ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando is going a bit further with the reopening of roads in downtown in an effort to curb a so-called street-party atmosphere that officials have blamed for public safety issues.
Starting Friday, the barricade installations along Orange Avenue will expand to include center-lane barricades on Central Boulevard and Pine Street, according to a city news release. Roads will remain closed to vehicles during this next phase.
Before the barricades, revelers were free to walk from sidewalk to sidewalk along Orange Avenue. The changes began in November as an effort to curb the street-party atmosphere, largely in response to a shooting and stampede on Halloween night that left two dead and eight others injured. A week-long curfew was implemented after the shooting and new safety measures were developed.
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The new measures are designed to keep pedestrians closer to sidewalks while maintaining street access to support downtown businesses.
David Barilla, executive director of Orlando’s Downtown Development Board and Community Redevelopment Agency, announced the latest safety measures during a news conference on Thursday. Barilla said businesses are encouraged by the reopening of roads to traffic because it motivates people to enter venues and increase customer patronage.
According to the city’s plan, all three lanes of Orange Avenue will eventually be open to vehicular traffic. The idea is to eventually convert the one-way street into a two-way street, a move aimed at enhancing safety and promoting economic growth. No timeline has been set for this change, however.
