Think safe, seamless biking and pedestrian paths that connect Pine Hills Road, a LYNX transfer station and the Pine Hills Trail. Imagine large, colorful gateways for pedestrians on street corners and wider medians filled with plants or converting the five-lane road into a four-lane divided roadway.
These are a few ideas being considered in a multi-faceted study conducted by Orange County named The Pine Hills Road Pedestrian/Bicycle Safety Study. The study covers a 3.6-mile stretch of a five-lane artery, from Bonnie Brae Circle north of Maynard Evans High School to Colonial Drive. Its primary aim is to make this busy area of Pine Hills safer for everyone. The residents and businesses say that change can’t come soon enough.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the Orlando Police Department have done their part by stepping up involvement in the community through Operation Best Foot Forward. Several crosswalk enforcement operations were conducted throughout the Pine Hills area. Yield rates at the major intersection of Pine Hills Road and El Trio Way were at only 10% in August of 2014. In 2018, the yield rates of drivers are up to 24%.
Hats off to all involved and committed to safer streets for all, including those on their feet or two wheels.
