Safety improvements in Tampa's Ybor City are underway following a November car crash that killed four people.
The first step involves repaving a portion of Seventh Avenue from Nebraska Avenue to Nuccio Parkway, according to a city release. There will also be 36 on-street parking spaces and two bus bays added to narrow the road. The goal is that this will naturally slow drivers as they approach Ybor City's gateway.
More paving and street parking are also planned in other areas of Ybor City. In total, 3.75 lane-miles will be repaved with nearly 45 new parking spaces.
The paving project will cost roughly $400,000. The Mobility Department is paying for it, and work should be done within the first two weeks of March.
Other planned safety changes aside from narrowing roadways include:
- Lowering the Seventh Avenue speed limit from 30 to 25 mph
- Addition of four-way stops at intersections
- Increasing patrol units throughout the district
- Placement of safety bollards at high-volume intersection crosswalks
Crews will continue the Community Redevelopment Agency's rebricking of Seventh Avenue to help calm traffic. The bollards will be constructed along the bricking, which is expected to start later this year, according to a release.
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Transportation Services Director Adam Purcell previously said the brick roads should hopefully help people be more cautious.
“If you drive on brick roads, you know that they give a lot of feedback,” Purcell said. “They make you be aware of your surroundings and drive a little bit slower.”
This all comes after last year's crash prompted safety concerns in the area. On Nov. 8, authorities said a drunk driver fled Florida Highway Patrol — crashing into the patio of a nightclub on Seventh Avenue, killing four people and injuring another 13.
The city said that over the past decade, this has been the only deadly crash on Seventh Avenue.
"While no infrastructure can eliminate every risk, these improvements will go a long way toward making Ybor City even safer for the many visitors stopping by to take in its rich culture," the city wrote in a release.
WUSF's Ricardo Cuomo contributed to this report.
