Three Hillsborough County Elementary Schools are expected to get new, five-foot sidewalks in an effort to prevent crashes.
Mort Elementary, Kenly Elementary and Gibsonton Elementary are all expected to get sidewalk upgrades, according to the Transportation Improvement Program for the Hillsborough MPO.
Mort Elementary School is expected to get new five-foot sidewalks at various locations around the school, including at 19th street and within the neighborhood.
Gibsonton Elementary School is expected to get new sidewalks from Alafia St and Vern Street, which passes directly in front of the school.
Kenly Elementary School is expected to get new sidewalks from 21st Ave. from 66th St to 62nd St.
That is a welcome relief to one Kenly mom, who plans on walking her daughter to school next year as she starts kindergarten.
‘It can be very scary because the cars sometimes don’t see the kids because they’re so little,” said Whitney Howard, who lives near 66th and 21st.
There have been a series of recorded crashes within a .5 square mile of the schools within the last five years. This also includes a combined five traffic deaths between all five schools.
These projects are on the MPO’s priority list, and FDOT allocated funds to them during the most recent (winter/spring) update of the FDOT Work Program, according to MPO documents.
