Best Foot Forward Expands into Northeast Florida

The Best Foot Forward pedestrian safety program is officially expanding into St. Johns and Duval Counties, bringing its nationally recognized, data-driven approach to get more drivers to stop for people in marked crosswalks, making everyday walking safer throughout Northeast Florida. 

The expansion marks an important milestone for the program, which has spent more than a decade working alongside local governments, law enforcement agencies, transportation professionals, and community partners to reduce pedestrian injuries and fatalities throughout Florida. By educating drivers to stop for people crossing the street as required by Florida law, Best Foot Forward helps create streets that are safer and more comfortable for everyone.

St. Johns County solidified its support for pedestrian safety on July 21, 2026, when the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners issued a proclamation supporting the Best Foot Forward program and its mission to improve pedestrian safety. 

The proclamation states, in part: 

"Be it proclaimed, by the Board of County Commissioners of St. Johns County, Florida, that they enthusiastically support Best Foot Forward for Pedestrian Safety... joining with other local cities, counties, law enforcement agencies, regional planning agencies, and the Florida Department of Transportation in a regional effort to reduce pedestrian injuries and fatalities." 

The proclamation reflects a growing commitment among local leaders to create streets that are safer for everyone—whether walking, biking, driving, or using transit. 

Building on a Decade of Safety Work

Best Foot Forward was launched in the Orlando region more than a decade ago in response to Dangerous by Design, a report from Smart Growth America that once ranked the Orlando metropolitan area as the deadliest place in the nation for pedestrians.

Since then, the program has expanded across Florida while helping communities improve driver yielding behavior at marked crosswalks through a comprehensive strategy built on public education, high-visibility enforcement, engineering improvements, and ongoing evaluation. 

Today, the Orlando metropolitan area has fallen significantly in the national rankings, with the most recent Dangerous by Design report placing it 25th among the nation's largest metropolitan areas. Meanwhile, the Jacksonville metropolitan area—which includes St. Johns County—currently ranks 16th, highlighting the continued need for coordinated pedestrian safety efforts. 

Recognizing the need for intervention, the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization and the Florida Department of Transportation worked to bring the Best Foot Forward program to St. Johns and Duval Counties, respectively. With the addition of these two counties, Best Foot Forward now serves 11 Florida counties and extends its position as the largest grassroots pedestrian safety program in the nation.

“We’ve seen a lot of enthusiasm for this program so far in Northeast Florida,” said Vince Dyer, director of the Best Foot Forward program. “Local leaders have shown a lot of passion for improving the safety of people walking and biking in the region, and we’re proud to be included in those efforts.” 

How Best Foot Forward Works: A Comprehensive Approach to Safety

Rather than relying on a single solution, Best Foot Forward brings together multiple strategies that reinforce one another: 

Education

The program provides community presentations, outreach events, public awareness campaigns, and educational resources that help drivers and pedestrians better understand Florida's crosswalk laws and safe travel behaviors.

Enforcement 

Working alongside local law enforcement agencies, Best Foot Forward coordinates high-visibility crosswalk enforcement operations that remind motorists of their legal responsibility to stop for people crossing the street in marked crosswalks. These operations are paired with media outreach to increase public awareness and reinforce safe driving habits. 

Engineering 

The program works with transportation agencies and public works departments to identify infrastructure improvements that improve crosswalk safety. Recommendations may include enhanced pavement markings, upgraded signage, improved lighting, and other data-driven treatments that help make crossings more visible and comfortable for people. 

Evaluation 

A dedicated Best Foot Forward data collection team regularly monitors a representative sample of crosswalks throughout the region to measure how often drivers yield to people waiting to cross the road. Tracking this information over time helps communities understand current conditions, measure progress, and identify where additional education, enforcement, or engineering improvements may be needed. 

Creating Safer Crossings Together

Northeast Florida continues to experience rapid growth, bringing new opportunities—and new transportation challenges—for communities across the region. As more people walk to school, transit stops, parks, businesses, and neighborhood destinations, creating safer crossings becomes increasingly important. 

Best Foot Forward has already begun collecting information at selected crosswalks to better understand current driver yielding behavior, while local Sheriff’s Offices have started conducting high-visibility crosswalk enforcement operations. This initial data will help establish a baseline for measuring progress and help county leaders and stakeholders determine whether additional interventions are needed or whether alternative crosswalk locations should be selected for future efforts. 

Creating safer streets is a shared responsibility. By bringing together local governments, law enforcement agencies, transportation professionals, schools, businesses, and residents, Best Foot Forward helps build a culture where stopping for people is the norm rather than the exception. 

The expansion into St. Johns and Duval Counties represents more than the addition of two new service areas—it marks the beginning of a long-term partnership dedicated to making Northeast Florida's streets safer, more connected, and more welcoming for everyone using them. 



Want to learn more about Best Foot Forward or get involved in creating safer crossings in your community? Visit our Get Involved page to explore volunteer opportunities, community engagement efforts, and ways your organization can support pedestrian safety.