Slow down! City of Tampa plans safer bike lanes, traffic calming on Bayshore Boulevard

A more pedestrian-friendly and bikeable Bayshore Boulevard could be on the horizon, as the City of Tampa outlines plans for road design and traffic flow improvements along the south Tampa bayside thoroughfare. 

Although the 4.5 mile waterfront boulevard is known as a destination for recreation and exercise, many people who live along Bayshore Boulevard in South Tampa cite unsafe motorist speeds as a deterrent to enjoying the space as pedestrians and bicyclists. 

"There was a thread of complaints that motorist speeds are not being enforced--and a lot of residents are really frustrated by that," says Christine Acosta, Executive Director of the citizen's advocacy group, Walk Bike Tampa. 

The City aims to address residents' concerns with a traffic calming plan, which includes a road diet that decreases the width of traffic lanes to 10 feet and allows for the addition of a two-foot buffer to existing bike lanes, as well as the installation of Rapid Reflective Flashing Beacon (RRFB) crosswalks at three Bayshore Boulevard locations and a reduction of the posted speed limit. 

"It's fantastic that the city has a need for maintenance that goes about incorporating walk and bike improvements. The primary objective is to reduce the speed on Bayshore so that it is more user-friendly for all the users--and therefore plays to the city's goal of becoming a more multimodal place to live, work and play," says Acosta. The City of Tampa Transportation and Stormwater Services Department held the latest public information session at the Kate Jackson Community Center on February 23, allowing citizens to view and comment on plans for traffic calming and pedestrian safety projects along Bayshore Boulevard.

The proposal for improvements is summarized as follows: 

• Removal of faded striping along Rome Avenue and Platt Street, and the installation of new striping with black contrast to provide better lane visibility for motorists and cyclists,
• Provision of buffered bike lanes from Rome Avenue to south of Howard Avenue,
• Addition of a two-foot buffer to existing bike lanes,
• Installation of RRFB devices at South Dakota Avenue, South Delaware Avenue, and midway between South Brevard Avenue and W. Swann Ave.; and,
• Reduction of posted speed limit from 40 to 35 miles per hour. 

"All those elements together, it is hoped, will result in lower speeds--so that it will feel appropriate to drive slower," says Acosta. 

The Bayshore Boulevard traffic calming project, currently in the design phase, is funded by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). The design process is expected to continue through May, with construction dates to be determined. 

Acosta says that Walk Bike Tampa embraces the proposed improvements along Bayshore. 

"This is a positive step in the right direction for which we are very grateful," says Acosta. "We look forward to more safety measures, like protected space for cyclists, throughout Tampa Bay."