Elson Hilaire has noticed a disturbing trend just outside the door of his child care business off Orange Blossom Trail.

  • Portion of South Orange Blossom Trail is dangerous for pedestrians
  • Business owner near OBT and Holden Avenue has seen several accidents
  • FDOT will install 'HAWK' traffic signals there starting in 2019

There have been several serious, even fatal, accidents involving pedestrians.

"There have been numerous crashes,” Hilaire said. “Actually, from recent memory, an older lady in a wheelchair actually got hit and unfortunately passed away. And two kids died recently. So it's pretty bad," said Hilaire, the owner of Ivy League Achievers Academy, close to Holden Avenue in Orlando.

Recent studies have shown that Orange Blossom Trail between Holden Avenue and 34th Street is just as treacherous for pedestrians as stretches of Colonial Drive and State Road 436.

"All too often we are seeing that the pedestrian is simply walking into traffic where they are not supposed to," Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Steve Montiero said.


Elson Hilaire, who owns a child-care business on South Orange Blossom Trail, says he's seen several serious, even fatal accidents in front of his business. (News 13)

As it turns out, officials have been mulling over this area for quite some time.

In October of last year, pedestrian crossing improvements were approved for Orange Blossom Trail between Holden Avenue and 34th Street based on a third-party study completed last January.

Soon, all three existing crosswalks in the area will receive what the Florida Department of Transportation calls "High Intensity Activated CrossWalk," or H.A.W.K., traffic signals to attract more pedestrians.

The light will stay green most of the time for vehicular traffic and will not turn red unless a pedestrian pushes a button at the crosswalk that will turn the light red.

In addition, lighting and additional signs will be added to the area to increase nighttime visibility in the area.


The cost to install 3 'HAWK,' or 'High Intensity Activated CrossWalks,' on Orange Blossom Trail between Holden Avenue and 34th Street is a little more than $1 million. (News 13)

"Will this make it a little more convenient and a little more attractive to a pedestrian? We can only hope so," Montiero said.

Those improvements will take some time to be implemented. Only the preliminary engineering has begun, with the project expected to be started sometime in 2019. The overall cost of the project is a little over $1 million.

In the meantime, Hilaire, a local kid turned community leader, knows that change starts with education.

"It's all about the kids. I just want them to be safe. There are a lot of kids walking here and there. There's actually a school right over there. You don't want to hear about kids getting hit by cars," Hilaire said.


News 13 has partnered with the Florida Department of Transportation on its “Alert Today, Alive Tomorrow” campaign. The idea is to make sure we’re all sharing the road with people who walk or ride their bikes, and everyone makes it where they need to be safely. FDOT has all kinds of resources for you on alerttodayflorida.com.