RIVERVIEW, Fla. — Alexis Rousseau lives simply across the nook from Collins Elementary School in Riverview, but when her son — who’s presently in preschool — attends Collins sooner or later, he gained’t be strolling to school till the roads round it change.
“You’ve got people parking on the roads here on the street, letting their kids out while other people are commuting in traffic,” she mentioned.
Rousseau mentioned it’s that blend of drivers passing by means of and drivers in the school automotive line that makes the intersection close to the school, Panther Trace Boulevard and Summerfield Boulevard, harmful throughout drop-off and pick-up instances.
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“People who aren’t parents who are going past the school, you know, they will jump the curb to go around the school traffic. And obviously, you’ve got kids on bikes. You’ve got walkers,” she mentioned. “And so, you know, it’s only a matter of time, probably, before something happens.”
Hillsborough County heard the issues loud and clear, mentioned Sandra Gonzalez, a design supervisor with the county’s Capital Program Department.
“This is very important for Hillsborough County because safety and security of kids is an utmost for all of the projects that we implement,” she mentioned. “We are implementing features that will protect and provide enhancements to the safety of the kids crossing those roads.”
In truth, Hillsborough County is planning $2.8 million in enhancements for the world round Collins Elementary. According to the county, these enhancements will embody:
- A brand new eastbound left-turn lane on Panther Trace Boulevard at Summerfield Boulevard.
- Extension of the eastbound left-turn lane on Panther Trace Boulevard on the Collins Elementary School driveway to offer further automotive queuing and cut back visitors throughout school pick-up/drop-off.
- A brand new westbound right-turn lane on Panther Trace Boulevard at Summerfield Boulevard and the addition of a raised median separating the right-turn lane and thru lane on the intersection.
- A brand new northbound right-turn lane on Summerfield Boulevard on the new school driveway to offer storage and deceleration for the primary car pick-up and drop-off loop.
- A brand new southbound right-turn lane on Summerfield Boulevard at Panther Trace Boulevard.
- A brand new southbound left-turn lane on Summerfield Boulevard on the new school driveway.
- Sidewalk widening to offer an 8-foot-wide sidewalk to reinforce walkability.
- Implementation of a pedestrian-activated rectangular rapid-flashing beacon on the school crossing on the east leg of the intersection of Summerfield Boulevard and Panther Trace Boulevard. Improvements for this crossing embody extending the median to offer a pedestrian refuge space and improve pedestrian security.
Hillsborough County
“The project is funded for construction, and we anticipate having construction plans ready by spring 2023,” mentioned Gonzalez.
However, before development begins, Hillsborough County hopes to listen to from extra mother and father and drivers who know the world. An on-line survey is open by means of Monday. Find the survey at this link.
Rousseau’s suggestions? The modifications are wanted to alleviate the congestion that’s inflicting harmful circumstances.
“I’m just trying to get out of here to go to work or drop my kid off at daycare, and you’re stuck there as if it was rush-hour traffic,” she mentioned.
