ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — From new sidewalks and improved lighting to safer crossings and redesigned roads, Orange County is investing millions of dollars in transportation projects to make it safer for students to walk, bike, and drive to school.
More than 115 safety improvements have been completed through the county’s Accelerated Transportation Safety Program, a five-year, $100 million effort focused on reducing crashes and improving safety across the county.
Along Oleander Drive near Colonial High School and Good Shepherd Catholic School, new sidewalks are filling gaps that once forced students and other pedestrians to navigate areas without a continuous walking path.
Louis Abramsky, who was visiting family who lives nearby, said he immediately noticed the improvements.
“They did a really nice job all the way down the block,” Abramsky said. “Less chance of a tripping problem or water gathering.”
The county says projects were prioritized in part based on their proximity to schools and areas where students faced hazardous walking conditions.
“Kids are able to walk to school. There’s connectivity around the community, as well as roadway lighting, which helps to prevent accidents from occurring,” said Kelly Nowell with Orange County Public Works.
The improvements include new sidewalks, roadway lighting, speed tables, and traffic signals. One new signal was installed just before the start of school at the intersection of Clarcona Ocoee Road and Fountains West Boulevard, near Ocoee High School.
Orange County is now about halfway through the five-year program and says it has invested more than $40 million so far.
Another major project is already making a difference near Jones High School. Along South Rio Grande Avenue, crews lowered the speed limit, reduced the number of travel lanes, and added pedestrian islands and buffered bike lanes.
The projects are part of the county’s larger effort to eliminate traffic deaths.
“As a result of our efforts, we’ve already seen a reduction of up to 28 percent in traffic fatalities from 2022 to 2024,” Nowell said.
So far, Orange County says the program has delivered 15 miles of new sidewalks, 26.5 miles of roadway lighting, and 24 miles of safer road corridors.
For Abramsky, the improvements are especially important as thousands of students return to classrooms.
“I myself am a retired schoolteacher, so I know what I’m talking about,” Abramsky said.
The county says work will continue as it moves through the remaining years of the $100 million program, with the goal of making walking, biking and driving safer for students and families across Orange County.
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