Board advances Tiny Road parkway plan with roundabouts, separated trails and safety upgrades

The Orange County Board of County Commissioners approved a recommended design and funding plan for the Tiny Road corridor on March 11, 2025, endorsing a package of roadway, pedestrian and drainage improvements intended to reduce crash risk, improve visibility and add a 10‑foot shared use path on both sides of the corridor.

Project basics and findings Transportation staff said Tiny Road — currently a two‑lane paved road with flush shoulders and several steep hills — serves growing Horizon West subdivisions, recreational facilities and schools. Staff noted constrained sight distance on multiple approaches, a history of crashes on specific segments, and substantial projected traffic growth in the planning horizon. The project recommended adding two 11‑foot travel lanes, a 22‑foot raised median with mountable aprons for emergency access, and 10‑foot shared‑use trails on both sides of the corridor. The plan also includes roundabouts at key intersections, pedestrian hybrid beacons near school crossings, traffic‑calming measures and a multi‑basin stormwater plan coordinated across two water‑management districts.

Cost and environmental notes Staff identified a recommended option with an estimated construction cost of approximately $26.5 million. The project will require careful environmental permitting: the west side of the corridor includes conservation land and recharge basins that could host protected‑species habitat. Staff said the next design steps will include required species surveys and coordination with the St. Johns River and South Florida water‑management districts.

Public engagement and next steps County staff described outreach with homeowners’ associations, school officials and library/park stakeholders; staff said neighborhoods preferred higher‑quality landscaping and that some HOAs volunteered to assume future maintenance of planting strips. Commissioners unanimously approved the staff recommendation and asked transportation staff to proceed with design, permitting and coordinated funding steps. Construction timing depends on design approvals and permitting; staff said interim safety measures already in place include additional signage and raised pavement markers in the worst visibility zones.

Why it matters Tiny Road improvements aim to address an active safety issue for schoolchildren, trail users and commuters in a rapidly growing part of the county. The project emphasizes multimodal access and is designed to connect to the Horizon West Trail and local parks and libraries.