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Message: This correspondence is being transferred to your attention. Please review the information from Mr. Sweeney, then respond as appropriate. I will be sure Mayor Iorio sees his letter. Thanks for handling!***** Original Message *****Service Type: Mayor's OfficeSubject: Repaving Busch Blvd.Message: Dear Mayor Iorio,I noticed today that Busch Blvd. is being repaved/restriped from I-275 to east of Busch Gardens...apparently so the many visitors coming for the Superbowl can have a smooth street as they head towards Busch Gardens.I was dismayed to notice that, as is pretty common around Tampa, there are no provisions for bicycles along Busch Blvd. in this project –– no bike lane striping, no "Share the Road" signs, nothing! What better time to add a little bike-friendly infrastructure than during a repave? And what a way to send a message to out-of-towners if there are visible bike lanes and signs: "this City really cares about alternative forms of transportation!".Anyhow, thanks for listening –– I'd love to hear what your office thinks about improving conditions for folks like me who choose not to own a car and who prefers using a bicycle for transportation even on the "wild streets" of Tampa!
Email was directed to:John Sweeney (Requestor)Mayor's Office (Service)Email copy was sent to:Urban Planner II, Public Works/TransportationTransportation Professional Engineer, Public WorksOther Actions:- Message status changed to Closed Message: Thank you for your inquiry to the City of Tampa Department of Public Works Transportation Division. After completing an evaluation of your request, it has been determined this matter falls under the jurisdiction of the agency listed below:Florida Department of Transportation11201 North McKinley DriveTampa, Florida 33612(813) 975-6000www.dot.state.fl.usPer FDOT 10/17/08:Busch Blvd. (SR 580) from Florida Ave. to 56th St.Project Description:The project consists of resurfacing the roadway, replacing traffic signals, upgrading sidewalks, and modifying medians.Improvements• Asphalt Road Surface - Remove and resurface the asphalt.• Replace Traffic Signals – Replace traffic signals east of Nebraska Ave. including adding pedestrian countdown signals.• Sidewalk- Sidewalks ramps will be upgraded throughout the project to comply with ADA requirements. Decorative tile inlays will be placed in the sidewalk around the 56th St. intersection.• Median Modifications – Many of the median openings will be closed or changed to bring to the current FDOT standards.Lane Closures:• Work will require nightly lane closures and limited day closures.Project Information:Contractor: Pepper ContractingProject Cost: $9.5 millionProject Length: 4.2 milesProject Start: The contractor began September 22, 2008.Project Completion: The work is expected to be complete in 245 days.---------------------------------------------------------------------The FDOT's Busch Boulevard (State Road 580) resurfacing project is currently 25% complete. The FDOT has been planning to resurface this road under their jurisdiction for more than 5 years as part of their normal maintenance cycle and it has nothing to do with Superbowl. The City would have preferred that the roadway not be under construction at Superbowl time but the FDOT Work Program must proceed on schedule. This is not a City of Tampa project. The City of Tampa did receive Federal Earmark funds that were turned over to the FDOT to add beautification/enhancements features to this resurfacing project of theirs. The enhancements will include textured "brick"-looking crosswalks and additional median landscape plantings which will be some of the final things installed.The monthly meetings of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee to the Metropolitan Planning Organization are held every second Wednesday of the month at 5:30 P.M. in the Hillsborough County Center Building on the 18th floor. The next meeting is scheduled for 2/14/09. Members of the public are welcome and you might even consider joining the committee as a regular member. The Metropolitan Planning Organization BPAC representative is:Gena TorresBicycling, Walking, Livable Roads(813) 273-3774 x357torresg@plancom.orgHillsborough Metropolitan Planning Organization601 E. Kennedy Blvd., 18th FloorTampa, Florida 33603The City trails website includes bicycle riding safety & education tips. Please go to www.tampagov.net/dept_parks/information resources to the "Safety & Education" area of the website for more information.The City believes that bicycle riding is a healthy, environmentally sound method of alternative transportation. Because many citizens have voiced concerns about the need for safe transportation alternatives within the city limits, the City Council unanimously approved the Tampa Greenways and Trails Master Plan on February 1, 2001. This plan includes recommendations for many miles of both on-road bicycle lanes/routes and biking trails.The pending