Key West Adopts Roadmap to Zero Traffic Deaths — With 36 Projects and a Price Tag

New Safety Plan Targets High Injury Network, Illegal E-Motos, and the 14.5% of Roads Where 67% of Serious Crashes Happen

March 7, 2026. The numbers tell a stark story: Key West’s fatal and serious injury crash rate is four times the state average. Between 2018 and 2024, 29 people died on Key West and Stock Island streets. And here’s the vulnerability crisis that drives everything in the newly adopted Safety Action Plan: bicyclists and pedestrians account for only 8% of total crashes, but 26% of fatal and serious injury crashes. When people on bikes and on foot crash, they’re three times more likely to be killed or seriously injured.

The Key West City Commission voted Thursday to adopt a comprehensive Safety Action Plan aimed at eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2035 — and unlike past commitments, this one comes with a detailed roadmap, specific projects, and concrete price tags.

The plan, developed over the past year by the University of Florida in collaboration with city staff, local police and fire departments, and community stakeholders, identifies exactly where crashes are happening, why they’re happening, and what to do about it. More importantly, it lays out near-term policies and projects that can begin this year, not decades from now.

At Thursday’s adoption hearing, City Multimodal Transportation Coordinator Ryan Stachurski emphasized that 2024 saw a surge in crashes, though 2025 has seen improvement with no fatalities so far into 2026.

The plan identifies 23 policy recommendations — including cracking down on illegal e-motos masquerading as e-bikes — and 36 specific safety projects ranging from quick, low-cost improvements like better signage at the Triangle ($30,000) to corridor-wide redesigns of North Roosevelt Boulevard ($650,000). Some projects can start immediately using existing city resources. Others are eligible for federal Safe Streets and Roads for All implementation grants, providing a clear funding pathway.

But the plan is about more than fixing dangerous intersections. It’s about protecting what makes Key West different from every car-choked destination on the mainland: the ability to walk, bike, and move around without a car. That walkable, bikeable character isn’t just a lifestyle choice — it’s the economic engine that keeps downtown thriving.

In our story below, we explore why Key West’s streets are uniquely dangerous, what the data reveals about where and how crashes occur, how the community helped shape the plan, what specific improvements are coming, and what needs to happen next to turn this roadmap into reality.

WHY KEY WEST IS DIFFERENT

This Safety Action Plan (full 169 pg. plan and presentation to Commission) isn’t just another set of traffic engineering recommendations. It’s a recognition that Key West doesn’t work like the rest of Florida — and shouldn’t be managed like it does.

Key West is the most bikeable city in Florida, ranking in the top 50 cities in North America according to PeopleForBikes. Residents, service workers, and visitors routinely walk and bike for daily transportation, not just recreation. Downtown streets are narrow, historic, and designed for a different era. The island’s compact geography means there’s no room to simply “build more roads” or widen existing ones to solve for safety with mainland-centric solutions.

This creates a fundamentally different street environment than mainland Florida. On Key West’s busiest corridors, cars, bicycles, e-bikes, e-motos, rental scooters, pedestrians, and even golf carts share the same constrained space. North Roosevelt Boulevard serves as both a regional arterial and a bike commuter route. Duval Street functions as Old Town’s main commercial spine where tourists stroll between shops and bars while delivery trucks navigate tight spaces and cyclists weave through traffic.

Recent traffic analysis on Duval Street reveals just how different Key West’s streets are from mainland Florida. On the busiest blocks between Greene and Caroline, pedestrians outnumber car passengers by three or four to one. In peak evening hours, as many as 3,700 people move through a single block — and 75% of them are on foot. Even on quieter sections south of Truman Avenue, there are still two pedestrians for every car passenger. Add in bicycles, rental scooters, e-bikes, and the thousand-plus golf carts that travel Duval daily, and you have a street environment unlike anything you’d find at a mainland shopping center. Visitors unfamiliar with this multimodal complexity — and locals navigating it every day — face constant judgment calls about who has the right of way, where to look for conflicts, and how fast is safe.

