EATONVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Department of Transportation is teaming up with local municipalities to encourage kids to walk or bike to school by filling in the gaps in sidewalks.

What You Need To Know

  • FDOT is funding six Safe Routes to School projects in Central Florida

  • Program provides money to fill gaps in sidewalks and make repairs

  • Officials say the goal is to encourage kids to walk or bike to school

Near Hungerford Elementary School in Eatonville, some sidewalks abruptly end. Others are in poor condition.

“A lot of these sidewalks are broken, uneven, need to be replaced,” said Eatonville resident Anthony Lane.

Safe Routes to School is an FDOT-funded program that gives funds to local municipalities to fill the gaps in sidewalks near schools.

Currently there are six active Safe Routes to School projects in Central Florida:

    1. Hungerford Elementary School

        Winter Park/Eatonville

        Construction expected to start in May 2025 and be completed by September 2025.

    2. Stone Magnet Middle School

        Melbourne

        Construction expected to start in March 2025 and be completed by July 2025.

    3. Campbell Middle School & Turie T. Small Elementary School

        Daytona Beach

        Construction expected to start in May 2025 and be completed by November 2025.

    4. Hickory Tree Elementary School

        Osceola County

        This project is currently only funded for design.

    5. Boggy Creek Elementary & Parkway Middle Schools

        Osceola County

        This project is currently only funded for design.

    6. Deerwood Elementary

        Osceola County

        The project has been funded for fiscal year 2028, so construction dates are not yet available.

The city of Winter Park is in charge of the sidewalk repair and installation project for Hungerford Elementary. In addition to sidewalks, work will be done to improve street crossings.

Lane hopes the work keeps his children safe.

"I prefer for them to be on the sidewalk, and they can’t be on the sidewalk if it’s all broken and unlevel because that’s a hazard risk,” he said. “So let’s get it done.”