Hillsborough County Plans Safety Overhaul for Apollo Beach Due to Traffic Worries

Officials have started studying ways to fix Apollo Beach Boulevard. The work aims to add better paths for walking, new spots to cross the street, and changes to handle the growing number of cars.

"Fast cars. Sidewalks aren't super wide," said Casey Appleby to ABC Action News. "You get lots of bikes on the sidewalk because the road's too busy."

Workers will check broken walkways and study a plan to turn driving space into paths for bikes and golf carts. At Fairway Boulevard and Manila Palm Way, new turn lanes might help cars move better.

The street shows clear signs of wear. Broken paths and missing crosswalks make walking risky. New fixes should help people reach shops more safely, especially in busy spots where many cross the street.

"You have a bunch of people, especially by like Finn's and Circles, where there's like really no parking, and then you just kind of gotta wait until traffic clears to be able to go across," said Zujey Chavez.

Apollo Beach Elementary's growth adds to street crowding. "The school keeps adding grades, which means more cars show up each year," Appleby said.

From May 27 through June 10, residents can share ideas online. The county wants input about the planned changes through their website.