COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. — The Collier County Sheriff’s Office is rolling out its latest safety campaign aimed at reducing bicycle and pedestrian crashes on some of the county’s busiest corridors.
The initiative will focus on 13 stretches of roads identified by the Florida Department of Transportation as having the highest number of crashes.
WATCH TO SEE COMMUNITY CORRESPONDENT MAHMOUD BENNETT EXPLAIN WHICH ROADS THE SAFETY CAMPAIGN WILL FOCUS ON:
CCSO says the following stretches of road will be focused on as part of its campaign:
- U.S. 41 East from Espinal Blvd. to Pelton Street
- U.S. 41 East from Johns Street to Saint Andrews Blvd.
- Main Street from N 7th Street to East of 2nd Street
- New Market Road West from Charlotte Street to Hendry Street
- Airport Pulling Road from Linewood Ave to North Road
- Immokalee Road from Strand Blvd. to Collier Blvd.
- 1st Street from Boston Ave. to Roberts Ave. East
- State Road 29 / W Main Street from N 15th Street to Lake Trafford Road
- U.S. 41 East from Barefoot Williams Road to Myrtle Lake
- Radio Road from Donna Street to San Marco Blvd.
- Pine Ridge Road from Livingston Road to Napa Blvd.
- Airport Pulling Road from J&C Blvd. to Birchmore Street
“We’re looking for people that are speeding, people that are not obeying the traffic laws on the bike, using the crosswalk inappropriately — and you’ll see a higher presence of deputies,” said Sgt. Scott Kaplan of the sheriff’s Safety and Traffic Enforcement Bureau.
Kaplan said the program, backed by state funding, targets drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians. The sheriff's office says the emphasis will be on education first, though deputies may issue warnings or citations if necessary.
“Our awareness is to make sure that our community stays safe, that we all pay attention to each other — the bicyclists, the pedestrians, along with the people that are driving,” Kaplan said. “Our goal is to make sure these crashes don’t occur," he added.
According to Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Collier County has seen 140 bike-related crashes so far this year, including three fatalities.
Michelle Avola-Brown, executive director of the Naples Pathways Coalition, a group that has been pushing for safer roads in Collier County. She said she supports the enforcement effort but would like to see it eventually paired with infrastructure improvements.
“The high-visibility, high-crash areas are a great place to start, but I do hope there will be enforcement and messaging throughout the county,” Avola-Brown said.
She added that the coming season will bring more commuters to Collier roads, making education especially important.
“This is a prime time for education for everyone on how to more safely share the road,” she added.
The sheriff’s office said the concentrated enforcement effort will continue through May 2026.
