Traffic Safety | State Legislation
Integrating Communications, Community Engagement and Bipartisan Strategy to Deliver a Lasting Public Safety Outcome
Challenge: Translate a local tragedy on a state-controlled roadway into coordinated community action and successful bipartisan legislation to achieve a permanent safety solution.
Coordinated a bipartisan legislative effort to advance and secure state approval for a memorial designation to a new pedestrian safety improvement on a state roadway, coordinating strategy, communications and stakeholder engagement from concept through passage.
Working directly with lawmakers, staff and local partners, I shaped the messaging strategy, built alignment across political lines and ensured the effort maintained clarity, credibility and momentum throughout the process.
Following the death of Dylan Roberts, a child struck and killed while crossing East University Avenue in an underserved area of Gainesville, I led a comprehensive initiative that moved from community tragedy to sustained public safety action. The challenge extended beyond awareness. The roadway was under state jurisdiction, requiring a coordinated approach that aligned city leadership, state lawmakers, agency partners and a grieving community around a shared objective.
I structured the effort as both a communications campaign and a legislative strategy. This included developing and executing a sustained, multi-channel outreach effort designed to inform, engage and build support. I led the creation of news releases, media advisories and public safety messaging; coordinated news conferences and interviews; produced video content to extend reach and visibility; and organized a community dedication ceremony that honored Dylan while reinforcing the broader safety message. Outreach also included direct engagement with residents, stakeholders and advocacy groups to ensure the work remained grounded in community voice.
Bipartisan Legislative Collaboration
In parallel, I led bipartisan engagement with the local state legislative delegation and their staffs to advance a bill memorializing the crosswalk with pedestrian hybrid beacon that was to be constructed near the site of Dylan's accident.
A pivotal moment in this effort was Dylan’s mother's testimony before the state legislature. Her story brought a personal, human dimension to the policy discussion, reinforcing the urgency of the issue and helping to build bipartisan support for the legislation.
Vision Zero
This work was intentionally aligned with the City of Gainesville’s broader Vision Zero strategy, which aims to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries through data-driven interventions and safer street design.
Dylan’s story became a defining example within that framework—illustrating both the human cost of unsafe infrastructure and the need for targeted improvements in historically underserved areas.
As Vision Zero initiatives were implemented and reinforced through ongoing communications, the city recorded a measurable decline in traffic fatalities, demonstrating the impact of sustained, coordinated action across policy, infrastructure and public awareness.
Crosswalk Installation and Dedication
The results were both measurable and lasting. The initiative generated sustained media coverage and public awareness, engaged community members through multiple events and outreach channels and culminated in the successful passage of state legislation memorializing the crosswalk.
The project supported a permanent safety improvement on a high-risk corridor while also contributing to broader, data-supported reductions in traffic deaths citywide. It established a replicable model for how local governments can connect individual incidents to systemic solutions, particularly when navigating state-controlled infrastructure through coordinated communications and legislative advocacy.
This work reflects a leadership approach grounded in integration and execution: aligning communications, community engagement and policy strategy to move from issue identification to tangible public safety outcomes, while reinforcing long-term initiatives that improve safety and quality of life for the community.
Measurable Results
Data from the Gainesville Police Department (GPD) has shown a substantial decrease in vehicle-related injuries and fatalities on city roads over the ensuing time frame.
The number of traffic homicide victims within city limits, which peaked at 24 in 2022, began a slow but steady decline.
Traffic fatalities dropped from a high of 24 in 2022 to 20 in 2023, 18 in 2024, and by the end of 2025 the number stood at 14 (latest available data).
