The City of Tampa announced the completion of a redesign for Avenida Republica de Cuba (14th Street) on Monday.
The redesign spans three quarter-miles, and the city says it creates safer connections for walking, cycling and driving for residents of the Ybor Heights and V.M. Ybor neighborhoods.
According to a press release from the City of Tampa, there have been 65 crashes along the Avenida Republica de Cuba in the last five years, three of these involving cyclists.
Last year, the Tampa Bay area scored well-below average just last year in a study from the People For Bikes Best Places to Bike, with Tampa scoring No. 69 out of 85 for “large cities.” Tampa’s overall score was 20. A score of about 50 typically shows a city is making a strong effort in making cycling safe for riders.
The Avenida Republica de Cuba project is part of Tampa’s Quick Build program which works to bring local roadway improvements in a shorter time with lower costs by using readily available transportation materials, such as paint, signs and pavement markings.
Avenida Republica de Cuba marks the third completed redesign under the Quick Build program, following Cass Street and Main Street, with redesigns undergoing on 19th Street, Cleveland Street, Morgan Street and MacDill Avenue.
The project builds off of Tampa’s Vision Zero, a strategy of eliminating roadway fatalities or severe injuries that originated in the ‘90s in Sweden and has been developed for use in Tampa development.
This article appears in May 25-31, 2023.