Honoring the life of Alexis Miranda on the Day of Remembrance, October 5th

Hillsborough County has long faced a troubling record when it comes to traffic-related deaths, often ranking among the highest in the country. Ten years ago, a string of pedestrian fatalities, including students walking to school, deeply impacted the community. 

One of those students was Alexis Miranda, who was struck and killed near Chamberlain High School on October 6, 2015. Her tragic death became a catalyst for change and helped launch a more serious conversation about street safety. 

In response, the Hillsborough TPO led the creation of the first Vision Zero Action Plan initiated by a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) in the U.S. The plan set out to eliminate all traffic deaths and severe injuries while promoting safe, healthy, and mobility for everyone. It focused on prevention, from better road design and reduced speeds to safer crossings and community education. The effort received national recognition and became a model for other regions. 

The Action Plan is built around four key strategies: 

• Emphasize low-cost, effective, and easy-to-implement engineering solutions. 

• Focus on educating residents and spreading awareness to support safer driving behaviors. 

• Rely on data to identify where improvements and enforcement are most needed. 

• Encourage revisiting outdated manuals, procedures, and laws to prioritize traffic safety moving forward. 

Assistant TPO Director Gena Torres reflected on the long-term effort, sharing: 

“I’ve spent much of my 36 years with the County, focused on turning around the horrible record of people being hurt and killed on our roadways. As planners, we often do not realize the results of our work for 5-20 years. What made Vision Zero unique was the focus on low-cost, quick-build actions. This deliberate approach had the benefit of using existing budgets to start saving lives immediately. For example, making simple adjustments at intersections gave pedestrians a head start to cross before cars move.  And telling the stories of survivors and victims of traffic violence in an effort to influence driving behavior – that by not speeding and by putting phones away, our friends and neighbors would make it back home to their loved ones. Until we reach zero deaths and serious injuries, events like the Day of Remembrance for Alexis are so important. By bringing attention to this young, vibrant life taken too soon, someone may change a poor behavior and unknowingly save a family from lifelong heartbreak.” 

The mission remains. The loss of lives like Alexis’s cannot be accepted as inevitable. The work continues to create safer streets for everyone. 

Join us on Sunday, October 5, 2025, at 6 p.m. at 822 W. Linebaugh Ave. The event includes welcome and safety updates, a candlelight walk, a moment of silence (at the turnaround), and the return to the event’s start and end.