Hillsborough County is working on a plan to improve safety for all roadway users in the University Area's East 131st Avenue corridor, and residents have until Feb. 10 to provide feedback on the proposed changes.
East 131st Avenue has a high number of pedestrians, bicyclists, and vehicles, including many drivers that use it as a cut-through from Nebraska Avenue to Bruce B. Downs Boulevard.
This makes the corridor among the most dangerous in the region, with 128 crashes with injuries or deaths, including 16 crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists.
Hillsborough County Public Works is designing safety improvement features like raised crosswalks and rectangular rapid flashing beacons to help calm traffic in the corridor and improve visibility for roadway users. The County is hosting an online engagement through Feb. 10 on the improvements.
The corridor safety improvements will be designed for speed management and improved multimodal safety, including:
- Bicycle, pedestrian, and transit access improvements
- Intersection safety improvements such as a raised intersection at 19th Street
- Addition of multiple mid-block raised pedestrian crossings with rapid flashing beacon warning lights closely aligned to HART transit stops
- Shared bicycle lanes
- Access management
These improvements will increase safety for drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists, as well as provide better accommodation for buses. The $3.3 million project is currently in the design phase with a projected completion in 2027.
For more information, contact Public Works Customer Service at (813) 635-5400 or PWCustomerResolution@HCFL.gov.