Tampa Republic

The City of Tampa has unveiled its first citywide Mobility Plan, known as Tampa MOVES. 

Tampa’s Mobility Department is preparing for the future in a way that has never been done before by making bold MOVES towards redesigning Tampa’s streets, making walking and biking easier and more comfortable, and aligning staff and resources to make the biggest impact. 

“I am thrilled to unveil Tampa’s first-ever Citywide Mobility Plan, Tampa MOVES. It is the product of years of citywide coordination and community collaboration launched through Transforming Tampa’s Tomorrow,” said Mayor Jane Castor.  

Tampa MOVES recommends and prioritizes the City's transportation needs in the short term and over the next 30 years, using an equitable, data-driven process informed by extensive community input. The plan estimates $2 billion in needs to achieve Tampa's transportation vision.  

The press event hosted on Tuesday, July 18, was not just an unveiling of a plan, but also the reveal of short-term priority projects identified by the MOVES Plan. Tampa’s short-term priorities, along with planned State and County projects, can help the city achieve its mobility goals while prioritizing projects in the areas of greatest need and impact.  

These six short-term priorities translate to approximately 109 miles of safety improvements, focusing on: 

1. Streets with poor or failing pavement condition  
2. Sidewalks on high-speed streets that provide access to transit and essential destinations  
3. Bicycle facilities to extend the low stress network to different parts of the city 
4. Safer pedestrian crossings on key bicycle routes and high injury network corridors 
5. Safety improvements on Tampa’s High Injury Network corridors and streets with a high posted speed 
6. Congestion relief for streets with longer than average travel times 

“With Tampa MOVES, we will make significant progress in communities that lack comfortable and reliable ways to get around by foot and bike.” Mayor Castor said.  “We will also invest in our existing assets by resurfacing roadways in Tampa’s neighborhoods.” 

Tampa’s first citywide Mobility Plan was unveiled near the city’s most recent Quick Build project on Main Street. This nearly half-mile project connects residents in West Tampa with safer pedestrian crossings and bike connections to the West Tampa Commercial District and areas east like the West River District and Downtown.

In the past five years, there have been 71 crashes along this segment of W Main Street, including two with severe injuries. Two of these crashes involved bicyclists or pedestrians. The section of Main Street was identified as part of the City’s High-Injury-Network as part of the Vision Zero Action Plan.  

The Main Street project is the latest example of the City of Tampa's emerging Quick Build Program, bringing local roadway improvements that can make a positive impact on safety and traffic. Tampa Mobility Department planners and engineers created the roadway design. The project provides safer connections for all users and fills a critical gap in the bicycle and pedestrian network in the West Tampa neighborhood. 

The city will continue to expand its Quick Build program along priority corridors identified in the MOVES Plan. 

VISION ZERO 

Tampa MOVES builds on Tampa's Vision Zero efforts to reduce and eliminate traffic deaths. Between 2018 and 2022, an average of 54 people per year died on Tampa roads, and 224 people suffered life-altering injuries in crashes. 

City of Tampa leaders are implementing a range of policies and projects which support bike share and cycling infrastructure, bus rapid transit systems, modern transportation solutions, and walkable streets. 

In the past four years, the City of Tampa has constructed more than 20 miles of new bike lanes and 3 miles of protected bike lanes, including segments of the Green Spine Cycle Track and Cumberland Avenue in Water Street. 

Click here to read the Tampa MOVES plan  .

Original source can be found here.