Bikers and joggers can soon find new safe, scenic routes across central Tampa.
This is because construction began on the first two segments of Tampa's Green ARTery. According to the city, this is a planned, 22-mile interconnected pedestrian and bicycle network around central Tampa that will link neighborhoods, parks, schools and other popular attractions.
The first two segments of the network are in the Old Seminole Heights and Lowry Park Central neighborhoods, surrounded by a dozen park facilities.
For Old Seminole Heights, the path will stretch 1.4 miles and will include Hamilton Heath Drive, E. Park Circle and Park Drive from N. Nebraska Avenue to 22nd Street Park.
And for the Lowery Park segment, that will stretch 1.1 miles and include W. Kirby Street, N. River Shore Dr. and N. Florida Avenue between North Boulevard and E. Bird Street.
According to a release, the projects feature ways to slow traffic and increase pedestrian and bicycle safety. There will also be upgrades from nearly 4,000 feet of new and widened sidewalks, fresh paving, lower speed limits, solar-powered flashing crosswalk beacons, improved roadway markings, signage and more.
City officials said the goal of the project is to make Tampa more walkable and bikeable while safely connecting communities to all of the greenery the city has to offer. The idea of Green ARTery stemmed from a neighborhood effort involving more than 20 groups in 2010.
The first two segments cost approximately $1.7 million altogether. According to the city, more than half of this money is provided by Florida Department of Transportation grants. The remainder comes from multimodal impact fees collected from new developments that are invested into area transportation improvements.
Construction for the first two segments is expected to be done by mid-August. The entire loop is anticipated to be completed within five years, according to a release.
