RIVERVIEW, Fla. — Alexis Rousseau lives just around the corner from Collins Elementary School in Riverview, but if her son — who’s currently in preschool — attends Collins one day, he won’t be walking to school until the roads around 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 said.
Rousseau said it’s that mix of drivers passing through and drivers in the school car line that makes the intersection near the school, Panther Trace Boulevard and Summerfield Boulevard, dangerous during drop-off and pick-up times.
“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 said. “And so, you know, it’s only a matter of time, probably, before something happens.”
Hillsborough County heard the concerns loud and clear, said Sandra Gonzalez, a design manager 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 said. “We are implementing features that will protect and provide enhancements to the safety of the kids crossing those roads.”
In fact, Hillsborough County is planning $2.8 million in improvements for the area around Collins Elementary. According to the county, those improvements will include:
- A new eastbound left-turn lane on Panther Trace Boulevard at Summerfield Boulevard.
- Extension of the eastbound left-turn lane on Panther Trace Boulevard at the Collins Elementary School driveway to provide additional car queuing and reduce traffic during school pick-up/drop-off.
- A 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 through lane at the intersection.
- A new northbound right-turn lane on Summerfield Boulevard at the new school driveway to provide storage and deceleration for the main vehicle pick-up and drop-off loop.
- A new southbound right-turn lane on Summerfield Boulevard at Panther Trace Boulevard.
- A new southbound left-turn lane on Summerfield Boulevard at the new school driveway.
- Sidewalk widening to provide an 8-foot-wide sidewalk to enhance walkability.
- Implementation of a pedestrian-activated rectangular rapid-flashing beacon at the school crossing on the east leg of the intersection of Summerfield Boulevard and Panther Trace Boulevard. Improvements for this crossing include extending the median to provide a pedestrian refuge area and enhance pedestrian safety.
“The project is funded for construction, and we anticipate having construction plans ready by spring 2023,” said Gonzalez.
However, before construction begins, Hillsborough County hopes to hear from more parents and drivers who know the area. An online survey is open through Monday. Find the survey at this link.
Rousseau’s feedback? The changes are needed to alleviate the congestion that’s causing dangerous conditions.
“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 said.
