Seth Weightman, a Pasco County commissioner known as Sidewalk Seth, has successfully secured over $22 million to construct 14.5 miles of sidewalks at schools throughout the county. The initiative, part of the Safe Routes to School program, began with groundbreaking at Pineview Elementary and Middle schools on August 19. This initial project addresses safety concerns where students previously walked near a busy bus garage without proper pedestrian infrastructure. Weightman emphasized collaboration between the Board of Commissioners and school district officials to identify the most dangerous locations first. Future projects will expand to Shady Hills Road, Wesley Chapel, and numerous other communities including Land O Lakes, Dade City, Trinity, Port Richey, Hudson, and New Port Richey. Funding primarily comes from Penny for Pasco, a voter-approved sales tax that has generated over $1 billion since 2005. The commissioner plans to continue pursuing additional funding in upcoming legislative sessions to complete all planned sidewalk improvements.
Key Points:
- Seth Weightman has secured more than $22 million to build 14.5 miles of sidewalk at elementary, middle and high schools across Pasco County.
- The first project broke ground on August 19 serving Pineview Elementary and Pineview Middle schools along Collier Parkway and Parkway Boulevard.
- Funding primarily comes from Penny for Pasco, a voter-approved 1% infrastructure sales surtax that runs through December 2039.
