JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It's an area with a reputation for being dangerous, but now, the fast-growing Southside Boulevard could become a little more pedestrian-friendly.
The Florida Department of Transportation is making safety improvements to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
New sidewalks and crossings are going in near the Avenues Mall and Deer Creek Country Club, between Malabar Boulevard and Paradise Island.
Sidewalks are also going in near the Tinseltown area, between Touchton Road and Hogan Road, intended to improve safety for pedestrians.
Anyone who drives in this area on a regular basis knows there's a lot of growth in the area and the FDOT hopes the new sidewalks and crosswalks will help make this area a little safer, though residents are split over whether it will actually help.
For Carolyn Weaver, word of new sidewalks and crosswalk improvements in the area is welcome news.
"I've lived here for 34 years and this used to be one of the most dangerous intersections in Jacksonville, so I think it's a great idea," Weaver said.
But people like Tara Pitts, who works nearby, aren't as confident.
"Yeah, I would never cross (Southside Boulevard). I would be terrified because I would always think that a car was going to not see me and just come out and try to make the light or something like that. Try to make the yellow light and come through really fast and don't see that pedestrian," Pitts said.
It's an opinion shared by many with the dangers of the area underlined by the death of 72-year-old Hiram Morales, who was hit and killed by an SUV as he crossed Southside in January.
Ron Tittle, of the Florida Department of Transportation, said the improvements are about making people more aware of the pedestrians who are in the area.
"One of the challenges that we see is that when people, when they're turning into areas like this, they may not be as observant. So we've got to get the message out for people, when you're in these areas, to be observant and to yield to pedestrians," Tittle said.
FDOT officials believe the addition of crosswalks and sidewalks will create a safer environment for pedestrians, but the improvements to this area alone, come at a cost of $659,000 which, according to Tittle, is well-worth it.
"We want to be good stewards of the taxpayers' dollars to help build safer and more efficient roadway systems and to accommodate the cyclists and pedestrians as well," Tittle said.
"I guess you'll just have to play it by ear and see, see if it decreases the amount of accidents that happen," Pitts said.
FDOT officials also said if you see something that needs improving, let them know.
All of these changes are expected to be finished sometime later this summer.