That walkable, bikeable character is Key West’s competitive advantage. It’s what distinguishes downtown from every strip-mall-dominated beach town on the Gulf Coast. It’s why visitors come here, why small businesses thrive, and why locals can live car-free lifestyles that would be impossible almost anywhere else in Florida. As we explored in our recent series on the now-paused downtown parking garage (here, here, here, and here), downtown Key West is the golden goose — and that goose depends on streets that work for people outside of cars.

But when those streets feel unsafe — when parents won’t let kids bike to school, when workers fear their commute, when tourists stick to their rental cars — that special quality erodes. The Safety Action Plan recognizes that protecting Key West’s walkable character and protecting lives aren’t separate goals. They’re the same goal.

And the data shows exactly why this matters: bicyclists and pedestrians account for only 8% of total crashes in Key West, but 26% of fatal and serious injury crashes.

THE PROBLEM IN NUMBERS

That vulnerability gap — where bikes and pedestrians are three times more likely to be killed or seriously injured when a crash occurs — drives everything in the Safety Action Plan. But it’s just one piece of a larger safety crisis documented in the University of Florida’s comprehensive crash analysis.

Between 2018 and 2024, the Key West area experienced 297 fatal and serious injury crashes. The crash analysis — covering Key West and the immediately adjacent area including portions of US-1 extending to Stock Island (Mile Marker 4.5) — identified 29 fatal crashes during this period, with 6 on North Roosevelt Boulevard, 2 on South Roosevelt Boulevard, and 8 on the US-1 corridor. These aren’t abstract statistics — they’re neighbors, coworkers, family members, and visitors whose lives were forever changed on our streets. We should note however, that there were NO deaths in this same area in 2025 and through March 6 of 2026.

The community survey revealed another troubling reality: 41% of the 728 respondents had been in a crash within the last five years. Even more concerning, 78% of those crashes were never officially reported. The problem is larger than official crash data suggests.

The High Injury Network: Where the Problem Concentrates

The crash analysis revealed a stark pattern: just 14.5% of Key West’s roadway miles account for 67% of all fatal and serious injury crashes. This “High Injury Network” includes corridors that every Key West resident knows well:

• North Roosevelt Boulevard (the most dangerous corridor)
• South Roosevelt Boulevard
• Overseas Highway/US-1 (on Stock Island between the Triangle and Key Haven)
• Truman Avenue
• Duval Street
• Eaton Street
• Simonton Street
• Whitehead Street
• Flagler Avenue

These aren’t back roads or obscure side streets. They’re the main arteries of daily life in Key West — the routes people take to work, to school, to shop, to get downtown. And on these corridors, the combination of high traffic volumes, frequent turning movements, constrained space, and mixed travel modes creates persistent crash risk.

The North Roosevelt Problem

Nowhere is the pattern clearer than on North Roosevelt Boulevard. The crash analysis identified 130 crashes at driveway crossings along this corridor where drivers turning in or out of businesses failed to yield to people walking or bicycling. In 93% of these crashes, the motorist was at fault.

Let’s say that again, for the people in the back. In 93% of these crashes, the motorist was at fault — yet the crashes keep happening because the street design enables the conflict.

These aren’t random incidents. They’re a systemic problem created by high driveway density, sight distance constraints, vegetation blocking visibility, and operating speeds that leave little margin for error when conflicts occur.

The problem is compounded by visitor unfamiliarity with Key West’s unique street environment. On mainland Florida, drivers turning into and out of shopping centers expect other cars. On North Roosevelt — and throughout Key West — they’re navigating a constant flow of pedestrians, bicyclists, e-bikes, rental scooters, and golf carts coming from every direction. That multimodal complexity, unfamiliar to most visitors, creates persistent conflict points that street design needs to address.

What’s Causing the Crashes

The analysis identified clear patterns in what leads to fatal and serious injury crashes:

Speeding is a factor in 25% of fatalities, even on streets with relatively low posted speed limits. The problem isn’t always sustained high speeds — it’s inconsistent speeds, acceleration between intersections, and speeds that don’t match the street environment.

