BRANDON, Fla. — With more people moving to Brandon, thousands of people travel busy Lumsden Road.
Alfredo Castro lives nearby and runs along the sidewalk near the road almost every day. “This is terrible to get through here at any time not only in rush hour. It’s awful,” he said.
It’s a stark difference today from the time when it was just a service road to an orange grove owned by the Lumsden family. Now filled with cars and no oranges there are not many good things people we spoke to can say about the road. With memorials lining the street, people are calling for change.
Neighbor Louis Duran says a light is needed.
“There’s nothing here to protect you,” Castro said. “You just have to floor it.”
It’s why Hillsborough County leaders are installing traffic lights at the two intersections where Heather Lakes Blvd meets up with Lumsden Road. A community feedback meeting was held on the issue last year.
The county says the project will improve mobility through this area, making it safer for both cars and pedestrians, especially at intersections.
The issue is some people say, with construction underway, getting here has been a traffic hassle and there’s concern that once it’s complete, it could slow things down even more.
”A light is a start but then there’s going to be traffic over here so I’m not even sure if that’s the solution. Widen the streets,” Castro said.
The concern is that east and west traffic on Lumsden will slow to a crawl. Others say getting somewhere a little delayed is better than not at all.
“This is a Spanish community so there’s a lot of kids," Duran said. “A light here will prevent accidents and save lives.”
In addition to the lights, plans include extending turn lanes, pedestrian upgrades and making sidewalks ADA accessible. While some dread possible slowdowns, others we spoke to are looking for a safer drive for everyone.
The work was scheduled to be done by the end of this year. County workers we spoke to say it’s delayed. An exact time frame for when the project will be completed is dependent on that.