Greenways & Trails Master Plan Amendments includes recommendations for over 283 miles of on-road bicycle lanes/routes. It is expected that this amendment will be adopted in the Spring of 2009.The City of Tampa has been working to achieve the construction of additional bicycle paths, including on-road bicycle lanes. Recently, on-road bike lane facilities were constructed on N. Tampa Street and E. Jackson Street in the downtown core by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). Bike lanes have been constructed on Nebraska Avenue as well. The Meridian Bike trail was completed by the Tampa-Hillsborough Expressway Authority a few years ago. The new widening of the 40th Street corridor also includes on-road bicycle lanes. Various sections of The Tampa Riverwalk have been completed, with a new bicycle/pedestrian bridge under construction at Platt Street and design work initiated on the underpass at Brorein Street.Great places to bike in the downtown core include:-Meridian bike trail(park at the Chanelside Garage)-Tampa Riverwalk. Fort Brook/Cotanchobee Park. USF Park on the Riverwalk. MacDill Park on the Riverwalk. Tampa Riverwalk (behind Sykes Building/Art Museum). Curtis Hixon Park-Harbor Island local streets (un gated areas)-Perry Harvey Senior ParkThe Hillsborough MPO Bicycle Map recommends preferred on-road bicycle routes within the City and county. Please see http://www.hillsboroughmpo.org/pubmaps/pubmaps_folders/folderother/ to the documents called Bicycle Suitability Map Front and Bicycle Suitability Map Back . Also, the Tampa downtown partnership publishes a downtown bicycle route map.Much is being done to improve bicycling opportunities in the City of Tampa. FDOT incorporated bike lanes in the Tampa STreet and Nebraska Avenue projects at Mayor Iorio and staff's urging. On-road bike lanes are important for bicycle commuter travel, as well as to provide linkages between neighborhoods and recreation areas.Several areas in the city already have pedestrian and bicycle paths but links to reach other areas and desired destinations are still needed, including in the downtown area. The City has also been active for many years using grant money to purchase land that could be used for extensions of and links between existing trails. Where appropriate, STP funds will also be pursued for the provision of wide shoulders and bike lanes on existing roadways designated as bicycle routes.Tampa is a very urban environment, particularly in south and central Tampa’s residential areas. Not all of Tampa’s civic and neighborhood associations wish to have trails through their communities, and other areas simply do not have sufficient rights-of-way to accommodate safe greenways and trails. Bicycle lanes are only installed with new construction if they are identified in the adopted Tampa Greenways & Trails Master Plan. An on-road bicycle facility is NOT recommended for Busch Boulevard in this adopted plan. Parallel side streets such as Bouganvilla Avenue and Yukon Street are recommended as safer alternative locations for bicycle facilities than directly on Busch Boulevard in the Proposed Amendments to the Tampa Greenways & Trails Master Plan. Additionally, budget concerns limit the ability to build all the desired trails at once. It is necessary to phase elements of the over-all plan and spend the available money where communities have requested greenways, trails and on-road bicycle facilities.Bicycle riding on designated multi-use trails, such as the Tampa Riverwalk and Meridian Bike Trail are allowed.One of the Mayor's Strategic Focus Areas is "Making Regional Mass Transit a Reality", see http://www.tampagov.net/dept_Mayor/strategic_areas/mass_transit.asp . The Mayor is in favor of mass transit and is currently updating the Tampa Comprehensive Plan to include alternative modes of travel including rail transit, bus transit, bicycle and pedestrian facilities. The local agency in charge of transit is Hillsborough County Regional Transit (HART). Their web site is http://www.hartline.org/ . The City will be coordinating with HART to establish the Primary Transit Corridors within the City limits.I hope you find this information informative. Ride safely and have a nice day. Thank you for using the Customer Service Center.If you require additional information regarding Busch Boulevard, S.R. 580, please contact the FDOT. The FDOT's Public Information Officer is Kris Carson, (813) 975-6060, 1-800-226-7220, fax (813) 975-6738, kristen.carson@dot.state.fl.us, http://www.dot.state.fl.us/ .
Email copy was sent to:Urban Planner II, Public Works/TransportationTransportation Professional Engineer, Public Works
Other Actions:- Message status changed to Closed
Email was directed to:John Sweeney (Requestor)Mayor's Office (Service)Email copy was sent to:Urban Planner II, Public Works/TransportationTransportation Professional Engineer, Public Works Message: Sorry, the next Bicycle and Pedestrian meeting will be held on 2/11/09, NOT 2/14/09.Thank you.
