I love to see signs of progress! So imagine my surprise when driving down Silver Star Rd. one day and seeing these beautiful towering signs, proudly proclaiming that you were in Pine Hills! The signage was the culmination of years of meetings which resulted in a study was undertaken at the Pine Hills Road and Silver Star Road Intersection to identify potential gateway opportunities.
The team coordinated with Orange County, FDOT District 5, Pine Hills Neighborhood Improvement District (PHNID), the Pine Hills Community Council, and Evans High School to complete the project.
Many of the goals proposed in the Community Planning Assistance Team (CPAT) Town Center Report (produced jointly by the American Planning Association and the PHNID) were also met by these proposed gateway improvements. The communities’ unique tag line: “Many Cultures, One Bright Future” and the colorful community logo were incorporated in the gateway and wayfinding signage.
The Pine Hills Road Pedestrian Safety project, from Colonial Drive to Bonnie Brae Circle, will
address pedestrian and bicycle safety. The following recommendations from the 2018 safety
study will be implemented:
• Reconstructing Pine Hills Road between Colonial Drive and Bonnie Brae Circle with a raised
median and dedicated left turn lanes to promote safety.
• Widening the existing 5 foot wide sidewalk on the east side of the road, to a 12 foot wide
shared-use path from Silver Star Road to Bonnie Brae Circle as part of the Pine Hills Trail.
• Adding a 7 foot wide dedicated bike lane in each direction from Colonial Drive to Silver Star
Road.
• Providing intersection improvements for better access to Pine Hills Road from cross streets.
• Adding crosswalk marking and detectable warning pads at intersections, cross streets, and
driveways.
• Adding a mid-block crossing location to increase safer pedestrian access between
intersections.
• Improving signage to better warn drivers of pedestrian crossing locations; including adding
pedestrian signal at crossing locations.