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We're extra busy in May!
|  | | Join us for public workshops on a variety of topics:
Hillsborough's transportation disadvantaged services meeting - May 9
| Transportation Disadvantaged Service Plan |
Congestion and safety solutions for E Hillsborough Ave workshop - May 14
| East Hillsborough Avenue Congestion & Crash Reduction Study |
Regional trail connection meeting - May 16
| George Road Trail Feasibility Study - TNC Greenway to Courtney Campbell Trail |
Regional trail summit - May 21
| BPAC joins the City / County Greenways & Trails to coordinate regional connections |
Connecting Tampa's neighborhoods interactive workshop - May 29
| Tampa Walk Bike Plan Phase III - Green ARTery |
See the Upcoming Meetings list in the right hand column of this newsletter, or view our Calendar for all board and committee meetings as well as special planning workshops and events.
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May is National Bike Month!
|  | Sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists, National Bike Month is a celebration of the bicycle and the many reasons we ride. Whether you bike to work or school; to save money or time; to preserve your health or the environment; to explore your community or get to your destination, Bike Month is your chance to share you passion for pedaling! Events and activities are planned throughout the country, including Bike to Work and Bike to School days. Locally, Tampa BayCycle has created a National Bike Month event on facebook, where you can log your rides every day of the month for chances to win a new bike!.
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More Walk/ Bike improvements coming soon!
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City of Tampa
The City of Tampa continues to implement the recommendations of its Walk Bike Plan. The following projects are planned to be under construction in 2013:
- 50th St - shared lane markings (sharrows) from Fowler Ave to Serena Ave
- Tampa Bay Blvd - sharrows from Dale Mabry Hwy to Armenia Ave
- Serena Dr - sharrows from 46th St to 52nd St
- Doyle Carlton Dr - bicycle lanes from Laurel St to Palm Ave
- Laurel St & Green St - bicycle lanes
- Platt St - bicycle lanes from Armenia Ave to Bayshore Blvd
Unincorporated Hillsborough County
The Unincorporated County Pedestrian and Bicycle High Crash Areas Strategic Plan recommended pedestrian and bicycle safety projects to be built on key corridors. The Board of County Commissioners' budget fully funded the top 10 recommendations of the plan. The projects are:
- Waters Ave - sidewalks and bike lanes at the crosswalk of Waters and Armenia and from Pinehurst Dr to Dale Mabry Hiwy
- 42nd St -sidewalks, rapid beacon mid-block crossings and improved lighting between Fletcher Ave and Bearss Ave
- 56th St -sidewalks, rapid beacon mid-block crossings and improved lighting between Fowler Ave and Fletcher Ave
- Bearss Ave - sidewalks and bicycle lanes from Dale Mabry Hwy east to 22nd St
- Bruce B Downs - 10 foot sidepath and sidewalks from 138th Ave to north of Bearss Ave
- Providence Rd - new bicycle signage and replaced bicycle pavement markings froms south of SR 60/ Brandon Blvd to Bloomingdale Ave
- Hanley Rd - raised median and sharrows from Hillsborough Ave to Waters Ave
- Fletcher Ave - modified median from N Blvd to Florida Ave
For more information contact Michele Ogilvie at ogilviem@plancom.org or 813/273-3774 x317.
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But wait... there's more!
Tampa Walk Bike Plan Phase III
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The City of Tampa and the Hillsborough MPO have initiated a Phase III of Tampa's Walk Bike Plan. The plan has two objectives. The first objective is to complete the coverage of the City by identifying bicycle and pedestrian connectivity opportunities in the area north of Fletcher Avenue (New Tampa).
The second objective is to work with the Green ARTery community organization and City of Tampa staff to refine the Green ARTery "perimeter trail." The Green ARTery group has proposed a Central Tampa trail loop that could be used by recreational and novice users, while connecting neighborhood assets via bike boulevards, linear parks and paths. Community meetings will be held to seek input from neighborhoods on the trail alignment before a final recommendation is developed.
View the Tampa Walk Bike Plan III project area.
