On Silver Star Road in Pine Hills, parents say just getting across the street can feel like a daily gamble. After a run of pedestrian crashes, the Florida Department of Transportation is rolling out a slate of upgrades, but neighbors are warning that a few new signals will not fix what they see as a dangerous stretch for families and students.
FDOT is bringing in new traffic designs, including a restricted crossing U-turn at Le Havre Boulevard, and a larger safety project farther west. Residents, though, keep coming back to the same basics: crosswalks where people actually walk, pavement markings you can see, and lighting bright enough that drivers cannot pretend they did not notice someone in the road.
FDOT Moves Ahead With Intersection Fixes
According to FDOT, the state is in the middle of installing a signalized Restricted Crossing U-turn at Le Havre Boulevard/Coast Line Drive. The design will enlarge the median to give pedestrians a refuge, upgrade traffic signals, and rebuild sidewalks so they meet ADA standards. FDOT lists the Le Havre project as currently under construction with an estimated completion date this fall.
Crash Counts Rattle Neighbors
FDOT officials told local reporters that three pedestrians have already been hit this year between Mercy Drive and Good Homes Road and that eight people were struck along the same stretch last year. For people who live nearby, those numbers sound depressingly familiar.
“It’s dangerous. That’s why I’m so scared to cross with my kid,” Amber Wilson told WKMG/ClickOrlando. Another neighbor, Jae Fortune, put it bluntly: “In a competition between a pedestrian and a U-turning driver, the car is going to win.”
Broader Corridor Project Targets 2027
FDOT’s Central Florida project page shows a larger safety effort between Lake Stanley Road and Hiawassee Road is in design, with a tentative letting planned later this year and construction expected in 2027, according to FDOT. Materials shared at public meetings indicated that this corridor saw 134 crashes between January 2020 and April 2025, a tally that helps explain why planners say intersection fixes have to be paired with corridor-wide improvements, as reported by MyNews13.
How A Restricted Crossing U-Turn Works
A Restricted Crossing U-turn (often called an RCUT) changes how side streets connect to a main road. Instead of letting drivers on the side street go straight across or make a left, it forces them to turn right, then make a U-turn farther down the main road. That setup cuts down on the left-turn and angle crashes that tend to be the most severe. It can also open up room for diagonal crosswalks and pedestrian refuge islands, according to the Federal Highway Administration as per FHWA.
FHWA studies have found that RCUTs can significantly reduce serious crashes, but transportation agencies also caution that the details matter. Designers have to account for bicyclists and make sure large vehicles can actually navigate the new pattern.
Neighbors Say Crosswalks And Lights Are Still Missing
Even with the RCUT and other intersection upgrades on the way, Pine Hills residents say Silver Star Road is still missing the basics in the spots where people are already crossing. Parents talk about kids dashing mid-block to catch a bus or walk to school, often in low light and with faded markings that do little to slow drivers down.
FDOT has said additional pedestrian crosswalks will be added near Le Havre Boulevard as part of the current work. That is a start, neighbors acknowledge, but residents told WKMG/ClickOrlando they are looking for a faster and more comprehensive response that reaches beyond a single intersection.
What Comes Next On Silver Star
FDOT says it will keep up public outreach as the corridor projects move from design to full construction. Local groups, meanwhile, plan to keep pressing county leaders for brighter lighting and shorter crossing distances along the road.
For now, families in Pine Hills are left to watch and wait. The test will be whether the new designs actually cut crashes along Silver Star Road or simply shift the danger to the next block over.