Distracted driving contributes to 13.4% of injury crashes, while aggressive driving and alcohol account for another 2.5%.

But infrastructure failures play an equally important role: narrow sidewalks, missing crosswalks, poor lighting, faded or missing signage, and sight distance limitations caused by parked cars, vegetation, and street geometry.

The Micromobility Challenge

While the data doesn’t separately track e-bikes and rental scooters (they’re categorized within the broader bicycle and motorcycle categories), crash reports frequently cite loss of control, lane drifting, and unfamiliarity with the vehicle or roadway.

But there’s a deeper problem: many of the devices on Key West streets being called “e-bikes” are actually e-motos — electric motorcycles with motors exceeding 750 watts, capable of speeds over 20 mph on throttle alone, and often weighing more than 100 pounds. These vehicles don’t meet the federal definition of an electric bicycle, yet they’re being sold and operated as if they were. When 14-year-olds ride what parents think are “e-bikes” but are actually unregistered motorcycles, the safety implications are profound. For an island heavily dependent on rental scooters and legitimate e-bikes for tourism and worker transportation, distinguishing between legal electric bicycles and illegal e-motos has become a critical safety challenge that the plan directly addresses.

When Crashes Happen

Crash patterns also reveal timing factors. Many serious crashes occur during evening and nighttime hours when lighting is inadequate. Others concentrate during weekday peak periods when traffic volumes surge and drivers make frequent turning movements across bike lanes and pedestrian crossings.

The data paints a clear picture: Key West’s crash problem isn’t random bad luck or simply user error. It’s a predictable outcome of street designs that don’t match how people actually use them, operating speeds that exceed what’s safe in constrained environments, and infrastructure gaps that leave vulnerable users exposed.

HOW WE GOT HERE: A COMMUNITY-DRIVEN PROCESS

This Safety Action Plan didn’t emerge from a consultant’s office in Tallahassee or a university lab in Gainesville. It was built here, by Key West residents, city staff, and the people who respond to crashes every day.

The University of Florida provided the technical analysis and crash data expertise, but the plan’s direction came from a Safety Action Plan Task Force that met regularly throughout the development process. That Task Force brought together Key West Police Department officers, Fire and EMS personnel, school district transportation officials, Florida Department of Transportation staff, community advocates, and business representatives. These weren’t theoretical discussions — they were frontline professionals sharing what they see on the streets daily, combined with residents explaining where they feel unsafe and why.

The community engagement went beyond the Task Force. A citywide survey drew 728 responses from Key West residents — revealing that 41% had been in a crash within the past five years and that the vast majority of those crashes went unreported. An interactive online mapping tool let people pinpoint specific locations where they’d experienced near-misses, visibility problems, or dangerous conflicts. Public outreach events at Pride Fest and Children’s Day combined safety education with direct feedback from families and residents.

What emerged from this process wasn’t wishful thinking about how streets should work in theory. It was a pattern of concerns that matched exactly what the crash data revealed: North Roosevelt’s driveway conflicts, the Triangle’s chaotic intersections, speeding on Palm Avenue’s curves, poor visibility at night, and the growing challenge of managing e-bikes/e-motos and rental scooters alongside pedestrians and conventional bicycles.

The Commission discussion at Thursday’s adoption hearing focused heavily on e-bike enforcement and the challenge of distinguishing legal electric bicycles from souped-up e-motos. Commissioner Lee, drawing on 25 years of experience including as Police Chief, argued that enforcement must be punitive to change behavior. Commissioner Veliz noted seeing riders without lights “every single night,” while Commissioner Haskell expressed concern about high school students riding illegal e-motos that their parents don’t realize require motorcycle licenses. The plan was adopted unanimously, 7-0.

The plan reflects Key West’s reality, not a generic template. It addresses the specific corridors where crashes concentrate, the unique mix of travel modes that define Key West streets, and the constrained environment where there’s no room for mainland-style solutions. This is a Key West plan, built by Key West people, for Key West streets.

