Submitted By: Noel Cooper
presenter
Presentation By: Noel Cooper
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Department: Engineering
FORMAL TITLE:
title
Resolution 2026-33 to adopt the Ocala Safety Action Plan associated with supplemental planning studies for the Fiscal Year 2023 Safe Streets and Roads for All grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation
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OCALA’S RELEVANT STRATEGIC GOALS:
Operational Excellence, Quality of Place
PROOF OF PUBLICATION:
N/A
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BACKGROUND:
The project consists of supplemental planning studies to support and enhance the adopted Ocala Marion Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) Commitment to Zero Safety Action Plan. Resolution 2024-28 was adopted by City Council on June 4, 2024, for the Fiscal Year 2023 Safe Street and Roads for All (SS4A) grant from the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) in the amount of $104,000.
Grant Agreement No. 693JJ32440264 between the USDOT and the City of Ocala (City) was fully executed on June 13, 2024. Per the grant agreement, the total estimated cost of the SS4A planning activities was $130,000, and the USDOT agreed to reimburse the City 80 percent, not to exceed $104,000. The City’s estimated 20 percent share was $26,000. The grant performance period expires on June 13, 2026.
The purpose of SS4A grants is to improve roadway safety by significantly reducing or eliminating roadway fatalities and serious injuries through safety action plan development, refinement, and implementation focused on all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, public transportation users, motorists, personal conveyance and micromobility users, and commercial vehicle operators.
On January 30, 2025, Council approved the agreement with Ardurra Group, Inc., for professional services associated with supplemental planning studies for the Safe Streets and Roads for All grant in the amount of $129,986.
Supplemental planning studies included:
1. Developing a city-wide Local Road Safety Plan (LRSP) to identify, analyze, and prioritize roadway safety improvements on local roads for all road users; and
2. Developing a Speed Management/Traffic Calming Plan targeting safer speeds in residential areas and around schools.
The LRSP builds upon the Ocala Marion TPO’s adopted Commitment to Zero Safety Action Plan (Vision Zero) while focusing within the city limits and includes:
• Additional equity and underserved community analysis,
• Additional High Injury Network (HIN) evaluation using recent crash history,
• Further assessment of current policies, plans, guidelines, and/or standards (e.g., manuals) to identify implementation strategies and actions through the adoption of revised or new policies, guidelines, and/or standards,
• Further Coordination with the Ocala/Marion TPO and other local agencies, and
• Develop a prioritized list of issues, risks, actions, and improvements that can be used to eliminate fatalities and serious injuries on City roadways.
The scope of the proposed Speed Management/Traffic Calming Plan included:
• Data collection and analysis,
• Developing appropriate speed limits and establishing target speeds,
• Developing speed management safety action plan, strategies, and countermeasures, and
• Developing traffic calming and self-enforcing roadway strategies.
The public engagement component of the planning studies included two community meetings, a project website, an interactive comment map, and an online survey. These tools were used to collect community input, identify locations with recurring safety concerns, gather local insights and improvement suggestions, and assist in prioritizing safety enhancements across the City. The first community meeting was held on September 4, 2025, at the Mary Sue Rich Community Center, and the second on November 5, 2025, at the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition. A total of 94 comments were submitted through the interactive comment map, and 60 responses were received through the online survey.
The Stakeholder Advisory Group included representatives from the City of Ocala, Marion County, Marion County Public Schools, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District 5, the Ocala Police Department, the Ocala Marion County TPO, the Ocala Metro Chamber and Economic Partnership, local hospitals, senior centers, social service providers, and walking and bicycling advocacy organizations. Two Stakeholder Advisory Group meetings were held on August 28, 2025, and October 29, 2025. The first meeting was conducted in a hybrid format, offering both in-person and virtual participation, while the second meeting was held entirely virtually.
A City Council Workshop on the Safe Streets and Roads for All Planning Studies was held on May 12, 2026.
FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS:
The planning studies documents include:
• A Crash Analysis Technical Memorandum and High Injury Network Map,
• A Research and Literature Review (Other agencies and best practices) Memorandum,
• A Public and Stakeholder Engagement Memorandum,
• A City-wide Local Road Safety Plan, and
• A Speed Management / Traffic Calming Plan.
The Ocala Safety Action Plan consists of the city-wide LRSP and the Speed Management/Traffic Calming Plan. The safety action plan will be utilized to improve roadway safety by significantly reducing or eliminating roadway fatalities and serious injuries for all users on city roadways. Additionally, the safety action plan will allow us to pursue safety implementation grant opportunities actively.
The executed agreement with USDOT requires the adoption of the Safety Action Plan and its public publication. Staff recommends adoption of the Ocala Safety Action Plan.
FISCAL IMPACT:
N/A
PROCUREMENT REVIEW:
N/A
LEGAL REVIEW:
This resolution will be reviewed and approved for form and legality by City Attorney, William E. Sexton.
ALTERNATIVE:
• Approve with Changes
• Table
• Deny
RESOLUTION 2026-33
RESOLUTION TO ADOPT THE SAFETY ACTION PLAN ASSOCIATED WITH SUPPLEMENTAL PLANNING STUDIES FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2023 SAFE STREETS AND ROADS FOR ALL GRANT AGREEMENT
WHEREAS, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) awarded the City of Ocala a Safe Streets and Roads for All grant for supplemental planning studies; and
WHEREAS, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and the City of Ocala executed the Fiscal Year 2023 Safe Streets and Roads for All Grant Agreement for the project known as Federal Award No. 693JJ32440264; and
WHEREAS, the Ocala Safety Action Plans consist of the city-wide Local Road Safety Plan and the Speed Management/Traffic Calming Plan; and
WHEREAS, the Safety Action Plans will be utilized to improve roadway safety by significantly reducing or eliminating roadway fatalities and serious injuries; and
WHEREAS, the U.S. Department of Transportation has requested that the City of Ocala adopt the Safety Action Plan and that the plan be publicly published.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF OCALA, FLORIDA, in regular session duly assembled, approves the adoption of the Safety Action Plan for the Fiscal Year 2023 Safe Streets and Roads for All Grant Agreement for the project known as Federal Award No. 693JJ32440264.
This resolution adopted this ______ day of ______________________, 2026.
ATTEST: CITY OF OCALA
By: By:
Angel B. Jacobs Ire J. Bethea Sr.
City Clerk President, Ocala City Council
Approved as to form and legality:
By: _________________________________
William E. Sexton
City Attorney