Fletcher Ave Complete Street Complete Fail

A stretch of Fletcher Avenue from Nebraska Avenue to Bruce B Downs Boulevard was redeveloped by Hillsborough County into  a "compete street" in early 2015 at a cost of $5 million. Unfortunately, it is a complete fail, yet many more complete streets are a substantial part of the Hillsborough transportation sales tax hike.

A $9 billion answer?

Today the Tribune published their lead commentary, A $9 billion question, about the proposed Tampa Bay Express project by the Florida DOT, written by Brian C. Willis. There is much to dissect about Willis' commentary.

First of all, Brian C. Willis, is more than "an attorney in Tampa", which is the only information about himself disclosed in the commentary.  Brian Willis has been active in urbanist and transit issues for years in Tampa Bay. He is one of the co-founders and President of local transit activist Connect Tampa Bay. Willis actively supported of Greenlight Pinellas, where he spoke in support of the referendum on numerous occasions, as well as participating in denigrating its opponents. That omission of his personal positions is telling, as he is not some independent minded wise man providing unique insights on transportation issues.

Willis opens with several misleading statements

The Florida Department of Transportation’s $9 billion express lane plan needs further scrutiny before proceeding. There are unanswered questions about the toll lanes’ design, and DOT has not explained why investing $9 billion in a single transportation project is the best use of limited taxpayer resources. Hillsborough County has a diverse population that lives in neighborhoods ranging from rural to urban. DOT should take time to listen to the community and develop plans that reflect the needs of our entire county.

Of course the plans need further scrutiny.  No one has suggested otherwise, and there were in fact two FDOT hosted workshops the week of January 25.  There has been no money budgeted for Tampa Bay Express, nor are the lanes designed. The only concept that exists is the general idea for tolled express lanes shared with express bus routes on Tampa Bay interstates and some rough budgetary estimates. If the plans progress, FDOT will schedule further workshops and other avenues for public comment, as is required by their process.

Reconstruction and widening of southbound I-275 at Himes Avenue (bottom of photo) and Dale Mabry Highway (top).

FDOT is primarily responsible for state roads and bridges, and the interstate highways in Florida. Obviously highways connect to county and city roads, but those roads are the responsibility of the local authorities, not the FDOT.

Willis then suggests South Florida got it wrong

In support of the plan, officials with DOT cite similar toll lanes built in South Florida. As someone who had the misfortune of driving in Miami, I question whether South Florida should serve as a model for Hillsborough County.

The Sun Sentinel recently reported that the South Florida lanes met DOT’s traffic goals only 59 percent of the time during the afternoon rush hour in November and December. To get traffic moving on the express lanes, DOT is now looking to raise the maximum toll in Miami from $10 to $14 — or higher.

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WLRN, a South Florida television station, recently reported that the Miami express lanes have come under fire because they lack space for disabled vehicles to pull over and because drivers attempt to “dive” out of the express lanes, through upright plastic dividers, and into the untolled lanes of traffic.

WLRN’s report raises questions about whether FDOT’s express lane designs are safe.

As a frequent traveler to South Florida over the years, traffic in South Florida, and Miami in particular, is worse than Tampa Bay. The addition of the Express lanes has improved traffic flow. I regularly drive on I-95 non-express lanes during rush hour. It is never fun, but it has improved in my experience and reduced congestion on the non-express lanes, which at times can flow faster than express lanes. WLRN is correct that the I-95 Express lanes in Miami do have design issues on some segments (I recently listened to some of those reports live on WLRN while in South Florida on I-95). However,  the recently opened I-595 Express reversible 3 lanes in Ft. Lauderdale, similar in concept to the Selmon Express Lanes, are safe and convenient.

It's interesting that Willis ignores the success of the Selmon Express Lanes in his own backyard, built with no taxes or highway funds.

Level of service was upgraded from an "F" to an "A" as commuters are now able to travel at full speed, cutting travel time by as much as 60 minutes per day. The elevated lanes project won the prestigious "2007 IBTTA President's Award: Most Innovative Toll Transportation Project in the World," along with 22 awards for engineering excellence and community-friendly design. This modern solution is a prototype for eliminating urban traffic congestion and reducing green house gases.

No on likes paying tolls, much less up to $14 for tolls. Tampa Bay is not Miami, but the demand is clearly there from the Miami drivers. The express lanes may have become a victim of their own success. The drivers clearly see value in their time and are willing to pay to save time. These drivers are voting every day by paying the tolls, which are used to maintain and fund further road improvements.

Willis further on toll roads

Residents have strongly opposed prior toll projects, like the infamous “Green Swath of Death” beltway, which was proposed for the Tampa Bay area several years ago but never materialized. Many of the toll lanes that did get built in Hillsborough have not provided a long-term solution. I grew up in Carrollwood and remember when the Veterans Expressway opened. It initially offered a quick ride into Westshore. The road is now the site of daily traffic jams.