THE SOLUTION: A ROADMAP, NOT A GUARANTEE

The Safety Action Plan lays out 36 specific projects with cost estimates, lead agencies, and proposed timelines. But adoption of the plan doesn’t mean these projects happen automatically. Each recommendation requires budget allocation, staff time, contracting, and in many cases competitive bidding and design work. The question isn’t whether the roadmap is clear — it is. The question is whether city leaders will commit the resources to turn recommendations into reality.

The plan organizes projects into three timeframes based on complexity and cost, but even “quick wins” require someone to write the scope, issue the RFP, manage the contract, and see the work through to completion.

Near-Term Projects (0-2 Years): Quick to Start, Not Quick to Solve

These projects could begin within the current or next budget cycle because they’re relatively lower cost and less complex than major reconstructions. But “could begin” depends on budget approval and staff capacity to manage the work:

The Triangle would receive $30,000 for speed warning signs and signal timing improvements — changes that could happen relatively quickly. A more comprehensive redesign is estimated at $350,000 for the future, but the immediate fixes could address some of the chaos while larger solutions are planned.

Island-wide signal upgrades are proposed at $50,000 to $125,000 for reflective backplates and LED lights on traffic signals, high-visibility thermoplastic pavement markings at crosswalks, and upgraded curb ramps at intersections. These are proven safety treatments that could be deployed systematically across the High Injury Network.

Targeted intersection improvements would add pedestrian and bicycle warning signs, curb extensions to improve visibility, and coordination with private property owners to address sight-distance problems at specific driveway locations. These surgical interventions target the conflict points identified in crash data but require property owner cooperation and potentially regulatory changes to succeed.

Mid-Term Projects (2-5 Years): Major Investments Requiring Capital Planning

These larger projects need more substantial funding, design work, and potentially state or federal grant applications:

North Roosevelt Boulevard is recommended for $650,000 in corridor-wide improvements including speed management treatments, visibility enhancements at driveways, sign consolidation, and vegetation clearing. This is the single largest proposed investment because this corridor accounts for a disproportionate share of bicycle and pedestrian crashes — including those 130 driveway conflicts where drivers were at fault 93% of the time. But $650,000 doesn’t appear in a city budget without trade-offs, grant applications, or multi-year capital planning.

US-1/Overseas Highway improvements are estimated at $120,000 for speed feedback signs, sign consolidation, and backup warning systems at key locations. Palm Avenue would receive $250,000 for curve signage improvements and nighttime visibility enhancements.

A crosswalk enhancement program would systematically upgrade pedestrian crossings throughout the High Injury Network with rapid rectangular flashing beacons, leading pedestrian intervals that give people on foot a head start at intersections, median refuges, and high-visibility markings. The plan doesn’t specify a total cost, but deploying these treatments at dozens of locations across the city would require sustained investment over multiple budget cycles.

System-Wide Policy Changes: Low Cost, High Implementation Effort

Some of the plan’s most important recommendations don’t require major capital spending, but they do require political will and regulatory changes:

Speed management recommendations call for formalizing Key West’s existing 20 mph speed limit through a comprehensive ordinance with context-based procedures for when and where it applies. This policy framework would give the city stronger standing to negotiate lower speeds on state and county-maintained roads like North Roosevelt Boulevard, Truman Avenue, and other high-crash corridors where the city currently lacks direct authority over speed setting.

The micromobility challenge would be addressed on multiple fronts. A comprehensive new ordinance would establish operating zones, 15 mph speed limits in shared spaces, and helmet and lighting requirements — but critically, it would also need to clearly distinguish between legal electric bicycles (limited to 750 watts and 20 mph on throttle) and illegal e-motos that are actually electric motorcycles. A permit program would require rental companies to provide rider training, carry insurance, and share crash data with the city — and potentially require certification that rental devices meet federal e-bike standards.

