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Hillsborough County MPO Tampa Downtown Access Study

Issues Identification and Action Plan

September 2, 2003

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Table of Contents

Section Page 1.0 STATEMENT OF STUDY PURPOSE...............................................................................1

1.1 Study Area .............................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Stakeholders Interviewed........................................................................................ 1

2.0 PROJECTS AND STUDIES ...............................................................................................4 2.1 Projects Under Construction................................................................................... 9

I-275/I-4 Interchange Interim Improvements ......................................................... 9 I-4 Improvements.................................................................................................. 10 Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway Reversible Lanes................................. 11

2.2 Funded Projects Not Yet Under Construction ...................................................... 12 I-275 Improvements (LINKS 2 and 3) from the Hillsborough River to the Howard Frankland Bridge............................................................................... 12 Meridian Street...................................................................................................... 13 Cultural Arts District............................................................................................. 15 Reconnection of North Franklin Street ................................................................. 16 Cruise Terminal #4 ............................................................................................... 17 Riverwalk.............................................................................................................. 18 THCEA/City of Tampa ITS Center and Hillsborough County Traffic Management Center .............................................................................................. 19

2.3 Planned Projects Not Yet Funded......................................................................... 20 Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway Connector (I-4) ................................... 20 High Speed Rail .................................................................................................... 21 Streetcar Extension(s) ........................................................................................... 22 Tampa Rail Project ............................................................................................... 24 Platt Street and Columbus Drive Moveable Bridge Replacements ...................... 25 Arts District Boulevard Concept (Ashley Drive).................................................. 25 South Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway Widening .................................. 28

2.4 Studies/Plans ......................................................................................................... 28 Downtown DRI Update ........................................................................................ 28 East-West Two-Way Streets ................................................................................. 29 Intermodal Transportation Plan ............................................................................ 30 Tampa Heights Community Plan.......................................................................... 31 Traffic Simulation Model for the Downtown Tampa Area .................................. 32 Kennedy Boulevard CMS Study........................................................................... 32 Nebraska Avenue “Road Diet” Concept............................................................... 33 ITS Master Plan .................................................................................................... 34



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Table of Contents

Section Page Transit Development Plan (2004 - 2013).............................................................. 35 South Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway Off-Ramp at Cass Street........... 36 Tampa Greenways and Trails Master Plan ........................................................... 37 Downtown Transit Linkages Report..................................................................... 38

2.5 Selected Land Development Projects ................................................................... 38 Florida Second District Court of Appeals Courtrooms, Offices, and Law Library.................................................................................................... 38 Stetson Law School............................................................................................... 39 12th Street Yard Redevelopment .......................................................................... 39 Bank of America Redevelopment Project............................................................. 39 Pinnacle Project .................................................................................................... 40 Hillsborough River Realty (Hillsborough River Tower) ...................................... 40

3.0 DOWNTOWN ACCESS ISSUES.....................................................................................41 3.1 Transit ................................................................................................................... 41

Bus Transit ............................................................................................................ 41 Streetcar ................................................................................................................ 43 Tampa Rail Project ............................................................................................... 43 High Speed Rail .................................................................................................... 43

3.2 Pedestrian Mobility/Safety.................................................................................... 43 3.3 Bicycle Mobility/Safety ........................................................................................ 44 3.4 Parking (Structure and Surface)............................................................................ 45 3.5 Downtown Signalization....................................................................................... 45 3.6 Downtown Signage............................................................................................... 45 3.7 Special Events....................................................................................................... 46 3.8 Truck Traffic......................................................................................................... 46 3.9 Roadway Construction Projects............................................................................ 47

I-275/I-4 Interchange Improvements .................................................................... 47 Meridian Street/Reversible Lanes......................................................................... 47

3.10 Two-Way Streets .................................................................................................. 47 3.11 Downtown Master Plan......................................................................................... 47 3.12 Redevelopment ..................................................................................................... 47

4.0 ACTION PLAN.................................................................................................................49 4.1 Downtown Master Plan......................................................................................... 49 4.2 Immediate Action Items........................................................................................ 52 4.3 Short-Term Action Items ...................................................................................... 54 4.4 Long-Term Action Items............................................................................................... 57



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Table of Contents

Appendices (Under Separate Cover)

A Pre-Interview Package B Interview Notes C Project Information Excerpts

List of Tables

Table Page 1-1 Stakeholders Interviewed.....................................................................................................3 2-1 Issues Related to Projects and Studies .................................................................................4

List of Figures

Figure Page 1-1 Study Area Map ...................................................................................................................2 2-1 Funded Projects....................................................................................................................7 2-2 Planned Projects...................................................................................................................8 3-1 Access and Circulation Issues............................................................................................42 4-1 Downtown Gateways and Destinations .............................................................................50 4-2 Downtown Circulation Issues ............................................................................................51



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1.0 STATEMENT OF STUDY PURPOSE

Throughout the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County, there are many transportation and related projects and proposals underway that may affect access to and circulation within the downtown Tampa area. Though any one proposal may not have tremendous impact individually, the cumulative impact of these projects will be significant.

The purpose of this phase of the Downtown Tampa Access Study is to develop a comprehensive list of projects, proposals, concerns, and issues that may affect access to and circulation within downtown Tampa. Each project, proposal, and issue described includes a discussion of potential impacts on access to and circulation within downtown, as best known at this time. The final section of this report includes an Action Plan that identifies how to pursue solutions for issues discussed.

1.1 Study Area While the common definition of the downtown area is bound by water (Hillsborough River, Garrison Channel, and Ybor Channel) and the interstate (I-275 and I-4), the intent of this study is to look beyond the traditional boundaries of downtown. As shown in Figure 1-1, the study area is defined by the following boundaries:

• 50th Street on the east,

• Hillsborough Avenue on the north,

• MacDill Avenue on the west, and

• Bay to Bay Boulevard on the south.

1.2 Stakeholders Interviewed Stakeholders were identified as those agencies or organizations that have known interests, plans, or projects in the study area. Stakeholder representatives were interviewed during April and May of 2003. Each representative was sent a pre-interview package consisting of a questionnaire, map of the study area, and meeting confirmation letter. The pre-interview package is included in Appendix A. Table 1-1 summarizes the agencies interviewed and the issues discussed specific to those agencies interests. Summarized interview notes are provided in Appendix B.

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TABLE 1-1 STAKEHOLDERS INTERVIEWED

Agency/Organization Interviewed Representative, Title Date Specific Issues

Ybor City Development Corporation Maricela Medrano, Planner Brenda Thrower, Economic Development 04.01.03 Transit, pedestrian mobility, High Speed Rail, code

enforcement Tampa Heights Civic Association, Central City Community Development Corporation, VM Ybor Neighborhood Association

Ralph Schuler, Tampa Heights Neighborhood David Foster, Central City Development Corporation Carrol Josephs-Marshall, VM Ybor Neighborhood

04.02.03 Streetcar, pedestrian mobility, redevelopment opportunities

City of Tampa Transportation Division

Elton Smith, Director of Transportation Mahdi Mansour, Transportation Taha Ataya, Transportation Jose Fernandez, Parking Division

04.09.03 Pedestrian mobility, streetcar, parking, signage, ITS, two-way streets, surface street capacity

Hillsborough County City-County Planning Commission Ray Chiaramonte, Assistant Executive Director 04.10.03 Pedestrian mobility, transit, parking, redevelopment

opportunities

Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART)

Sharon Dent, Executive Director Diana Carsey, Director of Planning 04.14.03

Downtown signalization, High Speed Rail, on-street parking, signage, bus stops, surface street capacity, bus access to interstate and Crosstown

Tampa Historic Streetcar, Inc. Michael English, President 04.15.03 Pedestrian/bicycle access and safety, connections to High Speed Rail

Hillsborough County, Planning and Growth Management Tom Thomson, Transportation Services Director 04.15.03 Pedestrian mobility, Meridian Street, downtown interchange

Hillsborough County Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee Gena Torres 04.16.03 Downtown bicycle access, parking, traffic calming, rail

transit Ybor City Chamber of Commerce Annette DeLisle, President 04.18.03 Special event parking, visitor access, truck traffic, signage

Florida High Speed Rail Authority Sharon Phillips, Project Manager, Consultant to Florida High Speed Rail Commission 04.22.03 High Speed Rail station location, connection to

streetcar/local transit, conflict with Franklin Street reopening

FDOT District Seven Bob Clifford, Director of Planning 04.24.03 Interstate, Downtown Master Plan, streetcar, parking, surface roadway capacity, Riverwalk, ITS solutions

Tampa Downtown Partnership Christine Burdick, President Karen Simon, TMO Consultant 04.25.03

On-street parking, two-way streets, North Franklin, internal transit circulator, pedestrian/bicycle access, Downtown Master Plan, High Speed Rail, downtown signalization, signage, gateway improvements

Tampa Port Authority Ram Kancharla, Planning Director 04.26.03 Truck traffic (Ybor), High Speed Rail, streetcar, signage, connections to TIA

Channel District Council Richard and Kim Markham, Channel District Council Executive Committee 04.29.03 Meridian Street, streetcar, pedestrian and bicycle mobility,

redevelopment opportunities Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority (THCEA)

Pat McCue, Executive Director Marty Stone, Planning Director 05.08.03 Reversible lanes, Meridian Street, signage

Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center/ Tampa Museum of Art

Lorrin Shepard, Bill Fogarty, Michael Pocchiari (TBPAC) and Lani Czyzewski, John Wren (TMOA) 05.16.03

Bus parking, patron parking, staging, pedestrian and bicycle access to Arts District, transit, downtown interchange, streetcar stops at Arts District

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2.0 PROJECTS AND STUDIES

Through the interview process all projects and studies (both funded and planned) were identified and discussed. Table 2-1 summarizes the information gained from the interviews related to these projects. Figure 2-1 illustrates the location of the funded projects within the study area. Figure 2-2 depicts the location of projects that are planned but currently not funded. These figures include development projects, which are described in Section 2.5. Appendix C includes maps and other excerpts from studies and projects identified by the stakeholders interviewed.

TABLE 2-1

ISSUES RELATED TO PROJECTS AND STUDIES

Project Name Lead Agency Stakeholder Issues Projects Under Construction

I-275/I-4 Interchange Interim Improvements FDOT

• Capacity of surface streets in downtown • Maintenance of traffic/signage • Gateway improvements • Design conflicts with transit/High Speed Rail

I-4 Improvements FDOT • Capacity of surface streets in downtown • Loss of 40th Street interchange will affect transit operations

Reversible Lanes THCEA • Port and Channelside access • Buss rapid transit • Improvements may exclude light rail in corridor

Projects Funded Not Yet Under Construction I-275 Improvements (LINKS 2 and 3) FDOT • No comments conveyed by stakeholders

Meridian Street THCEA

• Redevelopment opportunities • Pedestrian/bicycle facilities • Access to Marion Transit Center • Capacity of surface streets downtown

Cultural Arts District City of Tampa • Pedestrian access to Cultural Arts District • Ashley Drive pedestrian barrier • Transit connection needed

Reconnection of North Franklin Street City of Tampa • Vehicle access on North Franklin Street

• Improved downtown access

Cruise Terminal #4 Tampa Port Authority • Parking and access • Transit connection

Riverwalk (Several phases are planned) City of Tampa

• Pedestrian access between Cultural Arts District and Channel District

• Safety and aesthetics • Riverfront is underutilized

THCEA/City of Tampa ITS Center and Hillsborough County Traffic Management Center

THCEA/ City of Tampa/

Hillsborough County

• Downtown circulation during events • Parking • Traffic signal prioritization

TABLE 2-1 (Continued) ISSUES RELATED TO PROJECTS AND STUDIES

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Project Name Lead Agency Stakeholder Issues Projects Planned Not Yet Funded Crosstown Connector (Partially funded)

THCEA/ FDOT

• Needs to provide all movements • Truck traffic diversion

High Speed Rail Florida High Speed

Rail Authority/ FDOT

• Access to Cultural Arts District • Impact to historic structures • Relocations • Noise and vibration impacts • Intermodal connections

Streetcar Extension(s) HART

• Alignment – access to Cultural Arts District • Future connection to High Speed Rail • Double track to improve speed • Coordination with CSX • Separated from traffic or not

