ORLANDO, Fla. -- Upgrades to the roads in the Pine Hills neighborhood are in the works after a new study found the area to be deadly for pedestrians and bicyclists.
- County study: Pine Hills area deadly for pedestrians, cyclists
- Pine Hills area saw more than 1,200 crashes over past 2 years
- County is looking at several measures to make the area safer
An Orange County study found that over the past two years, the area around Pine Hills Road and Pine Hills saw more than 1,200 crashes -- 73 of those involving bicyclists and pedestrians.
With so many crashes, many of them resulting in fatalities, the county said it's time for change.
That's something that people living in the area -- which includes busy Evans High School -- say is past due.
"It's really scary, because I have to wait for a car to cross in front of me, and that driver has to decide whether they are going to let you pass or if they want to go," Evans High student Catrina Aime said.
Now, the county is looking at several measures to prevent injuries and deaths in the area, including:
- Making lanes along major roadways in Pine Hills narrower to make room for a bike lane,
- Adding raised medians in some spots,
- Flashing pedestrian crossing warning signs,
- Adding some mid-intersection crosswalks to discourage people from crossing outside of crosswalks in the area.
Although some improvements, such as increasing lighting along roadways, is already going in place, the main construction is more than two years away from starting, officials said.