Enforcement will be key. As Commissioner Lee, our former Police Chief, noted at Thursday’s adoption hearing, punitive enforcement may be necessary to change behavior. Commissioner Veliz emphasized the prevalence of riders without lights at night, while Commissioner Haskell raised concerns about teenagers riding illegal e-motos that parents don’t realize are actually motorcycles requiring licenses and registration.

A “Ride Right Key West” education campaign would target tourists and workers in multiple languages — but equally important is educating parents, rental customers, and sellers about what actually qualifies as a legal electric bicycle versus an e-moto that belongs in the motorcycle category. None of this is expensive compared to road construction, but it requires drafting ordinances, negotiating with rental companies, coordinating with state and federal vehicle classification standards, and sustained public education and enforcement — all of which demand staff capacity and political consensus.

Design standard updates would require protected bike lanes, raised crosswalks, and pedestrian-scale lighting in new projects and major street renovations. A daylighting ordinance would prohibit parking and vegetation that blocks sight lines at intersections. These become requirements only if the City Commission adopts them and staff enforces them consistently.

THE PATH FORWARD

Key West’s streets tell a story about what makes this island different. Pedestrians outnumber car passengers three to one on Duval Street. Bicycles, e-bikes, golf carts, and delivery trucks share narrow historic lanes. That multimodal complexity is what makes Key West special — and what makes it dangerous when street design doesn’t match how people actually move.

The Safety Action Plan provides the tools to address that mismatch: slower speeds, better visibility at conflict points, protected space for vulnerable users, smarter micromobility management, and infrastructure that anticipates human error instead of punishing it with death or serious injury. The plan recognizes that protecting Key West’s walkable character and protecting lives aren’t competing goals — they’re the same goal.

But adoption is just the beginning. The real test comes in the months ahead as the City decides which projects to fund, which ordinances to draft, and how aggressively to pursue implementation. Fortunately, the City has some momentum to build upon as staff have done some excellent work in the last few years. Witness pedestrian safety projects on Eaton and Fleming Street (here) the completion of new bike lanes on South and United Streets downtown (here and here), the opening of a new and improved Staples Avenue Bike and Pedestrian Bridge alongside a bunch of other projects along the Crosstown Greenway (here) and recognition as Florida’s #1 biking city (here).

At Thursday’s Commission Meeting Commissioner Sam Kaufman asked if the projects were ranked and ready for submission in the FY27 budget. That’s the right question as the budget process for Fiscal Year 2027 begins this summer and is the first opportunity to allocate funding for near-term projects like the Triangle improvements, signal upgrades, and intersection fixes. Federal Safe Streets and Roads for All grants favor communities with adopted plans and shovel-ready projects. Key West now has the plan. The staff leading this effort should be commended for simultaneously getting projects done over the last few years while producing this plan. The question is whether management and the Commission will provide the direction to pursue the funding and manage the work.

Policy changes require political will. Formalizing speed limit policies, adopting a micromobility ordinance, establishing daylighting standards — none require massive budgets, but all require Commission votes that could face resistance from those uncomfortable with change.

The plan includes accountability mechanisms: annual progress reports, crash data updates, public tracking of project implementation. These exist specifically to prevent this plan from gathering dust.

Key West made a Vision Zero pledge in 2020: zero traffic deaths by 2035. Thursday’s vote provides the roadmap to get there. Whether that goal becomes reality depends on whether city leaders translate recommendations into funded projects, adopted policies, and sustained commitment.

The plan is adopted. Now comes the hard part: making it real.

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Chris Hamilton is the founder of Friends of Car-Free Key West & Duval Street/Historic Downtown, a local advocacy group championing sustainable mobility and vibrant public spaces. Subscribe to the blog and follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Substack for updates. All stories are cross posted at KONK Life News. Originally from Washington, D.C., Chris spent over two decades leading nationally acclaimed initiatives in transit, biking, walking, and smart growth for Arlington County, VA’s DOT. Since moving to Key West in 2015, he has embraced a car-free lifestyle downtown, dedicating his time to non-profits and community projects. Explore all Streets for People column articles here.