Tampa Rail Project HART • Meridian Street improvements may exclude LRT in corridor Platt Street Moveable Bridge Replacement (Partially funded)

Hillsborough County • Retaining features of historical/architectural significance • Deteriorated conditions require short- term maintenance and

mid-term replacement Columbus Drive Moveable Bridge Replacement (Partially funded)

Hillsborough County • Retaining features of historical/architectural significance • Deteriorated conditions require short- term maintenance and

mid-term replacement

Arts District Boulevard Concept (Ashley Drive) City of Tampa

• Future capacity restraints on Ashley Drive • Ashley Drive currently used as “cut through” from I-275 to

Expressway • Possible conflict with streetcar extension • Redesign interface with two-way streets • Gateway element

South Lee Roy Selmon Expressway Widening THCEA • No comments conveyed by stakeholders

Studies and Plans Downtown DRI Update City of Tampa • No comments conveyed by stakeholders

East/West Two-Way Streets City of Tampa

• Pedestrian safety • Support of land use changes • Rail lines • Travel speed

Intermodal Transportation Plan Tampa Port Authority • No comments conveyed by stakeholders

Tampa Heights Community Plan

Tampa Heights Civic Association

• Tampa and Florida Streets as two-way streets • Columbus Drive a transit emphasis corridor • Streetcar extension

Traffic Simulation Model for Downtown Tampa FDOT • Use of a parking-based analysis model

Kennedy Boulevard CMS Study

Hillsborough County MPO

• City of Tampa should take leading role in obtaining easements along road

• Funded projects in TIP should be related to study recommendations

Nebraska Avenue “Road Diet” Concept

Hillsborough County MPO

• Traffic calming • Code enforcement on property renovation • Improve public transit in area • Intersection of Nebraska Avenue and Columbus Drive

critical for transit operations

ITS Master Plan Hillsborough County MPO

• Need more variable message boards • There should be one ITS Center for multiple jurisdictions

TABLE 2-1 (Continued) ISSUES RELATED TO PROJECTS AND STUDIES

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Project Name Lead Agency Stakeholder Issues Transit Development Plan (2004-2013) HART • No comments conveyed by stakeholders

South Lee Roy Selmon Expressway Off-Ramp at Cass Street

THCEA

• Pedestrian-friendly environment • Streetcar extension • Traffic calming around the Tampa Bay Performing Arts

Center • Light rail line from downtown to South Howard (SoHo) area

Tampa Greenways and Trails Master Plan City of Tampa • Trails affecting signage improvements

Downtown Transit Linkages Report HART • No comments conveyed by stakeholders

Selected Local Development Projects Stetson Law School Stetson University • No comments conveyed by stakeholders Florida Second District Court of Appeals Offices and Law Library

Florida District Court of Appeals • No comments conveyed by stakeholders

12th Street Yard Redevelopment City of Tampa • Hazardous materials located on site

Bank of America Redevelopment Project Private Developer • No comments conveyed by stakeholders

Pinnacle Project Private Developer • No comments conveyed by stakeholders Hillsborough River Realty Private Developer • No comments conveyed by stakeholders

FDOT = Florida Department of Transportation THCEA = Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority HART = Hillsborough Area Regional Transit

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For the purpose of this report and the discussion below, cooperating agencies are defined as agencies and/or governmental bodies with regulatory, policy, or funding authority over a project. The commenting agencies are those interviewed stakeholders who commented on a given project.

2.1 Projects Under Construction

I-275/I-4 Interchange Interim Improvements The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is making capacity and safety improvements to the I-275/I-4 interchange in downtown Tampa that involve work on I-275 from the Hillsborough River north to Floribraska Avenue and on I-4 from west of 19th Street into the interchange. These improvements will increase all existing movements to four through-lanes in each direction. The existing flyover ramp from southbound I-275 to eastbound I-4 will be relocated from the left side of the mainline to the right side of the mainline of I-4 in an effort to reduce weaving movements.

Access to and from downtown will be affected in two ways. First, the Ashley Drive entrance ramp onto northbound I-275 will be extended east as an auxiliary lane to eastbound I-4. Second, inbound downtown trips will be physically separated from through trips by a local auxiliary exit ramp system.

Of the stakeholders interviewed, the following comments were made regarding this project:

• City of Tampa Transportation Division

There are issues concerning the capacity of surface streets in the downtown to handle the inbound and outbound traffic volume once the interchange is complete. Tampa Street, Florida Avenue, and Ashley Drive are heavily utilized for inbound and outbound peak hour traffic. The intersection of Ashley Drive and Kennedy Boulevard is overutilized.

• Tampa Downtown Partnership

Gateway improvements such as landscaping and other amenities should be included as part of this project.

• Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center and Tampa Museum of Art

Both the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center and Tampa Museum of Art have concerns with the construction phase of the improvements to the interchange related to signage and maintenance of traffic. Concerns after construction

I-275/I-4 Interchange Interim Improvements

Estimated Completion Date: Spring 2006

Lead Agency: Florida Department of Transportation Cooperating Agencies:

• Federal Highway Administration • City of Tampa • HART

Commenting Agencies:

• City of Tampa Transportation • Tampa Downtown Partnership • Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center • Tampa Museum of Art • HART • Ybor City Chamber of Commerce • Hillsborough County Bicycle/

Pedestrian Advisory Committee

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include roadway capacity, traffic volume, and vehicle speed on Ashley Drive - a major pedestrian barrier between the downtown core and the Cultural Arts District. Interchange improvements should include an evaluation of access on Jefferson and Pierce Streets as underutilized routes.

• HART

The ultimate design of the I-275/I-4 interchange may conflict with the new Marion Street Transit Center and the proposed High Speed Rail alignment and station.

• Ybor City Chamber of Commerce

Increase signs on I-275 and I-4 directing visitors to the Ybor City Historic District.

• Hillsborough County Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee

I-275/I-4 interchange improvements should help commuters shorten their commute time and, therefore, could allow for a “calmer” downtown surface street design/system. Additionally, the Hillsborough County Bicycle/ Pedestrian Advisory Committee advocates urban trails in the right-of-way of limited-access highways, as was built with the Suncoast Parkway.

I-4 Improvements FDOT is currently completing the design for improvements to I-4 from 14th Street to 50th Street, a length of approximately 3.2 miles. This project will widen this segment of I-4 from a four-lane highway to an eight-lane highway. The new eight-lane roadway will be constructed to the outside of the existing four lanes of I-4 to allow for the maintenance of existing traffic. When completed, I-4 traffic will be routed to the new eight-lane facility and the existing four lanes will be removed to create a median. The new median area will be reserved for the future construction of the ultimate I-4 configuration and could accommodate either high-occupancy vehicles or rail.

Additionally, 19th Street, which currently passes under I-4, will be permanently closed as a through street at I-4. Access under I-4 at 21st/22nd Streets will continue to remain open, although the I-4 interchange will be relocated to 14th/15th Streets. New auxiliary roadways will provide circulation between 14th/15th Streets and 21st/22nd Streets. I-4 access at 40th Street will be relocated to 50th Street and Columbus Drive at 50th Street will be permanently realigned to the south between 45th and 53rd Streets.

I-4 Improvements

Estimated Completion Date: Fall 2006




• Ybor City Development Corporation • Ybor City Chamber of Commerce • HART

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• Ybor City Development Corporation and Ybor City Chamber of Commerce I-4 is the primary high-volume roadway providing access to and from Ybor City. The Ybor City Chamber of Commerce has been in discussions with FDOT regarding the improvements to I-4 and the relocation of the main access from 21st/22nd Streets to 14th/15th Streets. The increase in capacity of this interchange will put additional strain on the existing local roadways, which are already unable to accommodate the volumes of traffic exiting I-4, especially during events. The benefit is a direct route to the primary parking garage at 6th Avenue, between 15th/16th Streets.

The I-4 improvements will remove the 21st/22nd Street pedestrian barrier between the commercial core of Ybor City and the residential areas by replacing the existing interchange with one at 14th/15th Streets.

• HART The loss of access at the 40th Street interchange due to interstate reconstruction will result in a significant issue for HART. The HART Operations Center on 40th Street relies on easy access to the interstate in order to get buses out to their designated routes. Loss of this access would result in increased “deadhead” costs for HART operations. One option for HART is to use Columbus Street to get buses on or off routes. Columbus Street, like other surface arterials, limits the speed at which buses would be able to get to their routes. Additional bus traffic on Columbus Street may require improvements to intersections, such as Columbus Street and Nebraska Avenue, as buses travel to Marion Street in downtown.

Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway Reversible Lanes Construction of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority’s (THCEA) reversible express lanes in the median of the Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway between Brandon and downtown Tampa is currently under construction. It is anticipated to be completed in the fall of 2005 with completion of the Meridian Street project (discussed in Section 2.2).

From just west of the intersection of Town Center Boulevard and the new Brandon Parkway, the reversible lanes will be elevated over I-75. Between Falkenburg Road and Palm River Road, the new lanes will be at the same level as the existing Expressway, allowing movement between the reversible facility and the existing lanes. From 78th Street to downtown Tampa, the new express lanes will be on a three-lane bridge in the median. It will connect into downtown along Meridian Street and terminate at Channelside Drive.

Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway Reversible Lanes


Lead Agency: Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority Cooperating Agencies:

• Florida Department of Transportation • City of Tampa • HART


• City of Tampa Transportation • Tampa Port Authority • Hillsborough County • Tampa Historic Streetcar, Inc. • HART

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During the AM peak, the bridge will be one-way from Brandon and I-75 directly to downtown Tampa, more than doubling the Expressway’s current capacity. During the PM peak, the lanes will be reversed for one-way operation in the opposite direction. The bridge will be for cars and express buses only.


• City of Tampa Transportation Division

Once the Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway Reversible Lanes project is completed, the City of Tampa and THCEA signal operations centers will be co-located.

• Tampa Port Authority

The Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway Reversible Lanes project and Meridian Street corridor improvements will be an enhancement to Port access and Channelside access.

• Hillsborough County

The Expressway’s elevated roadway project will dramatically affect flow into and out of downtown. It will also affect growth in East Hillsborough County.

• Tampa Historic Streetcar, Inc.

The Expressway improvements to Meridian Street may exclude development of light rail transit in the corridor.

• HART

Access from the Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway reversible lanes to the Marion Transit Center is an important consideration. HART plans include the use of the express lanes as part of a “Bus Rapid Transit” service from Brandon. Connections between the Crosstown Expressway reversible lanes and the Marion Street Transit Parkway will need to occur as seamlessly as possible in order to provide premium transit service. The extension of Whiting Street to Meridian Street will be critical to this seamless connection.

2.2 Funded Projects Not Yet Under Construction

I-275 Improvements (LINKS 2 and 3) from the Hillsborough River to the Howard Frankland Bridge Improvements to I-275 will replace the existing interstate lanes with eight to ten lanes located to the outside of the existing interstate facility between Westshore Boulevard and North Boulevard. Transitions to the existing highway will include the widening of the Hillsborough River Bridge to provide one additional lane and a ten-foot wide shoulder in each direction and widening of the pavement between SR 60 and Westshore Boulevard. The northbound outer lanes will be constructed to the south of the existing northbound lanes and the southbound outer lanes will be located in approximately the same location as the existing I-275 southbound lanes.

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Phase I (LINKS 2) of construction will build the new northbound roadway system from SR 60 to the Hillsborough River Bridge and the new southbound roadway system from Dale Mabry Highway to SR 60. Phase I also includes the ramps that will connect the new lanes to the local surface roadways. Traffic will be maintained on the existing interstate system until this phase of construction is complete.

Phase II (LINKS 3) of construction will use the new northbound roadway system to accommodate the northbound traffic, while the old northbound interstate mainline and the southbound outer roadways constructed in Phase I will carry southbound traffic.

Once the southbound roadways are complete, southbound traffic will be rerouted from the old northbound interstate mainline to the new southbound outer roadway system. The old northbound lanes will be removed and that area will be maintained as a grassed median with the possibility for rail accommodation in the future.

During the stakeholder interviews, there were only general discussions about this project.

