There are changes coming to the way you'll get around Clearwater Beach.
This week, construction crews are ripping up some medians to make way for fences. The city is trying to eliminate dangerous jaywalking.
The problem is people dart across busy roads and are getting hurt.
“In the past two weeks, I’ve seen two people hit with cars at crosswalks,” biker Ed Fleury said.
It's alarming to say the least and that's when bikers and pedestrians are trying to be safe. Our cameras caught people dodging cars to cross State Road 60.
“I see them quite, quite often, darting across especially there by the roundabout,” biker Elizabeth Poole said.
That's why the city of Clearwater is adding fences.
“Our main goal is to put up these fences, to keep people from crossing these busy roads like right here on State Road 60, you’ve got four lanes of traffic coming in and out of the beach and people tend to cross it instead of going up to crosswalks,” City of Clearwater Public Information Officer Jason Beisel said.
They're also getting rid of two crosswalks, just to the north and south of the roundabout, to ease traffic build-ups and adding fencing. That will send people to crosswalks about 100 feet away that the city said are safer.
But some bikers are skeptical about the changes.
“I think fences are ugly, people are going to make choices I guess the fences will eliminate them from crossing,” Fleury said.
“I suppose during spring break you’ll get some people that will jump over it, kids,” Poole said.
The fences should be going in the first week of February.
