BTactical Lake Ridge Pilot Project

BTactical Lake Ridge Pilot Project

Award of Merit

2023 APA Florida Project Awards - Implementation

About this project

In April, 2022, the Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization (BMPO), along with the City of Fort Lauderdale, the Lake Ridge Civic Association, and Street Plans, completed the installation of new street treatments along Northeast 15th Avenue in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This project was part of the BMPO’s BTactical Program, created to provide funding and technical assistance to municipalities in the region wishing to implement innovative and multimodal safety improvements through quick build or pilot projects.

The installed treatments used low-cost, temporary materials to test the impacts of this corridor transformation to prioritize safety and accessibility, and encourage the use of sustainable modes of travel (walking, biking, and transit). The project transformed a car-centered suburban arterial into a people-centered street in the Lake Ridge neighborhood, including the creation of curb extensions, protected bike lanes, crosswalks, and other bicycle and pedestrian amenities.

Given the nature of aptly named quick build projects, the conceptual design and implementation plan were completed within just five months, with continuous input and feedback from community members and stakeholders. Once installed, the project team observed the impacts through a monitoring program for a pilot period of six months.

Data collected during this period show that the project resulted in a 98% reduction in speeding and a 168% increase in bicycle usage along the corridor. The BTactical Lake Ridge project proves that, as planners, we can fundamentally change how our streets work even in the most car-dependent cities in the country using low-cost materials and within a shorter timeframe than typical capital reconstruction projects.