The "Green Swath of Death" (I thought it was black) may have helped ease congestion in the highest growth areas in east and south Hillsborough County.  Formally known as the Tampa Bay Beltway project, it was killed in 2007, largely since it didn't fit in with the future transportation vision of light rail and express buses throughout Hillsborough County. Where are we now?  

Not having the "Green Swath of Death" certainly has not inhibited development, which of course has resulted in some of the worse congested roads in the county.

Even with the Veterans, the demand soon exceeded the capacity of the road. Drivers see value in paying the toll, even if they are in slow moving traffic for 5 - 10 minutes, it is still better than the alternative surface routes.

Is Willis suggesting that we should not have the Veterans at all, much less the current improvements well underway, and that would improve transportation in Northwest Hillsborough?

Orlando, much of South Florida and many other larger metropolitan areas rely heavily on toll roads which are highly utilized. Drivers will pay for the convenience and speed. They value the toll roads with their own hard earned dollars.

Willis then transitions his commentary to local bus services, bicyclists, pedestrians and complete streets. Express buses will take advantage of any Express lanes, but bicyclists, pedestrians, and complete streets are completely irrelevant to the Express lanes discussion.

If we wanted to try to reduce the number of people killed while walking or riding a bike, we could design safer “complete” streets.

A recent program by FDOT to reduce deaths and injuries on Fletcher Avenue cost $1.6 million per mile. For a fraction of the cost of the express lanes we could build more complete streets and make our neighborhoods safer.

The jury on "complete streets" is still out. See our report on the Fletcher complete streets project for more information.  Increasing bicycling is a goal I support, but if bikes are too closely intermingled with traffic, we may further increase bicycling injuries and fatalities.

By the way, complete streets include "narrower lanes" and other traffic calming measures, such as reduced speed limits, as is the case on Fletcher.

Willis stated his concern about congestion and traffic of toll roads, yet he is proposing more solutions such as complete streets that are designed to create more congestion for drivers.

Willis then closes with a reference to Greenlight Pinellas which he actively supported, apparently still in denial of Greenlight's overwhelming defeat by the voters in 2014, 62% - 38%.

The Greenlight Pinellas plan would have added 24 miles of light rail and dramatically improved bus service in Pinellas County. Greenlight Pinellas would have cost $2.2 billion to build and operate for 30 years. For a fraction of the cost of the express lanes we could build and operate a light-rail system with an extensive bus network.

Greenlight projected about 18,000 rides (about 9,000 actual riders) a day for $2.2 billion (really over $3.3 billion if you read the fine print).  As a comparison, the active I-275 widening between downtown Tampa and SR-60 has nearly 200,000 vehicles per day and is costing $216.7 million. Which one benefits the most people?

The voters of Pinellas held their "government ... accountable for how taxpayer dollars are spent on transportation", so Willis should be satisfied the voters had their say.

Is Willis's solution to "decades of highway expansion have only led to more gridlock" is more Greenlight?

We have lots of questions about the Tampa Bay Express proposal, and of course our overall transportation strategy. But we need to use more imagination and develop solutions that relieve congestion and improve mobility.

Slow down for complete streets

The Fletcher Avenue complete streets project is progressing, having started in 2013, and due to finish late in 2014.

Fletcher Avenue between Nebraska Avenue and 50th Street was identified as an area of high pedestrian use and high pedestrian crash rates, with more than 1,400 pedestrians crossing Fletcher Avenue each day. Construction on the $5 million Complete Streets project to re-engineer the road for pedestrian and bicyclist safety started in late 2013, with the help of $3 million in Federal Highway Administration safety funds through the FDOT.

What they want you to think about the Fletcher Ave Complete Streets project

Granted, it is near USF bordering a heavy student population that crosses Fletcher Ave to attend USF, as well as many residents dependent on transit and walking. Fletcher is a heavily traveled road, serving as a major east - west artery in northern Tampa. Safe crossings are important to the safety of pedestrians.

The project includes six new mid-block crossings between Livingston and Nebraska, which will include new pedestrian-activated rapid flashing beacons designed to alert drivers to a crossing pedestrian but not function as a full traffic signal.  These installations will be completed later in October, and enforced by Hillsborough County Sheriff Office.

Other safety improvements include raised concrete pedestrian refuge islands, raised concrete traffic separators, repaired and additional sidewalks, upgraded handicap access ramps at crossings and intersections, and a reduction in the speed limit to 35 miles per hour. An additional 1.5 miles of marked bicycle lanes also creates a 3 mile continuous segment along Fletcher Avenue between Nebraska Avenue and 50th Street.

I decided to check things our for myself, and took a little tour of Fletcher Avenue the afternoon of October 4.  I saw the six new mid-block crossings, several jaywalkers who could not be bothered to use the new or existing crosswalks, the new landscaped medians, a bicyclist riding the wrong way, lots of pedestrians, many more people on the road driving cars, cars at stop lights stopped in teh middle of the mid-block crosswalks, several folks waiting for the HART bus, new sidewalks on the south side of Fletcher bordering USF, anti-abortion protesters outside the Women's Health Center, lots of trash around a Metro Rapid bus stop, and a new Fletcher Avenue obelisk.

