Tampa residents can start gearing up for an enhanced urban experience as the city embarks on creating the Green ARTery, a new 22-mile trail designed to connect neighborhoods, parks, and various attractions through a web of pedestrian and bicycle paths. Initiated in the heart of Tampa, the project's first construction phase is concentrating on two segments within Old Seminole Heights and Lowry Park Central areas, according to an announcement shared on the City of Tampa's official website.
With a keen focus on safety, the effort introduces nearly 4,000 feet of new and expanded sidewalks, updated paving, and lower speed limits to ensure a secure environment for both cyclists and pedestrians. These changes come as part of a larger scheme, the Tampa MOVES Plan and the Vision Zero initiative, which aspire to see an end to fatal accidents on the road. Notably, the project will incorporate solar-powered flashing crosswalk beacons and revamped roadway markings, signage, boosting the overall safety of these paths.
The segment in Old Seminole Heights covers a 1.4-mile span, incorporating Hamilton Heath Drive and stretches of E. Park Circle and Park Drive. Similarly, the Lowry Park Central segment stretches over 1.1 miles, including W. Kirby Street, and touches parts of N. River Shore Dr and N. Florida Avenue. These early construction steps mark the beginning of what will be a significant reimagining of Tampa's urban landscape.
Started as a grassroots effort from over 20 neighborhood groups in 2010, the Green ARTery's objective is to bridge communities with natural spaces while promoting sustainable transit options. The combined price tag for the first two segments is set at about $1.7 million, a budget bolstered by FDOT grants covering more than half the costs, and the balance funded by multimodal impact fees from new developments.
