To the Editor:
In the last few years, more families have moved to SW Ocala and Marion Oaks. Traffic has also increased which is the cause of accidents, especially on Marion Oaks Boulevard as well as the increment of school children and school buses.
Since this school year started, many kids wait for the buses beginning at 7 a.m., and they sit on the road because there is not a sidewalk. I have already reported it to the sheriff’s office because on the corner of Marion Oaks Boulevard and 44th Circle, they sit and even lay down on the road. It is an accident waiting to happen if a car turning from the Boulevard onto 44th Circle, in the dark, does not realize that they are sitting on the road.
Also at the next school stop, at the same time, kids sit on the cycle lane, using their phones while their backs are to the main road. These kids do not realize the danger they are facing by not waiting for the bus while standing on the grass.
It would be good if these areas are patrolled during the early morning hours, especially now that sunrise is around 7:20 a.m. The same way Marion Oaks is building so many houses, it will help if they also build sidewalks for safety.
Matilde Leopold
Ocala resident