HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — “The community has made it known that they want sidewalks,” said Dr. Sarah Combs, CEO of the University Area CDC.
It’s a project that’s crucial for Hillsborough County’s University Area.
“Our main mode of transportation here in the University Area is walking and biking. So sidewalks are just essential to the health and wellness of our residents,” said Combs.
Crews are installing more sidewalks over the next few weeks to build a safe walking community.
“We’re so excited to be able to be installing brand new sidewalks in the heart of the University Area community with a special thanks to Hillsborough County for working with us for being able to get these new sidewalks installed,” said Combs.
This project has been years in the making.
“We were working on putting in new sidewalks for about 10 years. We did a walkability study that really showed the need for sidewalks in our community,” said Combs.
In this phase of the project, crews are connecting gaps within the University Area around Harvest Hope Park.
Community leaders have been fighting for pedestrian and bicycle safety infrastructure.
Officials believe more people walk and bike in this area than most around Tampa Bay.
“We’re also going to be installing raised crosswalks and some speed bumps,” said Combs.
ABC Action News spoke with several neighbors who did not want to go on camera but said these sidewalks would help them get out of the way of traffic and make them feel safer getting around.
“Sidewalks are so incredibly important,” said Combs.
This phase of the project also heavily focuses on making sure kids are protected walking.
“We’re making sure that we’re connecting all of our great assets in the community for our children. So ensuring that we have a safe travel path from Mort Elementary, back to Harvest Hope Park, back to UACDC. It’s so important for our kids to have a safe travel path as they walk to school and also as they walk to after-school programming,” said Combs.
