Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Winter Park public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
12 issues in roads with high priority
Park Avenue Refresh Project Phase 2
Phase 1 finishes by October, but tree well bump-outs may have eliminated two to four parking spaces downtown — staff will confirm the exact count.
Welburn Avenue traffic calming and crosswalk
The Wellbourne Nursery's 7:30-9 a.m. drop-off and 3:15-5:15 p.m. pickup collide with narrow streets, parked cars, church traffic and delivery trucks. Neighbors and board members want a real fix — flashing beacons, a relocated crosswalk, or off-street drop-off — before this reaches the commission.
SR 426 (Fairbanks Avenue) safety
The former Orlando RV site would become a four-building retail and restaurant center with no driveways onto Fairbanks or Denning — all access from Holt and Capen. Neighbors on Kentucky Avenue say Denning is already dangerous, citing crash data and near-misses, and want Holt closed or a Fairbanks entrance added.
Neighborhood traffic calming
Residents described cars flying down Leith and Norfolk Avenues and feared the restaurant would make it worse. The board added conditions to permanently close the Westchester Avenue driveway, close one Vivian Avenue access, and explore a speed hump on Leith and a stop sign at Westchester/Norfolk, pending engineering review.
Neighborhood Speed Management and Traffic Calming Policy update
Both public hearing items turned on existing traffic problems: residents on Kentucky Avenue near Denning Drive and on the Eastgate streets behind Lander Road described cut-through traffic, dangerous intersections, and speeders. The Fairbanks developer will dedicate right-of-way for a westbound left-turn lane onto Denning, and the car wash denial hinged on unresolved traffic questions.
Webster Avenue Street Deterioration
Webster Avenue, long a complaint, has major base failure and gets a full rebuild — done before Thanksgiving. The city is prioritizing repaving based on pavement condition, safety, and school proximity after residents ranked streets and stormwater as top concerns.
Heritage Market Trail planning
The Heritage Market Trail is part of Winter Park's Transportation Master Plan, and its feasibility and route continue to be worked through by the city. For residents, it affects future walking and biking connections across town.
Paid parking pilot at Dinky Dock and the dog park
Non-residents would pay $2-$3/hour (or $20/day flat) at Dinky Dock and Lake Baldwin Park starting Spring 2027, while Winter Park residents park free with online registration. The commission advanced it to Phase 2 despite dog-park advocates' objections.
Fairbanks Avenue (SR 426) FDOT Reconstruction
The Transportation Advisory Board is running a safety audit of West Fairbanks, with a crash heat map backing up the case for investment. A public feedback session is scheduled at the Saturday farmers market, and the data may support grant applications and state road cooperation.
Citywide traffic calming standards
Residents described cars flying down Leith and Norfolk Avenues and feared the restaurant would make it worse. The board added conditions to permanently close the Westchester Avenue driveway, close one Vivian Avenue access, and explore a speed hump on Leith and a stop sign at Westchester/Norfolk, pending engineering review.
Stirling Avenue Bridge Replacement
The 70-year-old wooden culverts under Sterling Avenue will go out to bid this fall, with construction starting early 2027. The project is fully funded, largely by the state DOT — a rare win for a road that isn't even on the state system.
Bennett Drive parking and construction traffic safety
Resident Nikki Siebel says the city's parking problem lies east of Park Avenue, which past traffic studies missed. She suggested construction projects be required to provide worker parking, questioned the underused EV charging spots at the train station, and floated a city-owned lot near the Congregational Church as a parking site.