Meridian Street THCEA’s Meridian Street project will serve as the “gateway” to and from downtown via the Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway Reversible Lanes project (see Section 2.1). The Meridian Street project begins at the Reversible Lanes project and terminates at Channelside Drive. The project consists of six travel lanes and connects several currently separated east-west roads in the Channel District. These include Twiggs Street, Jackson Street, and Whiting Street. The reconnection of Whiting Street would require the relocation of the Con Agra Flour Mill.

I-275 LINKS 2 and 3

Estimated Completion Dates: LINKS 2 - 2006/LINKS 3 - 2010




• Only general stakeholder comments about this project

Meridian Street



• Florida Department of Transportation • City of Tampa • HART


• City of Tampa Transportation • Tampa Downtown Partnership • Channel District Council • Tampa Port Authority • Hillsborough County • Tampa Historic Streetcar, Inc. • Hillsborough County Bicycle/

Pedestrian Advisory Committee • HART

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• City of Tampa Transportation Division Final design and construction plans are being completed for the southern terminus of the Meridian Street improvements in conjunction with the Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway Reversible Lanes project.

• Tampa Downtown Partnership The Meridian Street improvements will provide an opportunity to redevelop the existing industrial/warehouse area to mixed use and residential, enhancing the livability of that area of downtown. The reconnection of east-west streets will improve the continuity of downtown for both development and the pedestrian environment. However, there are concerns for pedestrian mobility within the Meridian Street corridor.

Downtown continues to have challenges balancing the need for adequate roadway capacity for event traffic generated by key downtown destinations and the desire to create a safe, desirable pedestrian environment. While dependence on the capacity provided by Florida Avenue, Tampa Street, and Ashley Drive may be alleviated by the eventual reconnection of east-west streets into the Channel District, this opportunity will not be realized soon enough.

• Channel District Council For the Meridian Street project, THCEA discussed the project with the residents of the Channel District, but did not design a roadway that would have been acceptable to residents. An acceptable design would have included bike lanes and sidewalks on both sides of the roadway.

The extension of Whiting and Jackson Streets across the existing railroad track to Meridian Street presents an opportunity for a clear pedestrian and bicycle access way into downtown.

• Tampa Port Authority The Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway Reversible Lanes project and Meridian Street improvements will be an enhancement to Port access and Channelside access.

• Hillsborough County East-west surface streets will be connected that are currently divided by the old rail corridor, which will greatly expand access by providing new portals into/out of the downtown core and Channelside.

• Tampa Historic Streetcar, Inc. Expressway improvements may exclude the development of light rail transit in the corridor. Also, the choice to end/begin the elevated lanes at Meridian Street may not have been the best alternative with respect to downtown circulation. There should be a connection between the reversible lanes and

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the southbound Expressway so that traffic destined for South Tampa does not have to use surface streets to get to Bayshore Boulevard or MacDill Air Force Base.

The Lafayette Viaduct is a barrier to downtown from the Channel District area north of the aquarium. The Tampa Historic Streetcar Board encourages the removal of the viaduct as a way to improve the visual connection between downtown and Channelside as well as to improve the access to and potential development of underutilized land parcels along Kennedy Boulevard.

It is important to understand that high speed corridors such as this are not conducive to pedestrian access or safety.


The Meridian Street improvements were not designed for “through bikes.” Bicycles must stop at each intersection. However, the Jackson and Whiting Street connections provided by the Meridian Street corridor project should improve the bicycle system.

• HART

The THCEA plan for Meridian Street will deliver more people into the downtown area but will also create additional strain on the existing surface network.

Cultural Arts District

The focal point of the Cultural Arts District is a new 174,000 square-foot Tampa Museum of Art along Ashley Drive to replace the existing museum. Also included in the Cultural Arts District Master Plan is a 50,000 square-foot expansion of the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, a new 58,000 square-foot Tampa Bay History Center, a new 56,000 square-foot community arts center, a new 200+ unit residential tower, and 20,000 square feet of related retail space. Once the new museum is constructed, the old museum will be removed and the newly opened space along the Hillsborough River will become a large riverfront green space.


• Tampa Downtown Partnership The establishment of the Cultural Arts District is critical to support positive land use changes in downtown. The Riverwalk, parking, and access should be considered the primary components of the Cultural Arts District Master Plan.

Cultural Arts District

Timeframe: Construction starts 2004

Lead Agency: City of Tampa

Cooperating Agencies (Advisory Role):

• Tampa Museum of Art • Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center


• Tampa Downtown Partnership • Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center/

Tampa Museum of Art • Ybor City Chamber of Commerce

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• Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center and Tampa Museum of Art Ashley Drive is viewed as a physical and psychological barrier to the Cultural Arts District and the riverfront. The utilization of Ashley Drive as a high speed throughway for access and egress to I-275 greatly reduces bicycle and pedestrian travel to the Cultural Arts District. A reduction of land use intensities and roadway volumes as one approaches the west side of downtown would create a sense of arrival and increase bicycle and pedestrian use.

Transit opportunities in the northerly extension of the streetcar with a connection to the Cultural Arts District are critical. A more comprehensive internal trolley system with obvious, consistent stops and scheduling would be of great benefit.

The Cultural Arts District Plan includes a common-use arrival plaza (which the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center desperately needs) by turning Tyler Street into a dead-end street in front of the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. Gasparilla Street (under the Poe Garage) could become the other part of the one-way pair if Tyler Street no longer serves that role.

• Ybor City Chamber of Commerce Tourism in Ybor City would benefit from a transit connection to downtown activities such as the Cultural Arts District. The streetcar could be the connection.

Reconnection of North Franklin Street This project entails reopening Franklin Street between Fortune and Scott Streets through the current parking lot of the State office building. This would provide transportation access to the area immediately north of downtown including the new Stetson Law School and the proposed Bank of America residential development.


• City of Tampa

The City is negotiating with the FDOT to obtain the right-of-way to reopen Franklin Street. Re-creating a through street is estimated to cost $1.6 million, not including any accommodations that might be needed for stormwater runoff. The road alignment would be adjacent to the State office building through what is currently the parking lot.

This improvement would have minimal impact on traffic flow. However, it would be more significant to downtown circulation if the streetcar goes here.

Reconnection of North Franklin Street

Estimated Completion Date: 2005

Lead Agency: City of Tampa Cooperating Agencies:

• N/A Commenting Agencies:

• City of Tampa • Tampa Downtown Partnership • Tampa Heights/VM Ybor Neighborhood

Associations • Florida High Speed Rail Authority

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Vehicle access on Franklin Street from the north end of downtown is critical to support positive land use changes in downtown. The interchange reconstruction should not prevent the re-opening of Franklin Street.

• Tampa Heights/VM Ybor Neighborhood Associations

North Franklin Street should be reconnected with Franklin Street in downtown. Revitalizing North Franklin Street is a priority of the Tampa Heights Community Plan.

• Florida High Speed Rail Authority

High Speed Rail Alternative A1 may come close enough to Franklin Street to preclude its re-opening. This area is a proposed location for the high speed rail terminal serving Tampa. The conceptual plan would replace the State office building with a terminal building.

Cruise Terminal #4 As part of the Port of Tampa’s Cruise Ship facility improvements, the Port is proposing an additional cruise ship terminal. Terminal #4 will be constructed just north of the Florida Aquarium and just south of the Port of Tampa Authority headquarters on Channelside Drive. The new terminal will provide additional growth opportunity for the cruise industry. Additional passengers will also increase the need for enhanced access to downtown Tampa and Ybor City. The ongoing Meridian Street corridor improvements will provide easier access to and from this new terminal and downtown. Also, the existing streetcar system provides cruise passengers with a unique and direct connection to the Ybor City entertainment district.



About half of cruise passengers fly into Tampa, about half drive. Of those flying in, some take a shuttle from Tampa International Airport (TIA) to the Port, and some rent a car. Those who rent cars typically leave the car for several days at the Port parking deck. This suggests the potential importance of a transit connection between TIA and the Port. Developing an airport security screen at the Port is important so that passengers can be pre-screened and then be transported directly to their flights. This would prevent traffic jams at the airport’s security screen when an entire cruise ship comes in.

Cruise Terminal #4

Estimated Completion Date: TBD

Lead Agency: Tampa Port Authority Cooperating Agencies:

• Channel District Council • City of Tampa


• Tampa Port Authority • Channel District Council • Tampa Historic Streetcar, Inc.

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Improvements in signage are very important. 800,000 cruise passengers come to the Port annually and many need direction. The Port has a signage master plan and is looking to the City, County, and State to help with funding.

• Channel District Council

The residents feel that they pay for the Port’s access problems in terms of unwarranted traffic.


The double-tracking of the streetcar would solve some of the existing streetcar “congestion problems”…which will be further problematic with an increase in cruise passengers.

Riverwalk The Riverwalk is a partially completed pedestrian walkway fronting on the Hillsborough River and Garrison Channel. It is proposed to extend from the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center to Channelside. Completed segments include the waterfront of Curtis-Hixon Park, the Tampa Museum of Art, the Convention Center, and the Marriott Waterside Hotel. Presently, another segment is being designed as a part of Fort Brooke/Cotanchobee Park, located to the south of the St. Pete Times Forum. Three additional phases are planned to complete the Riverwalk between the Tampa Museum of Art and Beneficial Boulevard.



The Riverwalk is a significant amenity, and funding its completion is important. Water access to the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center (boat slips) would also be an asset.


The Riverwalk will help connect the Channel District with the Cultural Arts District.


The Tampa Heights/VM Ybor Neighborhood Associations have been coordinating with the Mayor’s Greenways & Trails program and support bicycle/pedestrian routes along Central Avenue, Ola Avenue, and along the

Riverwalk Estimated Completion Date: Summer 2004 Lead Agency: City of Tampa Cooperating Agencies:

• City of Tampa Parks and Recreation Department

• Florida Department of Transportation • Hillsborough County Bicycle/

Pedestrian Advisory Committee Commenting Agencies:

• Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center • Tampa Museum of Art • Channel District Council • Tampa Heights/VM Ybor Neighborhood

Associations • Florida Department of Transportation

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east side of the Hillsborough River up to Beneficial Boulevard. A high standard of safety and aesthetics is needed in order for people to feel comfortable walking and bicycling.

• Florida Department of Transportation

The riverfront is underutilized. The Riverwalk will help focus activity on the river as an important downtown amenity.

THCEA/City of Tampa ITS Center and Hillsborough County Traffic Management Center In conjunction with the Reversible Lanes and Meridian Street projects, the THCEA plans to co-locate its Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) functions with the City of Tampa in a shared facility. To be located in a common building just east of Meridian Street and on the north side of Twiggs Street, the shared center will operate the gates to the reversible lanes, many traffic signals, and variable message boards that provide real-time information to motorists.

Hillsborough County currently houses a Traffic Management Center in the County Center building downtown, where the County coordinates and manages the operation of many of its traffic signals. The center includes video surveillance and monitoring of roadway and is connected to approximately 80 percent of the County’s traffic signals. The County is in the process of relocating these functions to combine its Traffic Engineering and Traffic Operations departments. Several locations for the new facility are being considered around the County.

A fiber link currently connects the Hillsborough County Traffic Management Center with the City of Tampa, FDOT, and Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) Traffic Management Centers to share data. When the Hillsborough County Traffic Management Center is relocated, fiber cable will need to be installed to connect the centers.

Of the stakeholders interviewed, the following comments were made regarding these projects:

• HART

HART is implementing real-time bus tracking using a Federal grant to install global positioning systems technology on its buses. HART would like to work with other local transportation agencies to facilitate the movement of buses through signalized intersections in selected transit-emphasis corridors. HART also is interested in cooperating to improve downtown circulation during events using its circulator shuttles to connect parking garages with major destinations supported by variable message boards that direct drivers to available parking spaces in garages on a real-time basis.

THCEA/City of Tampa ITS Center and Hillsborough County Traffic

Management Center

Estimated Completion Date: Spring 2005 Lead Agencies: Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority City of Tampa Hillsborough County Cooperating Agencies:

• Florida Department of Transportation Commenting Agencies:

• Hillsborough County • Florida Department of Transportation • HART • Tampa Downtown Partnership

September 2, 2003

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Smart technology systems for parking garages and parking meters should be implemented downtown as part of a comprehensive parking plan.


