Hillsborough County, Fla. (Aug. 11, 2025) - Pinecrest Elementary School will be studied in the coming year to identify walking and bicycling safety improvements along school walking routes to provide enhanced safety and comfort for both students and residents in the community.
Residents can review plans and share feedback on the Hillsborough County Engagement Hub through Aug. 22.
Students residing less than 2 miles from school are ineligible for bus service, making it essential that walking and biking remain accessible options for all.
The goal of the Hillsborough County School Route Safety Improvement Program is to create safer, more welcoming routes to encourage more students to walk and bicycle to school. Each year, engineers study routes students use to get to school to identify safety improvements for pedestrians and bicyclists. These include engineering techniques to slow driver speeds, reduced posted speed limits, improved signal operations to support drivers yielding to students crossing at intersections, new and wider sidewalks, high-visibility crosswalks with flashing beacons to get drivers to stop at student crossings, and separation between bicyclists and drivers on the road.
These proposed improvements are shared with School Project Advisory Committees made up of school principals, PTA members, and other stakeholders to gather their feedback and support. The County is now conducting the virtual engagement to share proposed pedestrian and bicycling improvements with parents and the community and obtain feedback, learn about community safety priorities, and incorporate it into the project where feasible.
Safety improvements currently being considered for Pinecrest Elementary School walking routes include:
- New high-visibility crosswalks and pedestrian signage
- Extend school zone on Lithia Pinecrest Road and adjust flashing beacons
- New school zone on C.R. 39 south of Lithia Pinecrest Road with flashing beacon signage
- New shared-use path along the south side of Lithia Pinecrest Road from signalized intersection west to school
- New sidewalk ramps
- New crosswalks and pedestrian-friendly signal timing at Lithia Pinecrest Road at C.R. 39 intersection (east leg and north leg), to be done with signalized intersection project CIP # 69695000
- Study feasibility of reducing posted speeds to the south and east along Lithia Pinecrest Road and C.R. 39
- Study feasibility of new shared-use paths to the south and east along Lithia Pinecrest Road and C.R. 39, and street lighting
Virtual Public Engagement Opportunity
The County is conducting a virtual engagement using the Hillsborough Engagement & Education Hub to collect feedback from the public on the School Route Safety Improvement Program. The virtual engagement for this project is open through Aug. 22, 2025. Visit HCFL.Gov/HCEngage to participate.
For general information, email Hillsborough County Public Works at PWCustomerResolution@HCFL.gov or call (813) 635-5400.