By Ralph

For students who walk or bicycle to Brandon High School and Limona Elementary School, getting to class could eventually become safer and more comfortable.

Hillsborough County is moving forward with a $2.97 million Safe Routes to School project designed to improve pedestrian and bicycle routes serving the two Brandon schools.

The project is currently in the design phase, with construction scheduled to begin in early 2027 and finish in early 2028, according to Hillsborough County's current project schedule.

Why These Two Schools?

The project didn't begin simply because officials decided the area could use a few new sidewalks.

Hillsborough County says student walking routes were identified and studied specifically to determine where pedestrian and bicycle improvements could increase safety and comfort for students traveling to and from school.

Those improvements were discussed with Hillsborough County Public Schools, advisory committees and members of the community before being finalized.

The effort stems from a broader county school-route safety program. Hillsborough's transportation planning process evaluated schools using factors including students' exposure to traffic, crashes and socioeconomic conditions. More than a dozen schools in unincorporated Hillsborough County were subsequently grouped into project areas based partly on overlapping attendance boundaries.

Brandon High and Limona Elementary became one of those paired project areas.

Where the Money Is Going

The current project budget totals $2,970,846.95.

Of that:

• $2.4 million is budgeted for construction.
• About $450,265 is allocated to design and land.
• Approximately $120,582 is allocated to planning.

That's a substantial investment aimed specifically at people traveling around the area without a car.

And while the county's current project page describes the work broadly as pedestrian and bicycle improvements, earlier planning for the project examined issues such as incomplete or poorly maintained sidewalks, traffic controls, lighting, traffic volumes and crashes.

The Timing Is Particularly Important

The project comes as families around Brandon High are already dealing with another major infrastructure project.

Pipeline construction on Victoria Street, directly adjacent to Brandon High, has temporarily changed how students, parents, teachers and visitors reach the school.

As of the latest construction notice, Victoria Street is closed to through traffic from Meade Street to North Parsons Avenue, with school traffic being directed to approach from the west using Limona Road and Meade Street.

Students walking or bicycling from east of the high school are being directed to use the existing sidewalk along the south side of Victoria Street between Brandon High and North Kings Avenue. Temporary fencing is being installed between that sidewalk and the construction area to provide a safer passage.

That pipeline construction is separate from the Safe Routes to School project, but together the two projects highlight just how much transportation infrastructure around Brandon High is currently changing.

What Happens Next?

According to Hillsborough County's latest published schedule, the Safe Routes project is in design, with construction expected to begin in early 2027.

The county currently expects the work to be completed in early 2028. Officials caution that project costs and schedules are estimates and can change; the county says those figures are updated weekly.

Residents can also submit comments or questions about the project through Hillsborough County.

Hillsborough County — Brandon High & Limona Elementary Safe Routes to School project

What It Means for Brandon

For most drivers, sidewalks, crossings and bicycle routes can be easy to overlook.

For a student who uses them every morning and afternoon, they're considerably more important.

Nearly $3 million is now committed to improving those routes around two longtime Brandon schools.

The construction won't happen overnight. But when the work is completed, the goal is straightforward: give Brandon students a safer way to make one of the most familiar trips they'll ever take—the trip to and from school.