After a tragedy, boaters will find new speed zones in Fort Lauderdale
Boaters traveling through a two-mile stretch of the Intracoastal through Fort Lauderdale will have to slow down with new speed zones approved late last year in response to a teen’s death over the summer.
The maximum speed limit for the corridor of the Intracoastal between the Oakland Park Boulevard Bridge and the East Sunrise Boulevard Bridge was 25 mph. But new rules approved by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission require boaters to slow their vessels to 5 to 9 mph.
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“This new boating zone is about protecting people, property and the natural environment,” Fort Lauderdale City Manager Rickelle Williams said in a statement. “By slowing down in this area, boaters will have more time to react, avoid accidents and ensure everyone can enjoy our beautiful waterway safely.”
City leaders have been pushing for the slower speed limit since 13-year-old Rachel Aliza Nisanov was killed after the personal watercraft she and her sister were riding slammed into a concrete dock in the 2800 block of Northeast 24th Court on Aug. 12.
The girls were on a personal watercraft tour with their parents when the tragedy happened. Her 16-year-old sister was hospitalized. The family was vacationing in South Florida from Queens, New York.
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New speed limit signs are expected to go up in the beginning of February, and FWC officers assigned to the area will begin enforcement by first informing boaters that the rules have changed, the city said in a news release. Once the signs are up, a 30-day “education period” will follow during which boaters exceeding the speed limit will get a warning instead of a ticket, according to the city.
“Our goal is not to write tickets but to educate through enforcement; making your safety our priority,” Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Bill Schultz said in a statement. “This new zone will have a meaningful impact and create a safer waterway for all.”