Better coordination is needed between the City of Tampa, THCEA, and Hillsborough County regarding ITS operations. Also, the County is receptive to working on traffic signal prioritization for buses in the Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown, New Tampa, and I-75 corridors.


FDOT is implementing ITS technologies along the interstate as part of today’s and future construction projects. FDOT is building a shared ITS Center in partnership with the FHP on property adjacent to the District 7 office on McKinley Boulevard. From the point of view of managing traffic emergencies, FDOT would prefer to see the several planned ITS Centers (THCEA, City of Tampa, FDOT/FHP, and Hillsborough County) co-located into a single location for efficiency. FDOT is receptive to facilitating express bus service in selected corridors such as downtown to USF/New Tampa on Nebraska or Florida Avenues or downtown to the east with traffic signal prioritization.

2.3 Planned Projects Not Yet Funded

Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway Connector (I-4) The I-4/Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway Connector (the Connector) is being designed to accommodate heavy trucks to/from the Port of Tampa. For trucks northbound from the Port on 22nd Street wishing to access I-4 eastbound, this alternative would include an exclusive truck lane added to the existing 22nd Street on-ramp loop to the Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway eastbound.

The truck lane would be physically separated from the on-ramp lane to the Expressway mainline. It would continue as a separated outside lane along the eastbound Expressway to east of 26th Street, where it would enter the Connector flyover bridge. This dedicated truck lane accommodation would facilitate the movement of heavy trucks through the Connector by separating them from auto traffic in that critical area along the Expressway between the 22nd Street on-ramp and the general travel lanes.

Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway Connector (I-4)

Lead Agencies: Florida Department of Transportation Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority Cooperating Agencies:

• Tampa Port Authority • City of Tampa • Federal Highway Administration • Hillsborough County


• Hillsborough County • Ybor City Development Corporation • Ybor City Chamber of Commerce

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In order to accommodate westbound trucks on I-4 wishing to access 22nd Street southbound and the Port, the southbound leg of the Connector would split into two ramps. One ramp would be exclusively for traffic exiting at 22nd Street. That traffic would never enter the Expressway mainline flow, but would merge with traffic on the off-ramp carrying westbound traffic to 22nd Street. It would, therefore, have no impact on Expressway mainline operations.

Traffic on the southbound leg of the Connector wishing to enter the Expressway mainline westbound (i.e., not bound for the Port), would do so via a general travel lane. Electronic toll collection on the Connector southbound leg would be accomplished at a location on this ramp. This would ensure that all traffic entering the Expressway mainline at this location would be tolled; traffic exiting at 22nd Street (comprising mostly Port-bound trucks) would not be tolled.



The I-4/Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway Connector is important and needs to be implemented with all movements provided to/from I-4.

• Ybor City Development Corporation and Ybor City Chamber of Commerce

The I-4 Connector to the Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway would divert truck traffic out of the residential and historic Ybor District.

High Speed Rail The Florida High Speed Rail Authority is considering two alignments for the Tampa-Orlando line into downtown Tampa. The project anticipates 12 to 14 trips per day between Tampa and Orlando with a carrying capacity of 250 passengers per train. Alignment A2 uses the existing CSX line to enter downtown, then proceeds westward past Union Station on Cass Street, turns northwest at Marion Street, and terminates just west of the Marion Transit Center. Alignment A1 uses the south side of the I-4 corridor to enter downtown, following the south side of the I-275/I-4 interchange, then connects to the East Laurel Street corridor and terminates just west of the existing Marion Transit Center. Alignment A2 has more impact on historic properties and low-income housing in the downtown area; therefore, Alignment A1 is the least impactive based on the studies completed to date. Both alignments are grade separated, even at the proposed downtown High Speed Rail station, which will minimize impact on surface street mobility. The viable High Speed Rail station location is in the vicinity of the old jail or the State office building. A parking structure will be provided at the station site. Later phases of the project will include connections to Westshore and Pinellas County.

High Speed Rail

Lead Agencies: Florida High Speed Rail Authority Florida Department of Transportation Cooperating Agencies:

• Federal Highway Administration • Hillsborough County • City of Tampa


• Ybor City Development Corporation • HART • Tampa Port Authority • Hillsborough County

September 2, 2003

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• Ybor City Development Corporation

The Ybor City Development Corporation is concerned that the possible High Speed Rail alignments are in proximity to historic structures such as the German-American Club that houses City offices including the Ybor City Development Corporation. Possible residential relocations, noise and vibration, and impacts to historic structures are the Ybor City Development Corporation’s highest concerns over a High Speed Rail alignment that would parallel the I-4 corridor.

• HART

The High Speed Rail station and the Marion Transit Center may be adjacent to each other. The High Speed Rail proposal may require closing Laurel Street between Marion Street and Florida Avenue, depending on the location of the station. This may or may not affect access to the Cultural Arts District area.


If the High Speed Rail project were implemented, then an extension of the streetcar to the High Speed Rail station would provide obvious intermodal connections.


High Speed Rail will be elevated and the station could be designed to allow Franklin Street to stay open.

Streetcar Extension(s) The second phase of the streetcar system will extend the streetcar line north from the current terminus point at the Southern Transportation Plaza near the Marriott Waterside hotel. Key downtown agencies and organizations will be part of a collaborative group that determines the potential streetcar alignments from the Southern Transportation Plaza to the Cultural Arts District/Franklin Street. Phase Three extends the system northward underneath I-275 into the Tampa Heights neighborhood and eastward from there to Ybor City. Phase Four connects the Cultural Arts District southwest to Hyde Park and the SoHo District.

Streetcar Extension(s)

Lead Agency: HART Cooperating Agencies:

• City of Tampa • Florida Department of Transportation


• The Planning Commission • City of Tampa • Tampa Downtown Partnership • Florida High Speed Rail • Tampa Heights/VM Ybor Neighborhood

Associations • Tampa Port Authority • Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center

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The following considerations will be addressed in the Environmental Assessment:

• Should the streetcar be separated from traffic within the Ashley Drive alignment?

• Should the streetcar run through the Franklin Street Esplanade?

• Should the streetcar run along the river north of Polk Street?


• The Planning Commission

The Planning Commission envisioned transit opportunities in the northerly and easterly extensions of the streetcar. The Planning Commission endorsed the Tampa Heights Community Plan, which supports extending the streetcar on Franklin Street. Use of Ashley Drive as a connection to the Cultural Arts District over the use of Franklin Street was suggested by staff.

• City of Tampa

Coordination with CSXT is important. Zack Street may be an alternative to Polk Street (where the CSXT line is located) to provide a westerly connection from Franklin Street to the Cultural Arts District.


The extension of the streetcar north past the Cultural Arts District is critical to support positive land use changes in downtown. Ridership would better be served on the Ashley Drive alignment where there are tourist destinations. There should be strong pedestrian connections between Franklin Street and Ashley Drive.

• Florida High Speed Rail Authority

HART could provide connectivity from the High Speed Rail to the streetcar through use of a shuttle or extension of the streetcar system to north downtown.


The neighborhoods are emphatic about a streetcar connection to Tampa Heights and VM Ybor. The Tampa Heights Community Plan calls for the streetcar extension on Franklin Street.


There is a need to accelerate the streetcar to make it more practical…too slow! It works for tourists, but not for downtown workers. The streetcar is a valuable connection for tourists to get to Ybor City. In terms of extending the

September 2, 2003

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streetcar, it is unknown if tourists will want to go to the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, but a transit connection to a High Speed Rail terminal at the north end of downtown would be very desirable, improving cruise passenger access between the Port and Orlando.

• Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center

The streetcar extension should be as proximate as possible to the Cultural Arts District. The Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center and the Tampa Museum of Art should have streetcar stops.

Tampa Rail Project The Tampa Rail Project is a 20-mile light rail transit system that would connect downtown to the University of South Florida, Westshore business district, and SoHo/Hyde Park. The proposed downtown alignment is located within the existing CSXT corridor on Polk Street from Union Station to the Hillsborough River with a spur line on Franklin Street from Polk Street to Kennedy Boulevard.

The project has completed the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process. Once a local funding source is secured, HART may request funds from the Federal Transit Administration to advance the project through Final Design and Construction.



Meridian Street improvements may exclude the development of light rail transit in the corridor.


Light rail transit through downtown would be a critical improvement for downtown access. Rail vehicles should include bicycle racks.

Tampa Rail Project


• Federal Transit Administration • Florida Department of Transportation


• Tampa Historic Streetcar, Inc. • Hillsborough County Bicycle/

Pedestrian Advisory Committee

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Platt Street and Columbus Drive Moveable Bridge Replacements

Lead Agency: Hillsborough County Cooperating Agencies:

• City of Tampa • Florida Department of Transportation • Tampa Downtown Partnership



Platt Street and Columbus Drive Moveable Bridge Replacements Replacement of the Platt Street and Columbus Drive Bridges are urgently needed due to the severely deteriorated conditions and functionally obsolete characteristics of the existing structures. The bridges, originally built in 1926, have exceeded their 50-year useful life design by 27 years. The proposed project would replace the existing dual-leaf bascule bridges with new dual-leaf bascule bridges that meet current standards and design criteria.

The Platt Street Bridge provides a critical entrance point to downtown and connects downtown to South Tampa, Davis Islands, and MacDill Air Force Base via Bayshore Boulevard.



Retaining features of historical and architectural significance in the design will be important. The deteriorated conditions of the bridges require short-term maintenance and mid-term replacement. If not implemented, access to downtown is restricted.

Arts District Boulevard Concept (Ashley Drive) Tampa’s new mayor has made the Cultural Arts District a priority, and a key component is enhancing Ashley Drive between Kennedy Boulevard and I-275. Goals include calming traffic in the corridor, increasing pedestrian safety and mobility between the Cultural Arts District and the rest of downtown, and improving aesthetics with landscaping and other features.

City staff is drafting a functional plan to reduce the number of lanes from six to four, widen medians and sidewalks, provide on-street parking on both sides of most blocks, and provide curb bulb-outs at crosswalks. City staff is also exploring funding to develop a more refined plan that includes detailed roadway and landscape design. Thus far, $700,000 has been set aside. In addition, the Parks Department has ordered palm trees to line the street.

Arts District Boulevard Concept (Ashley Drive)


• Florida Department of Transportation Commenting Agencies:

• City of Tampa • Florida Department of Transportation • Tampa Downtown Partnership • Tampa Museum of Art • Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center • Tampa Historic Streetcar, Inc.

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There are several unresolved issues with this project, including:

• There are traffic implications of reducing vehicle throughput on Ashley Drive. If traffic is not able to move rapidly into downtown from the I-275 exit ramp, there is potential for long traffic queues onto I-275 during the morning peak traffic period. Traffic could be shifted to Tampa Street where the I-275 exit ramp splits into Tampa Street and Ashley Drive. The City of Tampa owns the road right-of-way there.

• There are several implications for Tampa Street. The existing traffic queues at the Ashley Drive/Kennedy Boulevard intersection could shift to the Tampa Street/Kennedy Boulevard intersection.

• Tampa Street has southbound lanes into which I-275 exit traffic merges. The traffic in these lanes will be forced to the left lane and unable to make a right turn at Tyler Street to cross the river.

These concerns will likely be examined in the near term as the FDOT’s contractor for the downtown interchange plans to close Ashley Drive in the southbound direction, on a temporary basis, for more than a year.

Another issue noted by City staff is how the Ashley Drive redesign interfaces with the proposal to turn Madison, Twiggs, Zack, and Polk Streets into two-way streets.



Future traffic volumes on Ashley Drive are forecast to be dramatically higher than today’s 30,000+/- vehicles per day. FDOT is concerned about AM peak traffic impacting the interstate if Ashley Drive is converted to four lanes. FDOT’s Tampa Interstate Study proposes another access point for the west side of downtown via interstate ramps at North Boulevard. Conceivably, this could supplement the Ashley Drive access; however, this project is not funded within the 20-year long-range planning horizon and crossing the river from North Boulevard to downtown could still be a challenge.