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Taking 'complete streets' to the streets!
|  | Our MPO Livable Roadways Committee wanted to take the 'complete streets' topic to the streets, and that's just what we did in early April. The entire University of South Florida (USF) area (and beyond - we even had a participant who came from Orlando!) was invited to join the student body at the Marshall Student Center for learn more and offer ideas to make area roadways more safe and user-friendly for all. Sponsored on campus by the USF Student Environmental Assocation, the Summit featured a wide variety of exhibits and discussions including:
Hundreds of eager participants were invited to learn, talk, share, draw and write about their vision for what a complete street should look like, since there is no singular design prescription for a complete street. Some ingredients in a successful complete street recipe may include sidewalks, bicycle lanes, sharrows, special bus lanes, lighting, median islands. View more photos, news stories, comments and drawings at the following links:
 View more photos.
View the 83 Degrees article
View the WMNF Community Radio news story
Learn more about the MPO's Livable Roadway Committee, view the Summit flyer, as well as all of the drawings and comments received on our web site or contact Lisa Silva, AICP, for more information at 813/273-3774 x329 or email silval@plancom.org. |
| USDOT launches campaign to reduce bicyclist fatalities to zero |  | |
U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood stood in front of several hundred bicyclists, safety advocates, state and local officials on April 11th to announce a campaign to "reduce cyclists' deaths down to zero." The Secretary was in Tampa for the Southeast Regional Bike Safety Summit. He emphasized the need for motorists to respect cyclists, and called on cycling organizations, law enforcement, state and local leaders to get behind the campaign, which he said would be patterned after successful programs to reduce drunk driving and encourage seat belt use. Sec. LaHood talked up the need for more bicycle-friendly roadways, saying, "In cities, when you build a road, build a bike lane. It's simple!" The USDOT is ready to help, making funding available in $475 million in the latest round of TIGER grants.
Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn joined the Secretary in calling for better bicycling, citing economic reasons. Tampa is striving to attract and retain talented professionals who value good bicycling infrastructure as part of their quality of life. He said "intellectual capital is mobile, and we don't want to lose out to cities like Raleigh, Charlotte, and Austin." Both Secretary LaHood and Mayor Buckhorn highlighted the City's bike sharing program, set to launch this fall. The Mayor said that bicycling is part of being "hip and cool," meaning "a city where you can live, work and play and not have to get into a car."
A panel moderated by National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator David Strickland discussed what's happening to make cycling safer. In addition to the Mayor, the panel included Tampa BayCycle's Karen Kress, Florida Department of Transportation's District One Secretary Billy Hattaway and Tampa Police Captain Ruben Delgado. Road diets, safety vest and light kits, and the three-foot rule were cited as best practices. A major challenge is that Tampa grew as an auto-centric city that is tough to retrofit with bicycle facilities. The panel also agreed that a cultural shift needs to take place to change motorists' behavior and respect bicyclists sharing the road.
Audience members asked officials to install more "Share the Road" signs, consider measures to slow traffic and protect cyclists with green lanes separated from motor vehicle traffic. Joined by Mayor Buckhorn, Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Chairman Jim Shirk, and a host of others, Sec. LaHood began the day by taking a bike ride along Tampa's Riverwalk.
For more information visit the US Department of Transportation.
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Teaming up for pedestrian safety!
|  | While pedestrian deaths have recently declined in Tampa, Florida still doubles the national average in pedestrian fatalities. This fact prompted the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to extend the pedestrian safety grants originally paid for by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The Tampa Police Department (TPD) and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office will each receive $100,000.
This money will be used to increase officer, deputy, and trooper numbers enforcing crosswalk crosswalk safety laws during rush hour. Since the federal grants began in August 2010, TPD has conducted 60 crosswalk operations and issued 3,409 citations for cars violating pedestrian right-of-way and 1,593 warning for pedestrians not using crosswalks. These operations, coupled with education programs supported by the Tampa Downtown Partnership and Hillsborough MPO, reduced significantly the number of pedestrian deaths within the City of Tampa:
- 2010 - 17 pedestrian deaths
- 2011 - 14 pedestrian deaths
- 2012 - 4 pedestrian deaths
- 2013 - 1 pedestrian death (to date)
Also receiving the FDOT grant extensions to keep the momentum on this trend going in our region: the Florida Highway Patrol, Pasco County Sheriff's Office, Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, Largo Police Department Pinellas Park Police Department and New Port Richey Police Department.
