Pasco County is building nearly 13 miles of new sidewalks near 19 schools, filling gaps that county school officials say have left students walking along some of the area's most dangerous routes.

The zone around Wesley Chapel Elementary is among the worst. School officials identified it as one of the more dangerous areas for students who walk or bike to school, as first reported by Bay News 9 on Sept. 25.

Busing cuts left students walking unsafe roads

The project traces back to 2022, when the Pasco County School District cut courtesy busing for roughly 3,000 middle and high school students who lived within 2 miles of their schools. A district spokesperson said at the time that the state does not fund those routes, and a bus driver shortage made the voluntary service unsustainable, Fox 13 reported.

That left kids walking streets with no sidewalks.

Pasco County Commissioner Seth Weightman said he took up the cause after learning about the busing cuts. "Since 2022, we've captured over $22 million in federal, state and Penny for Pasco dollars for our safe routes to schools funding," Weightman said. The school district provided the county a ranked list of its most dangerous walking routes, he said.

Penny for Pasco is a 1-cent sales tax first approved by voters in 2004. Voters renewed it in November 2022 for another 15 years starting in January 2025, district budget records show.

Crews targeting sidewalk gaps within 2 miles

Beau Thompson, Pasco County's engineering manager, said crews focused on connecting missing sidewalk segments within the 2-mile radius around schools. The county plans to install 12.79 miles of sidewalk during this school year, benefiting students at 19 campuses and surrounding neighborhoods.

Work is already visible beyond Wesley Chapel. Along Parkway Boulevard in Land O' Lakes, the county is building a sidewalk from Pineview Elementary to Collier Parkway, a stretch WTSP identified as the county's most dangerous school pedestrian route. That project includes a new crosswalk and is expected to take about 200 days.

Near Trinity Oaks Elementary, a 1.4-mile sidewalk along Mitchell Boulevard is under construction. Crews are using gravity walls to stabilize the path and protect the tree line, according to Pasco County's public information office.

Parents say safety improvements are overdue

Erica Galloway, a Pasco County school parent, said the improvements are overdue. "It's nice that the county is realizing some things that need to be improved to make sure our kids get to school and get home safely back to their families," Galloway told Bay News 9.

No countywide completion date has been announced for the full 12.79-mile program.