Florida Senate - 2023 (NP) SR By Senator Perry 9-04302-23 20231744__ CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Senate Resolution A resolution remembering the loving and energetic life of Dylan Roberts; celebrating the tireless advocacy of his mother, Megan Durant, for the construction of crosswalks and other safety measures on busy neighborhood roadways; and expressing appreciation for the collaborative work of the Gainesville City Commission and the Florida Department of Transportation to improve pedestrian safety. 9

WHEREAS, Dylan Roberts was born on December 30, 2016, the youngest of five siblings, and his mother, Megan Durant, 12 remembers him as a high-spirited, loving, energetic, and caring little boy who loved to dance and play with his friends and who enjoyed watching the Power Rangers, Sonic the Hedgehog, and the Ninja Turtles, and

WHEREAS, Dylan’s dream was to go to kindergarten, and every day he talked with his mom about how exciting it would be when he was big enough to start school, and

WHEREAS, on October 27, 2021, an otherwise ordinary day, 4-20 year-old Dylan went to Fred Cone Park, just across the street from his home in Gainesville, with his brothers and sisters to play in one of their favorite outdoor play spaces, and

WHEREAS, when it was time to return home, the group of children stepped into the roadway and a car traveling on East University Avenue struck and killed Dylan, and

WHEREAS, in the months since Dylan’s tragic death, Megan Durant has become a fierce advocate for crosswalks and other safety measures, writing in a recent email sent to the City of Florida Senate - 2023 (NP) SR 1744 9-04302-23 20231744__ CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Gainesville, “We all know it takes a village. I want to make sure this never happens to another child and that no other mother ever has to feel the pain I do,” and

WHEREAS, after months of persistent contact with city and state officials, Megan Durant will soon realize her goal of seeing a pedestrian-activated signal across East University Avenue between Northeast 26th Terrace and Southeast 26th Terrace, the

section of road where Dylan was killed, and

WHEREAS, work on the signal and crosswalk is expected to be finished by the end of July and, fittingly, it will be named in memory of Dylan Roberts,

NOW, THEREFORE, 40