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Tampa chooses partnership of CycleHop and Social Bicycles to create bicycle sharing program
|  | On March 6, Mayor Bob Buckhorn announced the team of CycleHop, LLC and Social Bicycles have been selected to create a bicycle sharing program in Tampa. "The idea for bicycle sharing is simple: to give residents and visitors one more way to get around our urban core. From the cruise passengers in Channelside to the downtown office workers and the family in Seminole Heights, this program will be designed to make all of their lives easier and provide an affordable, easy mode of transportation," said Mayor Bob Buckhorn.
The first bikes are expected to be in place by this fall. The teams behind CycleHop and Social Bicycles have a combined experience of 19 years in the bicycle sharing industry. Josh Squire, who runs CycleHop, oversaw the implementation of bike sharing programs in Broward County and worked for JC Decaux, which started some of the first programs in Lyon and Paris. Social Bikes builds the "smart bikes" and provides bikes to Buffalo and Sun Valley, Idaho.
"Social Bicycles is excited to work with CycleHop to bring the next generation of bike share technology to the City of Tampa. Residents and visitors will soon be able to travel using a new environmentally friendly
form of public transportation. Our bikes are equipped with a GPS-enabled locking system which will lock to bike racks found at hub locations throughout downtown Tampa. Our system is more affordable and scalable than other technologies, and we hope to quickly spread throughout the Tampa Bay region," said Ryan Rzepecki, CEO, Social Bicycles.
The Bike Sharing program is part of Mayor Buckhorn's overall goal to make Tampa a more bicycle-friendly community and to expand on our bicycle infrastructure, which currently includes 32.5 miles of trails, bicycle lanes, and signed bicycle routes.
Article courtesy of the City of Tampa. Photo courtesy of Social Bicycles. |
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NHTSA Survey finds 660,000 drivers using electronic devices while driving
|  | The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released new survey results showing Americans are continuing to use electronic devices while driving, despite warnings that it causes their own driving to deteriorate and can lead to crashes, injuries and even death.
The new data include statistics from the 2012 Distracted Driving Attitudes and Behaviors Survey and the 2011 National Occupant Protection Use Survey on Driver Electronics Use, as well as the 2011 Distraction Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data. All three reports are being highlighted in the premier issue of NHTSA's Safety in Numbers online monthly auto safety newsletter. The 2011 National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS) shows that at any given daylight moment across America, approximately 660,000 drivers are using cell phones or manipulating electronic devices while driving, a number that has held steady since 2010. According to separate NHTSA data, more than 3,300 people were killed in 2011 and 387,000 were injured in crashes involving a distracted driver. "Distracted driving is a serious and deadly epidemic on America's roadways," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "There is no way to text and drive safely. Powering down your cell phone when you're behind the wheel can save lives - maybe even your own." So far 39 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands ban text messaging for all drivers. Also 10 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands prohibit all drivers from using handheld cell phones while driving. A bill is pending in the Florida Legislature that would make texting while driving a secondary violation, which means a driver would have to commit another violation such as DUI before being cited. "Many drivers see distracted driving as risky when other drivers do it, but do not recognize how their own driving deteriorates," said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland. "I urge all motorists to use common sense and keep their attention focused solely on the task of safely driving." To prevent distracted driving, the Department of Transportation recommends that drivers: - Turn off electronic devices and put them out of reach before starting to drive.
- Be good role models for young drivers, and set a good example. Talk with your teens about responsible driving.
- Speak up when you are a passenger and your driver uses an electronic device while driving. Offer to make the call for the driver, so his or her full attention stays on the driving task.
- Always wear your seat belt. Seat belts are the best defense against unsafe drivers.
Read about Distracted Driving in NHTSA's premier issue of Safety in Numbers, a new online monthly newsletter on hot topics in auto safety - including problem identification, people at risk, and recommended practices and solutions to mitigate injury and death on our nation's roadways. View the National Survey on Distracted Driving Attitudes and Behaviors. View 2011 distraction fatality data. For more information about distracted driving, visit Distraction.gov. Article courtesy of the US Department of Transportation. |
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April Fools: Guerrilla safety group 'politely' installs bike lane protectors
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Seattle: An extremely polite group of anonymous guerrilla road safety activists armed with $350 worth of reflective plastic pylons turned the painted Cherry Street bike lane under I-5 into a protected bike lane Monday morning.