The narrowing of Ashley Drive is one of the Partnership Transportation Committee’s top three transportation priorities. Ashley Drive is an important gateway into downtown. There should be a gateway element to identify this entrance for traffic coming into downtown from I-275. This should be considered for inclusion in FDOT’s interchange construction project.

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• Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, and other Cultural Arts District Stakeholders

The fact that Ashley Drive is used as a throughway makes it a barrier to pedestrians and isolates the Arts District from the rest of downtown. For example, Ashley Drive is used as a through-corridor by motorists driving from the Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway to I-275.

Driver behavior should be changed so that people do not drive down Ashley Drive at 45-50 miles per hour. Landscaping and traffic calming should be considered to create a sense of arrival. We need a gateway marker, street trees, and squaring the corners at intersections so that drivers have to really slow down to negotiate a right turn.

Also, cars exiting I-275 take Ashley Drive rather than Tampa Street most of the time because of the way the split is configured. The split should be redesigned and signage should direct tourists trying to get to the Port, the Aquarium, and the St. Pete Times Forum to take roads other than Ashley Drive. Traffic could be directed to the underutilized north-south pair at the east end of downtown, including Jefferson/Pierce Streets.

Some landscaping is currently planned to be installed near the Tampa Museum of Art and the downtown library. The Tampa Museum of Art does not have final plans yet for the landscaping in front of its new building (which will be much closer to the street than the existing building) but will comply with City guidelines. The Tampa Museum of Art also plans a canopy extending about halfway over the street, 100 feet in the air. The downtown library is preparing a three-phased landscape plan with fencing and gates for the garage and annex.

• Tampa Museum of Art

When the new Art Museum is built, the existing tour bus drop-off area on the Zack Street extension will be removed to accommodate a public park on the river. The new bus drop-off will be on the west side of Ashley Drive, with space for six tour buses to queue. Thus, there will not be space for on-street parking in the two blocks immediately in front of the Art Museum.

• Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center

The Cultural Arts District Plan includes a common-use arrival plaza (which the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center desperately needs) by turning Tyler Street into a dead-end street in front of the Center. Gasparilla Street (under the Poe Garage) could become the other part of the one-way pair if Tyler Street no longer serves that role.

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Making the Arts District more pedestrian-friendly is key in providing adequate parking for Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center patrons. Most patrons are only willing to walk about one- half block. If a two-block walk were less intimidating, patrons would have many more parking options.


Ashley Drive is one of the possible locations for the extension of the streetcar north to the Arts District. It is not yet decided whether the streetcar will operate in mixed traffic or in a through-corridor separated from other vehicles. The location and configuration of the extension will be explored further in an Environmental Assessment, which is scheduled to begin in the summer.

South Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway Widening The THCEA is currently in the preliminary planning and conceptual engineering phase of widening the southern portion of the Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway from four to six lanes. The project boundaries are the southern terminus of the Expressway at Gandy Boulevard and the toll plaza near Willow Avenue.

According to THCEA staff, the expansion project is likely to increase traffic volumes at the existing off-ramp at Florida Avenue/Morgan Street. This could create traffic back-ups onto the eastbound through lanes of the Expressway. A possible solution is to develop a second access point into downtown from the southern portion of the Expressway.

There were no comments made about this project.

2.4 Studies/Plans

Downtown DRI Update The City of Tampa will be updating the traffic components of the existing downtown DRI to conform to many of the new destinations in the downtown area (e.g. St. Pete Times Forum, Cultural Arts District).

Downtown DRI Update


• Florida Department of Transportation • Florida Department of Community Affairs


• None

South Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway Widening


• City of Tampa • Florida Department of Transportation


• Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority

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East-West Two-Way Streets The primary purpose of converting one-way streets to two-way streets is to improve access to retail/commercial uses along streets and to make it easier for visitors to circulate around the Central Business District (CBD). The City of Tampa Transportation Division completed an initial study to determine which downtown one-way streets could feasibly be converted to two-way streets. The study recommended four east-west streets including Madison, Twiggs, Zack, and Polk Streets for conversion. The estimated cost for converting the four streets is $2.5 to $3 million. The largest part of the expense is to change the traffic signal heads at 16 intersections.

The City of Tampa also evaluated Florida Avenue and Tampa Street, but are concerned that these conversions could lose 50 percent of the traffic capacity due to the increased traffic conflict points at full-movement intersections. This could also increase traffic accidents.

Of the stakeholders interviewed, the following comments were made regarding this proposal:


The conversion of some existing one-way streets to two-way streets is critical to support positive land use changes in downtown. The conversion should be coordinated with access to the Arts District facilities. More on-street parking in the north end of downtown to support redevelopment is needed.

• City of Tampa

The CSXT line on Polk Street complicates converting that street to a two-way street and may prohibit standard turn lanes. It is still not clear how the conversion will interface with changes to Ashley Drive. This needs to be evaluated further after plans for the Ashley Drive reconfiguration and access points to the Cultural Arts District attractions (Tampa Museum of Art, History Museum, possible residential) become more solid.


A safe and comfortable pedestrian environment is important for the streetcar and other purposes. There is a trade-off between circulation and livability. The higher speed traffic on one-way pairs is good for people passing through but not good for people getting on and off the road, people who own property along the road, or for cyclists or pedestrians. Traffic on Florida Avenue and Tampa Street travels too fast. We should be working towards a more balanced, multi-modal system downtown.

East-West Two-Way Streets


• N/A Commenting Agencies:

• Tampa Downtown Partnership • City of Tampa • Tampa Historic Streetcar, Inc. • Hillsborough County Bicycle/

Pedestrian Advisory Committee • Tampa Heights Civic Association

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Vehicles on Florida Avenue and Tampa Street travel too fast. High speeds do not support residential redevelopment. They also create more dangerous accidents. Fatality rates climb dramatically when you compare roads with average speeds of 25 mph, 35 mph, and 45 mph. This is of particular concern to pedestrians and cyclists, who will be on the losing end of any conflict with a car. Our pedestrian and bicycle fatality rates in Tampa are among the highest in the country.

• Tampa Heights Civic Association

Florida Avenue and Tampa Street should be two-way streets. Three extra-wide lanes are not needed except during peak hours. The Tampa Heights Civic Association has examined the opportunity to convert Florida Avenue and Tampa Street from one-way to two-way streets north of I-275, while maintaining the current curb-to-curb right-of-way. The Association proposes that each of these streets maintain two lanes in the current direction and change the remainder of the right-of-way to one-way in the opposite direction, while adding a landscaped median.

Reinvigorating the neighborhood centers or nodes at the Florida Avenue/ Palm Avenue and Florida Avenue/Columbus Drive intersections is a priority of the adopted Tampa Heights Plan. The one-way streets are bad for retail establishments and neighborhoods. Two-way streets in the area will benefit local business development in addition to increasing the streetscape.

Intermodal Transportation Plan The Intermodal Transportation Plan was developed by the Port Authority to promote a seamless road and rail system for goods and passengers in the Tampa Port area. This will allow the Port Authority to efficiently move the goods and passengers to and from the Port docks maintaining and expanding its role in international trade and generating a regional economic impact of over $10 billion. The recommendations include traffic operations and safety improvements, off-port roadway improvements, and corridor improvements.

Intermodal Transportation Plan

Lead Agency: Tampa Port Authority Cooperating Agencies:

• Florida Department of Transportation • Hillsborough MPO • City of Tampa


• None

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Tampa Heights Community Plan The Tampa Heights Community Plan describes a vision of the Tampa Heights community as a mixed-income, multi-use neighborhood centrally located in the City with easy access to downtown. The designated town center and a secondary “Recreational/Social” center are located between the intersections of Tampa Street and Florida Avenue, recognizing the connection between the transportation system and the improvement of the neighborhood’s economic base. The plan returns Tampa Street and Florida Avenue to two-way streets. The extension of the streetcar connects to Tampa Heights on Franklin Street, passing through the “Recreational/Social” Activity Center at Columbus Drive. The Plan includes the Tampa Heights Greenway within the rights-of-way along the west side of I-275 north to Robles Park.

Of the stakeholders interviewed, the following comments were made regarding the plan:

• The Planning Commission

The Tampa Heights Community Plan has two major components that may have an impact on downtown access - returning Tampa Street and Florida Avenue to two-way operations and redevelopment of community/civic centers.

• HART

HART is coordinating with the Tampa Heights Neighborhood Association regarding using Columbus Drive as a transit emphasis corridor. Currently, bus service at Nebraska Avenue and Columbus Drive is difficult. Buses cannot make a turn at this intersection due to rutting and the crown profile of the roadways.


The Hillsborough County Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee supports converting Tampa Street to a two-way street per the neighborhoods plan.

• Tampa Heights Civic Association

The extension of the streetcar into Tampa Heights is a critical part of the transportation plan for the area. The Tampa Heights Civic Association views the economic development impact of the streetcar as a key catalyst in changing the face of Tampa Heights.

Tampa Heights Community Plan

Lead Agency: Tampa Heights Civic Association Cooperating Agencies:

• The Planning Commission Commenting Agencies:

• The Planning Commission • HART • Hillsborough County Bicycle/

Pedestrian Advisory Committee • Tampa Heights Civic Association

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Traffic Simulation Model for the Downtown Tampa Area The purpose of this project is to develop a tool that will enable FDOT, the Hillsborough County MPO, and the local governments to easily assess the impacts that proposed initiatives may have on the traffic patterns and circulation in downtown Tampa. It will also enable planners to assess how various combinations of initiatives function together. The study is planned to begin in late summer 2003.

Of the stakeholders interviewed, the following comments were made regarding the plan:

• City of Tampa and the Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority

Both the City of Tampa and the THCEA prefer a parking-based analysis model that ties in with FSUTMS for this analysis.

Kennedy Boulevard CMS Study The Hillsborough County MPO recently completed a Congestion Management System (CMS) study of the Kennedy Boulevard corridor from Memorial Highway to Ashley Drive. The study focused on ways to reduce congestion and improve mobility short of a major widening. It also reopened a decade-old discussion on the street’s potential to be a gateway boulevard for the City.

The study recommends specific improvements at the most congested and the most accident-prone intersections, such as Dale Mabry Highway, Grady Avenue, and Howard and Armenia Avenues. It also recommends new express bus service between the Westshore Business District and downtown at rush hour and bicycle routes on parallel streets to the immediate north and south of Kennedy Boulevard. Gaps in the corridor’s network of sidewalks and bus shelters can be filled based on the greatest need using the study’s thorough inventory. Finally, the study recommends streetscaping with trees, lights, and street furniture using a historic look at the downtown end of the corridor and a more contemporary look west of Henderson Boulevard.

Traffic Simulation Model for the Downtown Tampa Area

Lead Agency: Florida Department of Transportation

Cooperating Agencies:

• City of Tampa • Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway

Authority • Hillsborough County MPO


• City of Tampa • Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway

Authority

Kennedy Boulevard CMS Study Lead Agency: Hillsborough County MPO Cooperating Agencies:

• City of Tampa • Florida Department of Transportation • HART

Commenting Agencies: • Florida Department of Transportation

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The City of Tampa should take a lead role on obtaining easements from property owners along the road to implement the recommended improvements. Also, the MPO’s choice of projects to be funded in the Transportation Improvement Program should be related to study recommendations.

Nebraska Avenue “Road Diet” Concept In November 2001, the Hillsborough County MPO Board recommended Nebraska Avenue for the types of improvements described in the updated FDOT Plans Preparation Manual, Chapter 21 “Transportation Designs for Livable Communities.” In February 2002, the MPO requested that the staffs of the City of Tampa Transportation Division, FDOT, and MPO meet to discuss re-striping the road to make it more livable. Nebraska Avenue is a US highway under the jurisdiction of FDOT.

Improving conditions for pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, and motorists and enhancing the livability of the corridor to complement redevelopment was identified as a priority for Nebraska Avenue between Kennedy Boulevard and Hillsborough Avenue for the following reasons:

• There is significant bicycle and pedestrian activity there already;

• This corridor is in the top five priorities countywide for the Hillsborough County Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee;

• Bus frequency and ridership are consistently among the very highest of any corridor in the County;

• This corridor is the top focus for Community Development Block Grant redevelopment efforts;

• The existing road cross section is sub-standard; and

• The FDOT has identified $9 million for resurfacing the road in 2005, at which time it will have to be re-striped.

