We were thrilled to participate in the second annual “Take Over the Trails Day” as part of The Healthy West Orange Trails Connection (HWOTC). HWOTC was developed to promote, activate, and enhance the trail system throughout West Orange. It is the largest grassroots coalition for trail activation and development in the Central Florida region.

Over the last year, HWOTC has achieved a number of milestones:

• Conducted several safety audits along 5.2 miles of the West Orange Trail. HWOTC is working with partner cities and agencies to apply improvements to the Trail, ranging from addressing items ranging from signage and pavement markings to trail surface hazards.

• Completed plantings at the West Road Underpass with confederate Jasmine and Firebush plants along West Road; collaborated with Orange County Parks and Recreation to improve the Ingram Road Trailhead; Orange County obtained and planted six new live oak trees to improve landscaping and provide future shaded areas.

• Convened municipal and county planners to develop a set of guidelines to ensure that all future development enhances our trails to contribute towards a healthier, happier community.

Thank you to all the partners who worked together to educate West Orange residents about the impact of investing in our local trails: Bike/Walk Central Florida, Town of Oakland, City of Ocoee, City of Winter Garden, City of Windermere, Orange County Library System, Oakland Nature Preserve, Friends of Lake Apopka (FOLA), Winter Garden Wheel Works, Orange County D1 Commissioner Nicole Wilson’s Office, FDOT D5, Orange County D1 Parks & Recreation, Orange County Vision Zero, East Central Florida Regional Planning Council.