Safer Crossing for Pedestrians Coming to Tennessee St. Updated: Mon 11:23 PM, Apr 28, 2014 By: Natalie Rubino Pedestrians and drivers will soon have smoother sailing when crossing Tennessee St. near Florida State University. The Florida Department of Transportation began installing barricades on Tennessee St. between Brevard and Copeland streets. It's all to keep pedestrians safer. "I just pick a random spot and run across the street," FSU student Kathrena Regnier said. Everyday hundreds of people drive up and down Tennessee St. not always looking out for the people who cross it. "There's been numerous incidents of pedestrian conflicts in that area. We seem to be having an increasing amount of jaywalking incidents in that area," Ian Satter, Public Information Officer of FDOT said. FDOT has begun building four feet tall barricades with crosswalks on Tennessee St. "You'll find one of those by the campus and the Burger King and also on Tennessee St., near the Zaxby's," Satter said. The hope is that pedestrians can cross the street easier without having to jaywalk. "I think it will just be more organized," Regnier said. A major concern of residents when the project was announced was the Crape Myrtle trees. Originally, FDOT was going to have to remove 80 of them but they reached a solution and now are able to build the barracade in and around them. "After talking with some of the local officials we came up with a new solution and that was only to remove 15 of the Crape Myrtles and those Crape Myrtles were transported to our operation center in Midway where they are thriving," Satter said. The new crosswalks and barricades are all part of a 4.3 million dollar resurfacing plan of Tennessee St. The entire project is expected to be completed this summer.