.
We spotted people jaywalking or biking across traffic where speed limits range from 45-55.
“I seen cars doing 80 miles an hour on here,” Romanger said.
Schneider said roads were designed to move vehicles quickly.
“I don't think there was enough focus on people who may not have access to an automobile but still need to use these corridors. And to some extent, as pedestrians, are taking a very high risk to do so,” Schneider said.
The problem’s not just on U.S. Highway 19.
Data obtained by the I-Team showed 4,398 pedestrians and cyclists have been killed in Florida since 2018.
An average of 18 pedestrians a month died in the Tampa Bay area alone last year.
Possible solutions
Local leaders are looking for solutions.
They are considering things like pedestrian hybrid beacons between certain intersections, adding time between traffic light changes, enforcing speed limits near hot spots and providing better lighting.
The U.S. Department of Transportation is also developing designs for safer roads nationwide.
“There are choices that we make as a society in terms of how we design the system that ultimately resulted in the fatalities that we've seen. And so there's no time better than now to make a change,” Schneider said.
Until then, Rhonda’s family said drivers should do their part to prevent more crosses, flowers and memorial signs from popping up along U.S. Highway 19.
“One little mistake, one little turn of the wheel, one tap on the brake or something… they really have to be careful,” Nichols said.
If you have a story you think the I-Team should investigate, email us at adam@abcactionnews.com
