PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — A local group called Forward Pinellas is working to make the streets of Pinellas County safer for drivers and pedestrians. One of the roads in its Safe Streets Pinellas Action plan is Seminole Boulevard.
Forward Pinellas said it's one of the busiest roads in the county. A consultant working with Forward Pinellas will present a study on Tuesday which will include residents’ concerns and improvements the city of Largo should consider.
Hannah Lora said safety concerns on this six-lane highway stretch beyond Largo.
“They can't walk there because it's too dangerous,” Lora said.
Lora is a spirit realm artist.
“These are my spirit flowers also known as soul flowers. It symbolizes finding light in a dark space and not being afraid of dark spaces,” Lora said.
She said her mother Delia Manjarrez is a huge inspiration behind her work.
“I always loved painting skulls and dark stuff and then I started painting flowers and my mom was so stocked on it. So, when she passed, I knew I should probably keep painting flowers. That’s the path I’m on right now,” Lora said.
It's been a little over two years since Manjarrez was killed while crossing Seminole Boulevard in Seminole. Investigators with the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said speed or impairment did not appear to play a role.
“That's what’s scary about it because I didn't just lose my mother, but there's somebody out there that has to live with the fact that they killed her. When it's only so much their fault it's really just the design of our roads that are truly at fault,” Lora said.
Lora is just one of many people who have lost a loved one on this street. Valerie Brookens with Forward Pinellas said this is just one road with a higher percentage of significant injury crashes or fatalities.
“The roadway was designed really to move cars, not people. So that's where the struggle comes in,” Brookens said.
Forward Pinellas said it reached out to multiple cities, and Largo responded to partner with them in applying for a federal grant to help improve safety. Right now, it's focusing on Seminole Boulevard between Ulmerton Road and 8th Avenue. Brookens said there were nearly 550 crashes just in that stretch between 2018 and 2022.
“And out of those crashes, 19 were either killed or seriously injured in those crashes,” Brookens said.
Brookens said the group is considering adding a traffic signal and more crosswalks, something Lora would like to see in Seminole as well.
The city of Seminole said it collaborates with the Florida Department of Transportation(FDOT) for certain road improvement projects. FDOT has two intersection projects expected to start along the road in 2028.
“It really comes down to realigning our priorities when it comes to road safety and not prioritizing the road safety of cars. There are so many roads on Seminole Boulevard all over Florida because something should've been done the first time,” Lora said.
Forward Pinellas said it recently applied for another federal grant. The city of Seminole said it does not have any plans to partner with the group on future projects right now.
If you are wondering if you live or work in or near a high-injury network. The group has a map of hotspots on its website.