IN CONTEXT: THE TROJANLAND ROAD
Justin Fortune
Founder + Chief Executive: Building Culture & Economic Partnerships for Pine Hills, Florida.
Q: When did you start referring to State Road 438 as "Trojanland Road", and why?
I love fair questions.
As a life-long, permanent resident and business owner within the Pine Hills Neighborhood Improvement District (NID) corridor, I have very intimate relationship with this roadway. For all twenty plus years of my life, every single day have been influenced by 438 in some way. My families live on 438. Many (most) of our key businesses are found along 438. Evans High School, our community's most important building, sits on 438.
Locally, known as Silver Star, this the East-West main centerline through Pine Hills, Florida.
THE LEGACY OF THE TRAFFIC CRISIS
As a student at Evans, you WILL end up walking on this busy roadway at some point.
A six-lane highway cutting through both residential and commercial is an example of the outdated infrastructure systems that Pine Hills inherited, long-afflicted by benign neglect policies, and 'white flight' of the lion share of our original tax revenue base. As traffic volume increases, and East-and-West transit patterns increase the wear and tear on this state-owned roadway, it's often Pine Hills residents who die in head-on collisions at our busiest intersections.
After years of protest, our community can celebrate Orange County's newly adopted 'Vision Zero' Action Plan as supported by MetroPlan's region dashboard. Our 'Evans side' Commissioner Christine Moore has been incredibly strong in creating spaces for a more realistic, insightful and compassionate response to our traffic-related challenges on Silver Star Road, rather than the xenophobic, and tired notions of 'driver behavior' being to blame for tragic deaths on our main roadway.
CHANGING OUR NARRATIVE + RECLAIMING OUR SPACE
For far too long, Silver Star Road has filled the space of an obstacle for the youth, and their families. During this new chapter, and by virtue of this campaign, Silver Star Road will now represent the excellence achieved by people who grew up on Silver Star Road. That's why we are investing in our community's media assets, and marketing efforts. It's the same reason why we invested in documenting the excellence, and currently support the excellent work of the OneTrojan Network at Evans High School.
Our objective is simple: instilling Pride in the Hills, and amplifying Pride from the Hills.
In the long-term, gaining control of our space.
THE TROJANLAND ROAD PROJECT and corresponding engagement campaign, are purposed to correct and mitigate counterproductive narratives, and attitudes toward the residents, and youth of our community.