TAMPA, Fla. — A Tampa mother has safety concerns about the location of the bus stop her kids walk to.
Watching cars speed down Clewis Avenue is always a concern for Jessica Bradford, especially when thinking of her 8-and 10-year-old children walking on it.
There are no sidewalks there — and she says drivers often speed on the straightaway.
“There are ditches on both sides. So really, there’s nowhere else to walk but on the road. There are also no streetlights, so it’s completely dark at 6:30 a.m. when you have tons of kids walking to this one bus stop,” Bradford said.
Bradford’s kids attend IDEA Hope, a charter school that is not affiliated with Hillsborough County Schools. Bradford says the bus stop was moved from her neighborhood to the Stop & Save Food Store this school year, which means her kids now walk further along Clewis Avenue.
“My kids used to wait for the bus no problem. Now they must walk on this very dangerous road with no sidewalks,” Bradford said.
Clewis Avenue is a two-lane, north-south road between MLK Boulevard and Hillsborough Avenue in Tampa. As of now, there are no plans for sidewalks there.
Bradford says she tried getting the school to change the stop back to where it was.
In a statement, IDEA Hope told Spectrum Bay News 9:
“IDEA Hope is aware of a parent who is concerned about an assigned bus stop location. Our transportation team has carefully reviewed the approved stop, including walking the route directly, and found no safety concerns for any students. We are in close communication with the parent and will continue working to ensure a safe and consistent transportation experience for all students.”
Bradford hopes the school will consider moving the stop, not just for her kids but for others who walk along Clewis Avenue as well.
“I love how my kids get education there. They absolutely love it. This is the first issue I’ve ever had. And I’ve had to take it this far because safety of my kids is my number 1 priority,” Bradford said.
Tim Wronka
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