Changes May Be Coming Soon to Bayshore Boulevard in Tampa
Known as the street with the longest continuous sidewalk in the world, with views of the beautiful bay, Bayshore Boulevard may have some changes coming. The city of Tampa wants traffic to slow down to make the boulevard more pedestrian friendly. These changes include narrowing streets, widening bike lanes and lowering the speed limit.
Proposed changes specifically include:
- Reducing the speed limit from 40 MPH to 35 MPH
- Reduce travel lanes to 10 feet
- Create a two foot buffer to current bike lines
- stretching from Rome Avenue to south of Howard Avenue
- Add three reflective flashing crosswalks at S. Dakota Avenue, S. Delaware Avenue and between S. Brevard Avenue and W. Swann Avenue
- Replacing striping between Rome Avenue and Platt Street to make more visible to driver and cyclists.
The hope is that these changes will improve safety on the crowded street. Proponents of the changes and updates sat that these safer pedestrian routes and improved recreational areas along Bayshore are important selling points in economic development.
The project, which would be funded by the Florida Department of Transportation, is in the design phase. This phase is expected to last until May.
What do you think of this project? Do you think it should move forward and is important to continue with? Or, do you think that the FDOT should spend money on more pressing projects? Let us know your thoughts!