{"id":991428,"date":"2026-08-09T17:25:36","date_gmt":"2026-08-09T17:25:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/991428\/"},"modified":"2026-08-09T17:25:36","modified_gmt":"2026-08-09T17:25:36","slug":"dcps-expands-traffic-gardens-as-jacksonville-ranks-among-most-dangerous-u-s-cities-for-pedestrians","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/991428\/","title":{"rendered":"DCPS expands traffic gardens as Jacksonville ranks among most dangerous U.S. cities for pedestrians"},"content":{"rendered":"

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. <\/strong> \u2013 With school starting in less than a week, Jacksonville-area roads and sidewalks are about to get busier as parents, teachers and students head back to the classroom.<\/p>\n

A 2026 national ranking by KURU Footwear<\/a> placed Jacksonville 34th out of 35 major U.S. cities in pedestrian safety, using pedestrian fatality rates and walkability data. The report lists Jacksonville\u2019s pedestrian fatality rate at 3.05 deaths per 100,000 people and a Walk Score of 26.<\/p>\n

In Duval County Public Schools, leaders say they\u2019re trying to reach kids early \u2014 before they\u2019re navigating traffic around campuses on their own.<\/p>\n

At what looks like a playground, students are learning in what DCPS calls a \u201ctraffic garden<\/a>,\u201d where children can practice real-world traffic situations \u2014 including intersections, crosswalks and turns \u2014 in a controlled setting.<\/p>\n

Heather Albritton, DCPS director of health and physical education, said traffic gardens are expanding across the district.<\/p>\n

\u201cCurrently, we have eight traffic gardens around the district, and we have easily eight more schools who are interested this year in putting them in,\u201d Albritton said.<\/p>\n

Some of the newest traffic gardens, including the ones at San Mateo Elementary and Ed White, are also open to the public outside school hours, giving families a place to practice together.<\/p>\n

DCPS said the gardens are part of a broader push to reduce incidents involving pedestrians and students near schools.<\/p>\n

While more families are walking and biking, Albritton said she\u2019s also seeing more children riding e-bikes, e-scooters and electric dirt bikes \u2014 devices that can move at speeds far faster than traditional bicycles.<\/p>\n

She said families often treat them like toys, even though they function more like motorized vehicles.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s twofold. So think about it when your kid turns 15, they go through a whole year of practicing with you in the car driving, but when we give kids an e-bike or an e-scooter, which is also a motorized vehicle, we are not taking that extra time,\u201d Albritton said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat constant reminder and companion of learning\u2026 is absent with e-bikes. So it\u2019s very important, and it\u2019s education for not only the kids, but also the parents,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The St. Johns County Sheriff\u2019s Office has also warned families that many kids are riding vehicles that do not meet Florida\u2019s legal definition of an e-bike.<\/p>\n

A bike without pedals is treated like a motorcycle under Florida law and may require registration, lights, a license plate and a motorcycle endorsement \u2014 even if a parent purchased it for a child, the SJSO said in a recent News4JAX report<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For some families, the dangers are no longer theoretical.<\/p>\n

In Clay County, 14-year-old Carson Farias was killed after he was hit by a teen driver while riding an electric dirt bike<\/a>. Eight weeks later, his mother, Megan Farias Schrampf, said she hopes Carson\u2019s story makes other families slow down and take safety seriously.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust pay attention because my Carson should be here right now,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She also urged drivers to watch for kids on bikes and e-bikes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just hope that people can be aware and respectful of the bicycles and e-bikes. Whether you like bicyclists and e-bikes or not, still respect them, and please be cautious,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

As students head back to school, DCPS is encouraging families to remember three words: plan, practice and protect<\/b>.<\/p>\n