ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando leaders are moving forward with repairs to a rough stretch of bike trail along Westmoreland Street in Parramore — an area residents say has caused falls and injuries.
Harry Bryant with the Callahan Neighborhood Association says families in Parramore take pride in their neighborhood, and he wants just as much investment into what he calls “Old Parramore” just like what he’s seeing with “New Parramore,” the new development that continues to pop up nearby. He says the city’s plan to renovate the Westmoreland bike trail in the Callahan neighborhood is a meaningful step in the right direction.
At the intersection of Washington Street and Westmoreland, indentations along the path are visible in multiple spots. Those dips can be hazardous for people walking or biking through the corridor. Bryant says he has fallen along the trail himself.
“The good thing about it, like I say, once you do one fall you know not to go that trail,” Bryant said.
Orlando’s District 5 Commissioner Shan Rose says, the repairs are meant to improve safety — especially for children who walk to the nearby ACE School. The work is also part of a larger effort focused on Westmoreland, including infrastructure improvements intended to address what residents describe as a bumpy, pothole-filled road.
“Westmoreland has… if you drive it… it’s got potholes, it’s bumpy,” the commissioner said.
The commissioner added the project includes replacing piping to prevent the indentations from returning, calling it “phase one” of a broader plan to revitalize the corridor and show longtime residents they matter.
“Changing all the piping so you won’t see the indentations — so this is phase one for my plans of really revitalizing and reminding the Parramore people we care,” the commissioner said.
Bryant says the work also gives residents hope they’ll have input as Parramore continues to change.
“Now we feel like we have a voice on what the future Parramore is going to look like,” Bryant said. “We don’t wanna be forgotten on the backside.”
The project is scheduled to be completed in 2027.