The concept developed by the MPO reduces the four-lane roadway to two lanes with center turn-lanes and provides signed and striped bicycle lanes, pedestrian crosswalks and center refuges, and bus pull-off areas at stops. Longer-term improvements could include traffic calming features, center islands, and landscaping.

Nebraska Avenue “Road Diet” Concept

Lead Agency: Hillsborough County MPO Cooperating Agencies:

• City of Tampa • Florida Department of Transportation • HART

Commenting Agencies: • VM Ybor Neighborhood Association • Florida Department of Transportation • HART

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Of the stakeholders interviewed, the following comments were made:

• VM Ybor Neighborhood Association

The VM Ybor Neighborhood Association is working with the Community Development Block Grant on code enforcement and on renovating some properties along this corridor. The street itself desperately needs attention, such as re-working the curbs and medians, burying power lines, and landscaping. Nebraska Avenue, Florida Avenue, and Tampa Street should not be treated as regional roads; the interstate plays that role. Making a street more livable supports redevelopment. We are willing to trade-off some greater congestion for re-development.


FDOT recognizes that livability is a goal for downtown. If downtown is congested, people will live elsewhere. Improving public transit opportunities to downtown is a good idea, for example, by cultivating busways on Nebraska or Florida Avenues.

• HART

Nebraska Avenue, along with Florida Avenue and Columbus Drive, is a major public transit route into and out of downtown. The intersection of Nebraska Avenue and Columbus Drive may become even more critical when FDOT closes the interchange at 40th Street where HART buses currently access I-4; buses may be re-routed to Columbus Drive for their trip to downtown.

ITS Master Plan In partnership with local transportation departments, the Hillsborough County MPO is developing an Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Master Plan for the County. The plan will identify goals for the area, inventory existing and planned deployments of ITS technology, and develop a local architecture and implementation plan. The ITS Master Plan will serve as a guide to the MPO in allocating Federal and State funds to ITS projects.

ITS Master Plan

Lead Agency: Hillsborough County MPO Cooperating Agencies:

• City of Tampa • Hillsborough County • Florida Department of Transportation • Enforcement Agencies • HART • Tampa Port Authority

Commenting Agencies: • Ybor City Development Corporation • Florida Department of Transportation

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Additional Variable Message Boards (VMBs) should be added to the Ybor City area. Two of these radio-controlled permanent signs are currently located at the edge of Ybor. These signs are very helpful in directing traffic around the area and are supported by the City of Tampa Transportation Division.


One ITS Center that includes THCEA, City of Tampa, Hillsborough County, FDOT, and FHP would be more efficient, especially with emergency management.

The identification of corridors appropriate for ITS strategies is needed. An ITS Plan that ties the Interstate ITS strategies with other local corridor strategies is needed.

Transit Development Plan (2004 - 2013) The HART Transit Development Plan for 2004 through 2013 describes transit services and projects that are planned and how they will be funded. The plan contemplates two scenarios, Status Quo and Growth.

The Status Quo Scenario includes no major growth but also no major cuts in bus service for the next 10 years, assuming existing revenues continue to keep pace with inflation. Minor adjustments to bus service – for example, small service improvements in growing areas balanced by savings or efficiencies to other areas in the system, could continue to be made.

The Growth Scenario includes bus service improvements such as new routes, longer hours, and more frequent buses, amounting to a 160 percent +/- increase in bus service throughout the County. Because public transportation typically is only partially funded by rider fares, a new source of revenue would be needed. The plan contemplates a new revenue stream consistent with the local Long Range Transportation Plan and equivalent to about a half-cent sales tax, an increase that would have to be approved by County voters in a referendum.

The Growth Scenario includes the following bus service improvements for downtown Tampa:

• The east-west/north-south pair of Columbus Drive and Nebraska Avenue will become a Transit Emphasis Corridor pair. In 2009, HART begins all-day frequent service on these streets.

Transit Development Plan (2004 - 2013)


• Hillsborough County MPO • Florida Department of Transportation • Tampa Historic Streetcar, Inc. • City of Tampa • Hillsborough County


• None

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• The east-west/north-south pair of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and Florida Avenue will also become a Transit Emphasis Corridor pair with improved frequency.

• Lengthen the hours of service to economic centers, such as downtown, to allow second-shift workers to return home and to reach late-shift work sites.

• By 2008, provide new “bus rapid transit service” on the Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway reversible lanes.

• Provide longer hours and more frequent service on Route 7 connecting downtown Tampa with West Tampa and the University area.

• Extend the streetcar to Tampa Heights and to Hyde Park.

There were no comments from the stakeholders interviewed regarding this plan.

South Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway Off-Ramp at Cass Street As the THCEA drafts plans to widen the southern portion of the Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway, it is investigating opportunities to develop an additional access point into downtown from the south. The preliminary concept is an elevated roadway providing an exit from the northbound Expressway near Willow Avenue heading north along the east side of the CSXT rail corridor. The elevated road would cross the Hillsborough River in the vicinity of the Cass Street Bridge and touch down somewhere east of Ashley Drive.

The same corridor has already been identified as the future location of Tampa’s light rail system through a multi-year public involvement and analysis process, and so adopted in the local Long Range Transportation Plan. The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Tampa Rail Project has been approved by the Federal government and new proposals that could impact the project are required to respond to the EIS. THCEA staff believes that the CSXT corridor will be able to accommodate an elevated roadway as well as the Tampa Rail Project.

A second issue is the interface of high speed traffic exiting the Expressway with low speed traffic accessing downtown businesses and attractions and downtown pedestrians crossing streets.

South Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway Off-Ramp at Cass Street

Lead Agency: Tampa Hillsborough County Expressway Authority Cooperating Agencies:

• City of Tampa • Florida Department of Transportation • CSXT • United States Coast Guard

(new bridge over navigable waters) Commenting Agencies:

• Tampa Downtown Partnership • HART • Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center • Tampa Museum of Art • City of Tampa

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Redevelopment in the north end of downtown – in the vicinity of Franklin Street north of Polk Street – is a focus of the Tampa Downtown Partnership and its Downtown Master Plan Committee, with emphasis on residential uses and soft entertainment (restaurants, galleries, lower-intensity music venues). A pedestrian-friendly environment is critical for making this redevelopment a success. Strong pedestrian connections between Franklin Street restaurants and the Cultural Arts District are key and will support utilization of the streetcar extension.


Expanding access to the Arts District would be a benefit for Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center patrons, particularly during major events. On the other hand, for the Arts District to thrive, we need to slow down the through-traffic and create a sense of arrival.

• HART

The light rail line from downtown to the SoHo area could be developed initially as an extension of the streetcar system, as an interim technology towards implementing the Tampa Rail EIS.

Tampa Greenways and Trails Master Plan The future Greenway and Trail System for the City of Tampa is envisioned as a multi-objective system. It will provide passive and active recreational venues for walkers, hikers, skaters, bicyclists, and canoeists, as well as a conservation of open space and opportunities for environmental and historical education. In addition, the Greenways and Trail System will provide a means of alternate, non-motorized transportation, thereby improving air quality, reducing traffic congestion, and reducing parking lot requirements.

This multi-purpose Greenway and Trail System will network with inter-modal transfers that link urban centers with suburban and rural areas throughout the City of Tampa, Hillsborough County, and the Florida statewide system of trails.



A trail from downtown along the CSXT corridor and Adamo Drive is affecting where Ybor City signs can be positioned.

Tampa Greenways and Trails Master Plan Lead Agency: City of Tampa Cooperating Agencies:

• Tampa Downtown Partnership • Hillsborough County Bicycle/

Pedestrian Advisory Committee Commenting Agencies:


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Downtown Transit Linkages Report Completed in 1999, this study was designed to supplement the 1994 Downtown Tampa Transportation Master Plan and recommends ways to strengthen the transit connections as downtown development evolves. Many of the recommendations in the report have been achieved or are currently underway, including:

• Development of the Southern Transportation Plaza,

• Relocation of the HART Northern Terminal on Marion Street,

• Construction of Phase One of the TECO Line Streetcar,

• Relocation of the Downtown Commuter Center,

• Expansion of east-west transit services,

• Identify alignments for Phase Two of the TECO Line Streetcar, and

• Additional downtown transit services.

2.5 Selected Land Development Projects

Florida Second District Court of Appeals Courtrooms, Offices, and Law Library The Florida Second District Court of Appeals is currently located in the Hillsborough County Court Annex on Twiggs Street and will be relocating to the new Stetson Law School campus discussed above. The Second District Court of Appeals will include courtrooms, judge’s chambers, administration offices, and a law library.

Florida Second District Court of Appeals Courtrooms,

Offices, and Law Library Lead Agency: Florida District Court of Appeals Cooperating Agencies:

• City of Tampa Commenting Agencies:

• None

Downtown Tampa Linkages Report

Lead Agency: HART

Cooperating Agencies:

• Florida Department of Transportation • City of Tampa • Hillsborough County MPO


• None

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Stetson Law School Stetson University’s College of Law purchased the former City of Tampa Police Headquarters from the City of Tampa to build the Stetson Law Center and Campus. The completed school will include a three-story, 73,500-square-foot main building. Ground was broken in early 2003 and construction is anticipated to take 10 to 12 months.

12th Street Yard Redevelopment Located on Twiggs Street generally between Channelside Drive and the CBD, the 12th Street Yard Redevelopment project calls for a mixed-use development with a significant residential component on the 7.5-acre parcel. The City of Tampa envisions this redevelopment as a catalyst for redevelopment throughout the Channel District.



The residents of the Channel District are relatively pleased that this parcel will be redeveloped. There is some concern over the hazardous materials that may be located on this site.

Bank of America Redevelopment Project

This $16.6 million redevelopment project will include construction of 238 apartments in the Tampa Heights neighborhood. Mobley Park is designed to serve as a catalyst for further neighborhood revitalization and economic development. This project was the lead project in an overall revitalization initiative led by the City of Tampa.

12th Street Yard Redevelopment


• Tampa Port Authority • Channel District Council



Bank of America Redevelopment Project

Lead Agency: Private Developer Cooperating Agencies:


• None

Stetson Law School

Lead Agency: Stetson University Cooperating Agency:

• City of Tampa Community Agency:

• None

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Pinnacle Project This long proposed project is located at Channelside Drive and Meridian Street. The development includes residential, retail, and office including a 625-foot tower with a restaurant and observation deck on top. This project has encountered financing issues and is considered to be on hold.

Hillsborough River Realty (Hillsborough River Tower) Also known as the Hillsborough River Tower, this 933,000 square-foot mixed-use tower with a parking structure (3,000+ spaces) and riverfront open space is located on the west bank of the Hillsborough River between the Tampa Tribune building and Kennedy Boulevard. Current economic conditions have shelved this project but it has an approved DRI.

Pinnacle Project



• None

Hillsborough River Realty (Hillsborough River Tower)


• City of Tampa • University of Tampa


• None

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3.0 DOWNTOWN ACCESS ISSUES

This section describes the downtown access and circulation issues identified by the stakeholders interviewed. Figure 3-1 depicts the prominent downtown access and circulation issues.

3.1 Transit Transit issues were focused on two topics - use of transit for circulation within downtown and use of transit for access to downtown.

Bus Transit The absence of a regularly scheduled east-west and north-south internal transit circulator with consistent stops concerned many of those interviewed. A transit circulator would encourage trips within downtown to utilize modal options of pedestrian and transit instead of personal vehicle trips. Such a system was envisioned to assist various proposed redevelopment plans and existing redevelopment areas, while maximizing investments in parking.

Transit access issues to downtown were related to directness of route and reasonable scheduling of those routes. The approaches to downtown are as important as the internal circulation. Buses from around the County are funneled into a few corridors to get in and out of downtown. They are routinely delayed. Signal prioritization for buses should be considered to minimize transit delays.

Bus stops are largely focused on the Marion Street Transit Parkway. Dispersing bus stops throughout downtown would provide better service. Turning buses around at the south end of the Marion Street Transit Parkway is difficult. Increased bus frequency and longer hours of operation are needed but are not feasible without an increase in local funding for operations.

