Through May 9, 2025, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office will have additional deputies on patrol at specific corridors with a high occurrence of pedestrian and bicyclist crashes. Special attention will be directed towards increasing awareness of the dangerous behaviors that are contributing to serious and fatal injuries at these locations.
Hillsborough County ranks in the top 26 counties in Florida for traffic crashes resulting in serious and fatal injuries to pedestrians and bicyclists. To help reverse this trend, HCSO is participating in the Florida Department of Transportation High Visibility Enforcement (HVE) Program aimed at educating Central Florida motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians on Florida’s traffic laws to improve safety on Hillsborough County roads.
Deputies will look for drivers speeding, failing to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks, conducting improper turns or signal violations, and using hand-held devices while driving. Deputies also will watch for pedestrians who cross the street illegally or fail to yield to motorists who have the right-of-way.
Bicyclists will be stopped for riding against traffic, riding at night without lights or not abiding by the same laws as motor vehicles. Deputies will issue warnings and citations only when appropriate.
The following Tampa Bay area locations will be part of the upcoming HVE operation:
- W. Hillsborough Avenue, from Kelly Road to Sunforest Drive
- Orient Road, from Thrasher Drive to Zeimis Drive
- E. Fletcher Avenue, from Cecelia Avenue to Platte Creek Circle
- S. 78th Street, from Parish Place to Destin Drive
- N. 15th Street, from Teresa Food Market (11733 N 15th St) to E. 122nd Avenue
- Causeway Boulevard, from Windermere Oaks Lane to US 301
- E. Fletcher Avenue, from I-275 to N. Nebraska Avenue
- US 41/S. 50th Street, from 17th Avenue S. to 534 S 50th St
- W. Waters Avenue, from Anderson Road to Florida Mining Boulevard
- Gibsonton Drive, from US 41 to New East Bay Road
- US Highway 41, from Ohio Street to Gibsonton Drive
- Brandon Boulevard, from N. Kings Avenue to N. Mount Carmel Road
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., from Williams Road to S. Kingsway Road
- US 41, from E. College Avenue to Thriftway Plaza
- US 301, from Murphy Road to Shady Falls Court
- W. Waters Avenue, from N. Manhattan Avenue to N. Grady Avenue
- Bruce B Downs Boulevard, from Campus Hill Drive to E. 131st Avenue
- N. US 301, from Sabal Industrial Road to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
- N. 56th Street, from Harney Road to E. Hillsborough Avenue
- Bruce B Downs Boulevard, from Barnhard Drive to Cove Bend Drive
Funding for this program is provided through a contract with the University of North Florida’s Institute of Police Technology and Management (IPTM) funded by the Florida Department of Transportation. Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office will receive funds for overtime hours for deputies to conduct operations to educate the public about bicycle and pedestrian safety.
To keep the public safe, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office offers the following tips when biking, driving or walking:
- Drivers: obey speed limits, never drive impaired, and always watch for pedestrians and bicyclists
- Bicyclists: obey traffic laws, ride in the direction of traffic, and use lights when riding at night
- Pedestrians: cross in crosswalks or at intersections, obey pedestrian signals, and make sure you are visible to drivers when walking at night
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) developed Florida’s Bicycle/Pedestrian Focused Initiative in 2011 to lead all efforts to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety in the state. The public education campaign was branded “Alert Today Florida.”
The goal of this initiative is to eliminate traffic crashes on Florida’s roads that result in serious or fatal injuries to pedestrians and bicyclists. Objectives include advancing data collection, analysis, and evaluation to guide the implementation of comprehensive safety strategies directed towards areas with the highest representation of traffic crashes resulting in serious or fatal injuries to pedestrians and bicyclists.
