Editor's Note: This story has been updated to correct the neighborhood location from NE Tallahassee to SE Tallahassee.
- Safety and mobility improvements are coming to Victory Garden Drive neighbors.
- A City of Tallahassee project will build a new sidewalk stretching from Apalachee Parkway to Park Avenue.
- Construction begins July 8, 2024.
- Watch the video to hear from neighbors about what these improvements mean to them.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Pedestrian safety is set to increase in Southeast Tallahassee, thanks to a new sidewalk coming soon to Victory Garden Drive.
I'm Kenya Cardonne, breaking down the details of the project and speaking with neighbors about what the improvements mean to them.
Victory Garden Drive — a road that sits right in between a local Papa Johns and Del Taco, commonly used by neighbors in SE Tallahassee.
Yet, it's missing something: a sidewalk.
Randy Lombardo, Neighbor - "I've seen the area change quite a bit over the years."
Randy Lombardo has lived in Tallahassee for more than 40 years and rides his bike on Victory Garden Drive every week.
He's a Rickards High School Alum who recalls what it was like to wait at his bus stop on this sidewalk-less street.
Lombardo - "It's a safety issue. I remember when my parents were alive, they were mad that there were no sidewalks."
A City of Tallahassee project is set to change this.
Crews will build a 6 foot sidewalk along this road, from Apalachee Parkway to Park Avenue.
Existing ditches on one side of the road will be filled and some trees will be planted as well.
Gloria Darling, Owner of Replay Fitness - "I think it's an excellent use of our tax dollars."
An online crash database from the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles department shows at least four deadly pedestrian accidents in Leon County so far this year.
It's a number Gloria Darling, owner of Replay Fitness on this street, tells me is unacceptable.
Darling - "It's even more horrific when it comes from an accident that could have been prevented."
Darling says supporting a project like this is a no-brainer.
Darling - "I think it's wonderful to have a sidewalk going down the street that way we can get more pedestrian traffic in front of our businesses as well as safety for everyone walking along the street."
Construction is expected to begin Monday, July 8th.