In addition to Marion Street, there are key areas in downtown that could be better served with additional transit stops to enhance access to key destinations. The Marion Street Transit Parkway focuses the transit service to the current downtown configuration. As downtown grows and develops, additional key corridors will require enhanced transit service.

Consideration will need to be given to the fact that due to the bay, access to downtown is primarily limited to the north, east, and west. It is difficult to create balance between northbound and southbound routes. New transit distribution patterns could create a greater balance.

The reconfiguration of east-west streets in the north end of downtown to two-way streets should include a discussion of a key east-west transit corridor. New transit amenities in this area would complement the service provided on the Marion Street Transit Parkway. The discussion of which of these street(s) is/are best suited for transit will require land use planning and possible changes to on-street parking. Pedestrian and streetscape amenities should be discussed and implemented as part of any transit development.

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Streetcar Issues related to the streetcar focused on future extensions of the system and improved connections with existing transit options. Concerns related to future extensions focused on connections with the Cultural Arts District, Stetson Law School, the Bank of America Redevelopment area in Tampa Heights, and connection to Ybor City east through Tampa Heights and the Tampa Heights Town Center. Improved connections to the existing transit system (HART) are envisioned to increase ridership, encourage redevelopment, increase pedestrian/transit trips while reducing personal vehicle trips, and improve overall access and circulation.

Concerns over slow operating speeds could be alleviated through the double tracking of the existing system. Additionally, the streetcar extension should connect to key activity areas including a potential intermodal center at the proposed High Speed Rail station, Franklin Street Redevelopment, and the Cultural Arts District.

Tampa Rail Project If CSXT does not allow Tampa Rail use of its right-of-way, then local streets will have to accommodate the rail corridor. The Meridian Street improvements preclude opportunities for future rail in the corridor.

High Speed Rail High Speed Rail is expected to use an elevated structure with little, if any, interference with local streets. The High Speed Rail station will be connected to a parking structure at the north end of downtown, south of I-275, near the Marion Street Transit Center. Direct connections to local transit opportunities such as the streetcar or other circulator systems will be critical.

There is concern over impacts to historic structures, depending on the preferred alignment.

3.2 Pedestrian Mobility/Safety Several agencies noted that everyone that comes to downtown, at some point in time, becomes a pedestrian. Specific issues ranged from aesthetics to safety.

The “street-level experience” of the downtown Tampa pedestrian in many locations is a barren journey from intersection to intersection with lengthy spans of uninspiring building facades. One area in particular that was noted is between the County Center building and the Marriott Waterside Hotel, especially the areas south of Whiting Street. Improvements to the street-level experience of the pedestrian were assumed to encourage use of pedestrian travel in short- and mid-range trips within downtown as opposed to personal vehicle usage.

It was noted that downtown Tampa has relatively short blocks (200 feet) and virtually continuous street parking that provide the pedestrian with a sense of safety and protection from traffic. However, it was noted that safety is still an issue at pedestrian crossings at Ashley Drive and the intersection of Ashley Drive with Kennedy Boulevard. Vehicle travel speed and inadequate crossing times were of particular concern.

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As noted above, long spans of “sheer walls and windows” posed a level of concern to many pedestrians for personal safety reasons. Activity in these areas is reduced and the sense of “protection in numbers” is removed. This creates a psychological barrier to the use of some pedestrian paths in downtown. Other noted psychological barriers to pedestrians included Ashley Drive, the Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway, and the Hillsborough River.

The City of Tampa should enforce their existing code regarding private surface parking lots. Lots should be paved and landscaped.

The quality of pedestrian amenities has a direct effect on the transit system. A lack of standard sidewalks in the City is a problem for wheelchair lifts, as well as being pedestrian unfriendly. The problem arises when the sidewalk is significantly higher than the roadway and not standard for the wheelchair lift. Other sidewalks are sloped from the edge of the property to the curb, creating an uncomfortable walking or wheelchair experience. A solution to create a level sidewalk would be to institute a retaining wall for the property, separating it from a standard height sidewalk. An example of this can be seen at the University of Tampa, where not only is the sidewalk not on a level plane, but it also has extensive dips and curb cuts that make its use uncomfortable.

The current sidewalk standards, especially in downtown, are too small. Pedestrians often overflow into the street because there is not adequate space. This creates another problem of pedestrian safety. Pedestrian safety techniques, such as bollards that define pedestrian crossings, are seen as obstacles. By not instituting pedestrian safety techniques and pedestrian amenities, an environment is created that places more importance on cars than people. Sheer edged buildings send an anti-pedestrian message. Sidewalk and design standards should include provisions for shade and rain cover through the use of trees and arcades.

3.3 Bicycle Mobility/Safety Many issues related to bicycles are similar to pedestrian issues detailed in Section 3.2 (Pedestrian Mobility); however, additional issues include dedicated bicycle lanes, paths, and trails that provide access to and through downtown. Safe facilities are needed for bicyclists in major thoroughfares. Connections to existing and planned bicycle paths that interconnect with transit options are considered to be beneficial to improving access to and within downtown. In addition to bicycle lanes, calmer automobile traffic would benefit bicyclist safety and encourage bicycle use.

Channelside Drive is pedestrian friendly but lacks designated bicycle facilities. A bicycle route connecting Cass/Tyler Streets to Platt/Cleveland Streets via North Boulevard is also needed. The Platt Street Bridge from Bayshore Boulevard is a great access point into downtown for bicyclists but it has limited bicycle facilities. The Platt/Cleveland Street corridor is wide enough for re-striping and marking for bicycle use.

There are opportunities in the Cass/Tyler Street corridor via Nuccio Parkway to provide a safe bicycle facility between downtown and Ybor City. Cass Street’s brick paving is difficult for bicyclists, but in spite of this, this corridor has the potential to be an important east-west connection for cycling.

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3.4 Parking (Structure and Surface) Access patterns into downtown are influenced by the placement of parking garages. As stated in Section 3.2 (Pedestrian Mobility), virtually each traveler to downtown Tampa becomes a pedestrian after their initial destination (e.g., a parking structure or surface lot) is reached. Most of the identified issues relate to the proximate access by pedestrians to those parking opportunities.

Surface parking lots should be pushed to the outer edges of downtown, allowing for infill development in the downtown core. Parking structures should be focused near key activity centers, especially near special event venues. Visitors would be better served with convenient parking near gateways or key activity areas and signs that direct them to this parking.

Parking garages and surface lots on the outer edges of downtown should be served by a transit circulator service to influence using these parking areas and to alleviate downtown congestion.

Concentrated parking options should be coupled with pedestrian friendly streets including covered walkways and transit circulator options.

Connections between downtown, Channelside, and Ybor City via the streetcar or other transit could maximize the investment in structured parking in both locations. Hourly or daily parking costs should be equalized over downtown, Channelside, and Ybor City.

Parking meter regulations and enforcement, especially in Ybor City, are inconsistent. Overpriced surface lots should be discouraged.

3.5 Downtown Signalization Traffic signal timing favors personal vehicle travel through downtown rather than around or within downtown. Reevaluation of signal timing in the non-peak period may be to the benefit of downtown businesses and would likely decrease the number of people that travel through downtown to avoid congestion issues at the I-275/I-4 junction.

The current computerized signal system causes transit delays. HART is coordinating with the City of Tampa to upgrade the current system. Signal priority or pre-emption should be considered for transit emphasis corridors. Scott Street and the Marion Street Parkway are examples of improvement opportunities.

3.6 Downtown Signage Downtown signage is a prominent concern of many of the stakeholders interviewed. Inadequate signage in the downtown area and along access roadways leading to downtown does not lead visitors to key activity centers or the parking areas. Improvements to signage in downtown should focus on gateway announcement, direction to key parking locations, parking availability, and directions to key activity centers/visitor (infrequent user) points of interest. International symbols, as used in Ybor City, should be included on informational and directional signs to serve tourists who visit Tampa from abroad.

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The Tampa Downtown Partnership pointed out that access from downtown to the Channel District and Channelside development is difficult for visitors. Not only are there limited access points (Channelside Drive from Platt Street and Kennedy Boulevard), there is a lack of signs for visitors to follow. The Partnership supports the connection of east-west streets into the Channel District. Additionally, the Partnership would like to have the signage, including parking signage, in downtown be studied.

Mayor Greco’s administration made a point of directing travelers through Ybor City to get to downtown as an effort to stimulate the district. With major transportation changes being made to I-4 and the Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway, this routing is no longer necessary. In addition, given the current level of attention on Ybor City, the Ybor City Development Corporation is in the process of changing the signs and travel patterns to separate Ybor City and downtown destinations.

The City of Tampa Transportation Division has a Master Signage Plan to address issues in Ybor City and downtown. This plan is a collective effort of the Ybor City Development Corporation, Port Authority, and THCEA. The plan identifies sign locations that will define the boundaries of the Ybor City Historic District. Additionally, the plan serves to better direct visitors to information as well as provide aesthetic value to the areas. A copy of the Ybor Destination Sign Map is provided in Appendix C.

3.7 Special Events Street closures during special events in Ybor City and downtown create confusion and frustration for visitors and business owners. Additionally, the concentration of special event venues at the south end of downtown creates circulation issues during events. The streetcar currently provides access to remote parking. It could serve new public spaces at the south end of downtown, such as the future Fort Brooke Park, if they were used for festivals and other special events.

It should be noted that there are special event issues facing Ybor City, separately from downtown. Ybor events affect downtown parking, etc. and vice versa. Many different events held at one time cross over districts and can cause major traffic congestion in downtown.

The Tampa Historic Streetcar, Inc. and HART have developed a Streetcar Special Events Package/Policy allowing for parades and other events to request that the streetcar service not operate during a certain period of time. The policy also provides the opportunity for event coordinators to request additional streetcar service to accommodate large crowds.

3.8 Truck Traffic

Over 6,000 trucks per day travel from the Port of Tampa through Ybor City. The proposed Crosstown/I-4 Connector would replace the current 22nd Street route through Ybor City. This would be convenient for the Port and beneficial to the development of the residential areas on the east side of Ybor City.

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3.9 Roadway Construction Projects

I-275/I-4 Interchange Improvements Two major issues were evident regarding the planned improvements to interstate interchanges:

• How will construction affect the maintenance of traffic flow?

• Will existing surface streets be able to accommodate inbound and outbound traffic volumes once interchanges are complete?

Streets that are of greatest concern include Tampa Street, Florida Avenue, Ashley Drive, and 14th/15th Streets (Ybor City). Concerns in downtown are based on daily peak hour traffic and concerns in Ybor City are based on special events.

Meridian Street/Reversible Lanes The Meridian Street project provides improved automobile access to the Channel District in addition to promoting the reconnection of the Channel District to the main portion of downtown. The removal of the Kennedy Boulevard overpass and the reconnection of east-west downtown streets over the CSXT tracks will also benefit redevelopment.

The Meridian Street project includes planned sidewalks and bicycle lanes on the east side of the road. The opening of streets into downtown should include landscaping and shade/cover features for these streets in order to create a useable pedestrian/bicycle way into the core of downtown.

3.10 Two-Way Streets Many of the agencies interviewed are in favor of the conversion of some one-way streets to two-way streets. It is also recognized that there needs to be balance between one-way pairs and “calmer” streets. Streets at the north end of downtown (Madison, Twiggs, Zack, and Polk Streets) are proposed to be converted to two-way streets.

Residential areas would benefit from the revision of Tampa Street and Florida Avenue to two-way streets.

3.11 Downtown Master Plan The Plan should include a clear, updated definition of downtown, creation of distinct spaces, and demarcation of gateways and districts.

3.12 Redevelopment Redevelopment of the north end of downtown for residential use is desired. Attraction of a critical mass of residential development would boost “around the clock” use of downtown. Existing and new residents require neighborhood-oriented services, such as grocery stores, currently lacking in downtown.

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Redevelopment plans include the Ybor Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) (two districts), Old Tampa Police Station CRA and Tampa Heights Plan, Downtown CRA (core and non-core districts), Channel District CRA, East Tampa CRA, Drew Park CRA, and the Bank of America/Mobley Park project. HART noted that these plans should include the identification of bus stops with a discussion of streetscapes, shelters, bus bays, turning radii, and lighting enhancements in the key areas.