The group, calling themselves the Reasonably Polite Seattleites, wanted to make a statement about how easy and affordable it would be for the city to use the method to make bike lanes safer all over the city. To stress how polite they are, they attached them using an adhesive pad for easy removal, according to an email sent to SDOT and Seattle Bike Blog.
The city has removed them, but responded with an equally polite email thanking them for making the statement, apologizing that they had to remove them and even offering to give the pylons back.
View the full article which includes email correspondence between the City of Seattle, Seattle Department of Transportation and the Reasonably Polite Seattleites.
Article and photo courtesy of Seattle Bike Blog. |
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Building a better bike lane
|  | Martha Roskowski is heading up a two-year effort called the Green Lane Project (GLP) for the national advocacy group Bikes Belong. "Top city officials are now seeing bicycling as a really practical, rational part of the mobility picture," she said. The GLP aims to foster this evolving mindset by helping cities to adopt high-quality bicycle infrastructure - bike lanes where people can ride with at least some protection from car traffic in the form of bollards, parked cars, raised pavement, or other separation.
The idea is to get cities to start building bike networks that provide a comfortable place to ride not just for what Roskowski calls "the 1%" - the fearless, physically fit, expert bike handlers who are willing to jockey for space with cars, trucks, and pedestrians. Green lanes are meant to serve a more cautious group, people who might want to ride to work, to socialize, or to do errands, but who are intimidated by pedaling through hectic urban traffic.
So far, New York added 11.3 miles of new green lanes in 2012, with Chicago installing 9.4 and San Francisco logging 5.5. Opening up bicycling to a larger population, Roskowski says, will mean a culture shift away from the often contentious identity politics that have characterized bicycle advocacy and policy for a generation. This isn't about messengers and Lycra-clad road riders anymore. "It's not that those cultures are going to go away," said Roskowski. "But how do you speed this progression from 'cyclist' being a weird subset of the population to having riding a bike being something you just do to get around?"
Green lanes represent an important step in the evolution of American streets as a place for all users. Roskowski believes the biggest change may be psychological. Now, when they look at streets, city planners in the U.S. are increasingly seeing something new, and the public is beginning to see it, too. "We're getting away from the assumption that streets are only a car space and can't be used for anything else," she says. "It's space for people - in cars, on bikes, on transit, and on foot. It's public space."
Article and photo excerpted from The Atlantic Cities. |
| A humorous look at the 'Cycles of Life'
Cartoon by Grant Snider
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Upcoming Meetings
MPO TDCB
Transportation Disadvantage Service Plan subcommitteeMay 9, 2013
Planning Commission
601 E Kennedy Blvd
East Hillsborough Ave Congestion & Crash Reduction Study
May 14, 2013
4:00p - 6:00p
Cyrus Green
Community Center
2101 E Dr Martin Luther
King Blvd, Tampa
- George Rd Corridor
Trail Feasibility Study
TNC Greenway to Courtney Campbell Trail
May 16, 2013
5:00p - 7:00p
Town N Country Library
7606 Paula Dr, Suite 120
Tampa, FL 33615-4116
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City / County
Regional Connections
Trail Summit May 21, 2013 5:00p - 7:30p All People's Life Center
6105 E Sligh Ave, Tampa - Tampa Walk Bike Plan 'Green ARTery' Workshop May 29, 2013 6:30p - 8:30p
Seminole Heights
Garden Center
5800 N Central Ave, Tampa - |
May 10
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June 12
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July 17
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LRC
9:00a
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May 22
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June 19
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July 17
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Unless otherwise specifiied,
all BPAC (Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee) and LRC (Livable Roadways Committee) meetings are held in the
Planning Commission Boardroom
601 E Kennedy Blvd 18th Floor Tampa, FL 33602 To view all upcoming meetings and events, please visit: www.planhillsborough.org |
In accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other nondiscrimination laws, public participation is solicited without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability or family status.
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