I also saw several fire and rescue vehicles responding to a nearby alarm.  It left me to wonder if all the "traffic calming" additions along Fletcher Avenue will impact their response time.

It was definitely a mixed street.

Take a look for your self with this quick video montage.

(It's not your eyes, there is some soft focus)

Fletcher Ave between Bruce B Downs and 56th (the north side of USF) is already over capacity, and averages 44,766 Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT) count, with daily capacity of 31,540.  It is way over capacity, and "F" rated level of service, one of many in Hillsborough County.  In other words, the traffic is already bad on that stretch of road, and it is rated as a failing road.

What the Metro Rapid bus stop really looks like

It's about to get worse.  Adding six mid-block crossings will impede traffic flow, as will of course reducing the speed limit 22% from 45 mph to 35 mph.

The 1400 pedestrians are about 3% of the street traffic in that area of Fletcher, yet the 44,000+ automobile drivers and riders will pay the cost in time and frustration with more backups along the route.

Expect that the drivers will find alternate routes, including winding along N 46th, N 42nd St, N 22nd St, N 15th St, and winding through Florida Hospital to E 138th Ave, spilling more traffic into roads clearly not designed to handle the load.

We've spent $5 million on the Fletcher complete streets project, which is nearly as much as the entire Hillsborough County 2015 road budget of $6.5 million. Yet Fletcher is an incomplete street, as this work does nothing to alleviate traffic congestion.  What are the plans to actually improve traffic flow?

Can our wise leaders in Hillsborough County not find a way to promote pedestrian safety AND improve traffic flow?

Save your trees, not mine

Yesterday we took a tour of some Complete Streets, or nearly so, around Tampa.  One of the concerns we raised is the ongoing issue with the median maintenance on US-41 through Lutz.  The medians there are overgrown, poorly maintained, full of debris... and have been so for the better part of a year.

The question of the day is if we can't even maintain some existing medians in the county, what will happen with the complete streets being developed and planned for the community?

Unkempt median at the US-41 apex in Lutz

Well one answer appears to be ... Do it yourself!

LUTZ — Though a $5,000 donation by Wal-Mart has provided a reprieve for trees and shrubs once threatened with removal from a U.S. 41 median, Hillsborough County officials are looking for volunteers interested in helping to maintain the landscape.

A gathering for prospective volunteers is planned at 6:30 p.m., Oct. 29, at the Lutz Community Center, 98 First Ave. N.W.

Emphasis mine.  

Some private donations from Walmart, up the road on US-41, are welcome, to help clean up the mess.

But where is the county on this?  Did they not budget for median maintenance?  If they did, can those of us in the Lutz US-41 get some of our taxes back?  Apparently not...

The Florida Department of Transportation installed the landscaping years ago. After the state determined it could not afford upkeep, the county assumed maintenance. A commercial landscaper began providing free maintenance for the median about five years ago, but stopped in 2012, according to the county. Before the state would reassume responsibility of a median, the county was required to remove trees and shrubs and plant Bahia sod, which led to the county’s controversial plan.

Yet back in Tampa, in the ritzy Hyde Park neighborhood, the city of Tampa is helping the community replace aging and dying oak trees.

Laurel oaks, many of which were planted when the neighborhood first flourished in the early 20th century, have stood tall and provided shade for decades. The scenic neighborhood even is a popular location for commercial photographic and video shoots.

But with many of the trees reaching the end of their lifespans, Hyde Park Preservation Inc. is working with the city to remove and replace them.

Members of the neighborhood association this year have coordinated with officials in the city’s natural resources department to remove and replace about 100 dead or diseased trees lining neighborhood streets.

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The city is providing the new trees through its Treemendous Tampa program, which provides free trees to residents and neighborhood associations. Mayor Bob Buckhorn has challenged the program to add 1,000 trees on city land each year.

Earlier this month, the neighborhood association’s board of directors allocated $15,000 to buy oak trees more mature than the ones typically provided by the Treemendous Tampa program.

So Tampa is providing trees to Hyde Park.  They've put some of their own money to upgrade to more mature trees.  That's fine with us.  However, the article does not state the cost of the trees it is offering to the city of Tampa.

For Hyde Park residents, the trees help give the historic neighborhood the “southern charm” for which it is known, Walker said.

“I think anybody from Tampa knows that this is Tampa when they come to Hyde Park,” he said. “It’s kind of a unique neighborhood.”

Ramm agreed: “The trees are important because it’s the character of the neighborhood. It just gives a nice, quiet feeling in a very urban area.”

But in Lutz, trees and maintained medians are not important, and it's apparently not in the character of the suburbs to have trees.

Unless you want to do it yourself.