There is also an opportunity for strong redevelopment at public housing sites. Agencies interested in redevelopment should coordinate with the Tampa Housing Authority to leverage Housing Authority monies with other local funds.

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Downtown Master Plan Focus Areas

• Aesthetic and operational improvements to Ashley Drive as it relates to vehicular access capacity on and off I-275, interaction with pedestrians and bicycles, and its relationship with the Cultural Arts District.

• Expansion of the streetcar and its influence on residential, entertainment, and commercial development.

• East-west and north-south connectivity within downtown for pedestrian, bicycle, transit, and vehicular modes.

• Mobility opportunities including expansion of the Riverwalk north to Tampa Heights, expansion of the streetcar and rubber wheeled trolley, and overall pedestrian and bicycle access.

• Evaluation of the critical approaches into downtown.

• Relationship between parking facilities and final destinations within downtown.

• Relationship of residential developments in the Channel District, Tampa Heights, and the Cultural Arts District and mobility to downtown destinations.

• Development of the Cultural Arts District as a multi-use destination.

• Economic viability and the need for access to be balanced with livability improvements.

• Recognition of downtown as a “neighborhood.”

• Evolution of downtown into a “human scale” community.

4.0 ACTION PLAN

During the stakeholder interview process, several common themes were prevalent. These included better pedestrian access, mobility, and safety; transit accessibility and circulation within downtown; access to future destinations such as the Cultural Arts District; and creating a “human scale” pedestrian environment. These themes and other issues identified in this report should be addressed in an update of the Downtown Master Plan, as detailed below.

Within the discussion of each of the issues in Section 3.0, there are two primary categories of issues: entrance and egress to downtown and circulation within downtown. Figure 4-1 depicts the issues about access at gateways and to initial destinations in downtown Tampa. Figure 4-2 graphically portrays downtown circulation issues. While some modes are used more frequently for access to or travel within downtown, other modes are used equally for both. In most cases, someone traveling to downtown will use a second mode once within the limits of downtown, especially if the traveler is in downtown for a lengthy period of time, such as a workday or special event. Intermodal connections, therefore, should be a primary concern for the development of the Downtown Master Plan.

4.1 Downtown Master Plan Tampa’s downtown is rapidly maturing into a thriving, multi-faceted, livable residential, entertainment, and commercial destination. This rapid maturation is exposing development opportunities in the downtown area that until recently were considered infeasible and undesirable. With the current and anticipated development pressure and increased attractiveness of downtown Tampa, it is critical that a Downtown Master Plan is developed.

The Master Plan should be coordinated with the ongoing and evolving studies and plans presented in this report. It should involve a large group of stakeholders including those interviewed in this study, major downtown employers, the court system, the library system, and other interested parties.

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The study area should include the West Bank, University of Tampa campus, Ybor City, Tampa Heights, and Harbour Island.

The absence of a well organized, comprehensive, and implementable Downtown Master Plan will result in haphazard development and undesirable mobility conditions. This will quickly erode the current desire for residential, entertainment, and commercial development in downtown Tampa.

The action items discussed below are categorized into immediate, short-term, and long-term. Immediate action items are those that could be implemented with little cost or within existing activities. Short-term items are those that could be implemented within the next 5 years with identifiable funding sources. Finally, long-term items are those that may be implemented outside of the next 5 years and may require more substantial funding sources. Each of the action items listed below should adhere to the goals and objectives of the Downtown Master Plan.

4.2 Immediate Action Items

• Coordinate with the two studies being performed by the City of Tampa and FDOT that are evaluating the interaction of parking structures and overall traffic movements and volumes. a. Coordinate with the ongoing City of Tampa and FDOT downtown

traffic studies to identify high-use corridors between parking structures and final destinations.

b. Determine existing and future capacity of roadway corridors and gateways servicing downtown. Identify opportunities to convert excess capacity to other uses, such as dedicated bus lanes and bicycle and pedestrian facilities.

c. Discern travel patterns from gateways to parking areas.

d. Identify opportunities for existing and new parking facilities to functionally interface with transit opportunities, pedestrian/bicycle opportunities, and special events.

Stakeholders/agencies that may be involved include the Hillsborough County Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee, City of Tampa Transportation Division, City of Tampa Parking Division, HART, and FDOT.

• Establish a High Speed Rail Station Area Development Advisory Committee. a. Coordinate with FDOT on the upcoming study to locate, plan, design,

and engineer intermodal centers necessary to implement Florida’s High Speed Rail system.

b. Coordinate directly with High Speed Rail designers and station architects to establish desired urban design features and proximate development opportunities.

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c. Encourage transit intermodalism through coordination with HART and the Tampa Historic Streetcar, Inc.

d. Provide a vehicle for the distribution of information related to High Speed Rail, station development, and station area developments throughout downtown.

Stakeholders/agencies that may be involved include FDOT, High Speed Rail Authority, City of Tampa Transportation Division, City of Tampa Parking, HART, Tampa Historic Streetcar, Inc., and the Tampa Downtown Partnership.

• Examine existing HART bus routes to and from downtown to identify potential new or expanded express service opportunities. a. Develop roadway efficiency plan for express buses coming into

downtown including signal prioritization/pre-emption for major transit corridors.

b. Examine modification of routes and scheduling for access to downtown.

Stakeholders/agencies that may be involved include HART, Hillsborough County MPO, Hillsborough County, City of Tampa Traffic Engineering, and the Tampa Downtown Partnership.

• Establish key pedestrian corridors. a. Identify the capture area for parking structures by performing an

Origin and Destination (O&D) survey at stand-alone public parking structures.

b. From the O&D survey, identify high-use pedestrian corridors and inventory features along that corridor that are acceptable to the pedestrian.

c. From the O&D survey, identify lower-use pedestrian corridors and inventory features along that corridor that are unacceptable to the pedestrian.

d. Utilize inventories from (b) and (c) to identify amenities and features that attract/repulse pedestrian usage.

e. Identify opportunities for transit intermodalism for both employees and special event visitors along pedestrian corridors.

Stakeholders/agencies that may be involved include the City of Tampa Parking Division, City of Tampa Transportation Division, Hillsborough County MPO, HART, Tampa Historic Streetcar, Inc., and the Tampa Downtown Partnership.

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4.3 Short-Term Action Items

• Provide advance signs to direct drivers to parking areas near gateways or near desired activities. These signs would assist infrequent visitors to downtown find their initial destination, in addition to providing daily visitors with timely information about issues such as congested areas and special events. a. Coordinate with the MPO ITS Master Plan to develop a downtown

specific element.

b. Coordinate with FDOT, City of Tampa, and THCEA to identify possible ITS/Advance Signage opportunities.

c. Coordinate with all special event venues in downtown and Ybor City to establish level of detail needed in ITS/Advance Signage.

d. Coordinate with HART to identify transit ITS opportunities such as signal prioritization for buses on major corridors and VMBs to direct transit vehicles carrying people from parking garages to their final destination.

e. Research possible funding sources for subsequent design and implementation.

Stakeholders/agencies that may be involved include FDOT, THCEA, Hillsborough County, City of Tampa Transportation Division, Tampa Downtown Partnership, Cultural Arts District, St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa/Hillsborough County Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Tampa Port Authority.

• Promote and create opportunities for intermodalism. a. Coordinate with HART, Tampa Historic Streetcar, Inc., FDOT, and

City of Tampa to identify opportunities for co-locating parking facilities with other intermodal facilities.

b. Promote these opportunities through downtown focused publications (e.g., Tampa Downtown Partnership, Tampa Chamber of Commerce).

c. Investigate the potential for reduction of costs if intermodal opportunities are utilized (e.g., reduced bus circulator/streetcar fare with parking structure ticket, free transfers between bus/streetcar, developer credit for promotion of intermodal opportunities in new developments/redevelopments).

Stakeholder/agencies that may be involved include HART, Tampa Historic Streetcar, Inc., FDOT, City of Tampa, and Tampa Downtown Partnership.

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• Establish a Light Rail Transit Station Area Development Advisory Committee. a. Coordinate with rail designers and station area planners/urban

designers.

b. Create discrete connections to other transit modes directly or through other modes: streetcar, circulator bus, High Speed Rail.

Stakeholders/agencies that may be involved include HART, Tampa Historic Streetcar, Inc., Tampa Downtown Partnership, Ybor City Development Corporation, and City of Tampa Land Development.

• Identify desired and appropriate east-west and north-south internal circulation routes. a. Utilize data gathered in the pedestrian O&D survey (Section 4.3.2) to

identify potential high ridership corridors.

b. Coordinate between HART bus service and the streetcar to develop a transfer schedule to allow transfers from bus to streetcar.

c. Evaluate the advantages/disadvantages of existing circulator systems, specifically the LYNX/LYMMO system in downtown Orlando.

d. Review existing transit circulator routes and identify opportunities for improved service.

e. Research possible funding sources for the development, maintenance, and possible subsidy of an expanded internal circulation system.

Stakeholders/agencies that may be involved include HART, Tampa Historic Streetcar, Inc., Hillsborough County MPO, City of Tampa Transportation Division, and the Tampa Downtown Partnership.

• Create safe pedestrian scale gateways. a. Identify key pedestrian access points based on activity areas within a

walkable distance from downtown (e.g., University of Tampa, Ybor City, Tampa Heights).

b. Remove/reduce psychological barriers through development regulations, traffic calming techniques, streetscape/infrastructure improvements, etc.

c. Maximize investment in pedestrian gateways through intermodal connections.

Stakeholders/agencies that may be involved include the Hillsborough County Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee, Tampa Downtown Partnership, Channel District Council, Tampa Heights Civic Association, VM Ybor Neighborhood Association, University of Tampa, City of Tampa Transportation Division, HART, and FDOT.

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• Create safe bicycle gateways and corridors. a. Identify key north-south and east-west bicycle routes serving

downtown based on issues presented in this report and the County Bicycle Master Plan. Bicycle amenities such as bicycle racks and storage lockers should be placed in strategic intermodal locations along these corridors.

b. Remove/reduce psychological barriers through development regulations, traffic calming techniques, streetscape/infrastructure improvements, etc.

c. Integrate bicycle routes into transportation and recreational projects to connect to greater regional bicycle system.

Stakeholders/agencies that may be involved include the Hillsborough County Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee, Tampa Downtown Partnership, Channel District Council, Tampa Heights Civic Association, VM Ybor Neighborhood Association, University of Tampa, City of Tampa Transportation Division, HART, and FDOT.

• Establish development/design standards to improve pedestrian comfort. a. Remove/reduce psychological barriers to pedestrian circulation.

Develop survey to identify: • Where barriers exist, • Why barriers exist, • What features create barriers, and • What role safety plays.

b. Develop design criteria/development standards to improve pedestrian features in key corridors.

c. Coordinate with the City of Tampa regarding the opportunities for incentives to redevelopment and new development projects to provide “pedestrian/bicycle-friendly” amenities in association with the completed project.

Stakeholders/agencies that may be involved include Hillsborough County MPO, City of Tampa Land Development Department, City of Tampa Transportation Division, and the Tampa Downtown Partnership.

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4.4 Long-Term Action Items

• Provide appropriate and timely information via VMBs or signage at initial destinations related to routes to secondary destinations and special events. a. Coordinate with the pedestrian/bicycle O&D survey, discussed in

Section 4.3.2, to identify high-use routes.

b. Coordinate with all special event venues in downtown and Ybor City to establish information level of detail.

c. Coordinate with transit providers (HART, Streetcar, High Speed Rail) to identify routes to transfer points and transit schedules.

Stakeholders/agencies that may be involved include HART, Tampa Historic Streetcar, Inc., Hillsborough County MPO, City of Tampa Transportation Division, and the Tampa Downtown Partnership.

It should be noted that all downtown access and circulation issues may not be represented in this study. It includes the issues identified through stakeholder interviews and action items based on the identified issues. The continued examination of the general issues of downtown access and the continued coordination with those stakeholders interviewed should be accomplished within the actions presented in this report.

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