Florida pedestrians are often at high risk. According to NHTSA, Florida had the fourth-highest pedestrian fatality rate of all 50 states in 2023. That’s 3.41 deaths per 100,000 people, compared to a national rate of 2.18. Many US cities are often unsafe or simply inaccessible for pedestrians, which worsens everyone’s health, reducing opportunities for exercise and endangering those who must walk.
The city of Tampa joined the Vision Zero network in 2020 with the goal of eliminating deaths and severe injuries in city traffic. Vision Zero’s aim is not just to make traffic safer but to address the problems that cause crashes. This plan sets out an ambitious, evidence-based approach to the many factors behind traffic injuries and death, such as poor road design, inequity in urban communities, and an auto-focused model of road usage.
How is Vision Zero helping walkers in Tampa, and how will it do so in the future?
Vision Zero in Tampa
Vision Zero is a nationwide strategy network, named for a simple goal: zero deaths in traffic. Vision Zero strives to treat traffic crashes as a public health problem, using policies that have proven effective in European cities. The term “crash” rather than “accident” is itself part of the policy. “Accidents” sound inevitable, and Vision Zero’s position is that traffic crashes are ultimately preventable.
Cities following the Vision Zero plan seek to address traffic deaths with multiple interventions—the Safe System approach. As the city describes it, “the Safe System approach aims to strengthen all components of the transportation system: streets, speeds, people, vehicles, and data and post-crash care. … Incorporating the Safe System approach into our projects work allows us to anticipate these mistakes and mitigate risk throughout the entire transportation system.”
The city’s 2021 Action Plan identified Tampa’s High Injury Network (HIN)—the roads with “the majority of a city’s deadly and life-altering injury crashes.” See p. 35. These roads saw approximately 73% of Tampa’s traffic fatalities. This HIN includes:
- I-275
- Columbus Drive
- Avenida República de Cuba
- Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
Improvements: Completed and Underway
Like many large Southern cities, Tampa is not exactly known for its friendliness to walkers and bike riders, but that has been changing. Tampa has an average WalkScore of 50, “somewhat walkable,” and many neighborhoods are much more so—downtown Tampa is rated at 86. (By comparison, the nation’s highest score is 89 for San Francisco.)
The city’s Mobility Department has begun several “quick build” projects, improving roadways through new paint, signage, and pavement markings. These projects improve bike lane access and pedestrian crossings, provide more parking, and encourage slower speeds. So far, the department has completed quick builds on Main Street and Avenida República de Cuba.
The Mobility Department has also undertaken:
- Repairs and redesigns on Columbus Drive—resurfacing, widening sidewalks, and improving pedestrian crosswalks
- The Gray Street Bike Boulevard in West Tampa
- Improvements to Twiggs Street (currently in the design phase)
The city’s upcoming West River Project is designed to calm traffic, create widened sidewalks, and improve crosswalks for pedestrians along the river in West Tampa.
Walking in Tampa: Today and Tomorrow
Roadwork and construction are only one part of Vision Zero’s approach supporting pedestrians and other vulnerable road users. The city’s plans for actions and strategies include:
- Reviewing and proposing policy and procedure changes to the city ordinances
- Supporting automated speed camera legislation in Florida “with a focus around schools and parks”
- Lowering speed limits, implementing designs that slow traffic, and communicating speed changes to local users
- Supporting community pedestrians, bicycle riders, and transit users with celebratory events and targeted projects, such as encouraging children to walk, ride, and take the bus to school
- Collecting, evaluating, and managing data, including a public-facing crash dashboard to display traffic statistics
See the Action Plan Appendices for more details.
Enjoying the Road and Staying Safe
As Tampa works to make the roads safer for all users, keep Florida’s pedestrian safety tips in mind:
- Walk on sidewalks whenever possible; if not, walk facing traffic, as far from it as you can.
- Pay attention at all times—don’t tune out with texts or headphones.
- Use crosswalks and intersections whenever you can. Don’t cross diagonally unless it’s authorized.
- Never walk out into the road between parked cars. Pedestrians in the middle of the road don’t have the right of way.
- Watch for cars backing up, leaving driveways, or entering parking lots.
- Be visible; wear bright clothing or use a light at night, and make eye contact with drivers when you can.
Your Personal Injury Attorneys in Tampa Bay
At L Pincus Law, PLLC, our pedestrian accident attorneys keep a close eye on local traffic issues. If you or your loved ones have survived a crash in the Tampa area, talk to us today at 813-582-3321 . We’ll schedule your first appointment to review your situation and work toward the best outcome for you.
