Walk Bike & Livable Roadways

Interests
Be Involved
Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee
Livable Roadways Committee
Documents
Interests

There are many great reasons to pay attention to walking, cycling, and experiential considerations in planning our transportation system. As we look at options to accommodate growing traffic, bicycling and walking are air-pollution-free, healthy, and common-sense for short trips. Consistently, surveys reveal the public’s desire for more bike lanes, trails, and continuous sidewalks. Tampa Bay enjoys beautiful weather, which is conducive to non-vehicular travel. Unfortunately, Tampa Bay experiences some of the nation’s highest crash and fatality rates for bicyclists and pedestrians.

Walking

All trips begin and end with walking. Providing access for a pedestrian to walk to stores, schools, parks,and bus stops is crucial. Sidewalks need to be constructed, connected, and well maintained. In addition, benches, shade trees, and curb-cut ramps are important.

Cycling

Many of the trips people make are shorter than five miles, and cycling is an option for these trips, if there are safe facilities available. One of the biggest impediments to bicycling is the lack of marked bicycle lanes with signs. Identifying a space specifically for bicycling increases safety and reduces uncertainty, letting both the cyclist and the motorist know where to expect a cyclist to be on the road.

Trails

Another type of facility for bicycling, walking, skating, and a host of other non-motorized travel forms is the multi-use trail. Trails serve many purposes: recreation, exercise, and travel. Recent studies have confirmed that many people on trails are making utilitarian trips, not just recreating. Trails also play a role in teaching cycling skills; once skills are refined on a trail, cyclists may feel comfortable taking shorttrips on roads.

Urban Design

The experience of being on a roadway affects walking and cycling, as well as driving and other modes of transport. The design of the road, and the landscaping, lighting, signage, overhead wires, barriers and buffers, benches and bus shelters and trash receptacles — in combination with the buildings that line the road — are elements of an outdoor room that is the greatest single public space in our communities. More publicly-owned land is devoted to road rights-of-way than to parks, schools, or any other type of community facility. The design of this space enforces a lasting image of our community. This image can be linked to economic vitality and community pride.

Bike and Pedestrian Plans

The MPO is committed to providing a multi-modal transportation system. Comprehensive Bicycle and Pedestrian Plans are updated side-by-side with the MPO’s Long Range Transportation Plan. The Plans seek to make Hillsborough County a place where walking and riding a bicycle are safe, convenient, enjoyable and accepted modes of travel. To integrate walking and bicycling into the existing transportation network requires a mixture of engineering and infrastructure, education for motorists and non-motorists, law enforcement, and outreach and encouragement. Plans include prioritized corridors for trails, bike lanes, sidewalks, and pedestrian safety and comfort improvements.

Livable Roadways Planning

The MPO maintains and updates a Livable Roadways document that was originally published in 1990. The document provides guidelines for roadway design for safe, functional and attractive roadways. Its goal is to be flexible enough to take into account the context of the road, but specific enough to be implemented as new roads are constructed and existing roads are improved. The MPO also conducts detailed studies of specific roadway corridors and districts.

Be Involved

Next Meeting

Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committe (BPAC) (agendas) normally meets monthly on the 2nd Wed at 5:30pm (calendar)

Livable Roadways Committe (LRC) (agendas) normally meets monthly on the 4th Wed at 9:00am (calendar)

Get Involved

Join an MPO Advisory Board

Send comments to the BPAC

Send comments to the LRC

Our Favorite Links

Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee

View Agendas View current members Join The BPAC Send comments to the BPAC

The BPAC’s mission is to make Hillsborough County a safer and more pleasurable place to bicycle and walk. The committee makes recommendations to the MPO on bicycle and pedestrian-related issues. The BPAC was originally established in 1977 by the Board of County Commissioners as the Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC). This group became an advisory committee to the MPO in March 1998. Later that same year, the committee’s focus was expanded to address the needs and concerns of pedestrians, as well as cyclists.

Twenty two volunteers comprise the BPAC. Twelve of the seats are held by at-large members (citizens) who are appointed by the MPO. The remaining ten seats are held by representatives of local agencies, cities and county. The BPAC works together to carry out its mission by advocation for the five “E’s” — Evaluation, Education, Engineering, Encouragement and Enforcement. Volunteers are encouraged to participate at all meetings.

Livable Roadways Committee
View Agendas View current members Join the LRC Send comments to the LRC

The Livable Roadways Committee is an interdisciplinary group of volunteers from the public and private sectors who represent local governments, government agencies, companies, citizen groups and professional organizations. The committee strives to create a transportation system that balances design and aesthetics with issues of roadway safety and function. It reviews transportation and roadway plans and policies, making recommendations for improvement. The committee discusses topics related to transit, pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure and roadway design, safety and function. Focused on streetscape beautification, site and building design, landscape, environmental protection, preservation and signage, the committee is committed to supporting all modes of transportation, with a special emphasis on pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure and transit infrastructure and service; in the recommendations it makes.

The Livable Roadways Committee originally was formed under the name Community Appearance Committee in 1989. The comprehensive plans for Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa had already included policies for establishing and protecting a system of scenic corridors throughout the county. The MPO added a goal to include landscaping in roadway projects and formed the committee to provide guidance to the public and private sectors to protect scenic roadways and improve the appearance and function of existing and future roadways.

Documents

Current Projects & Drafts

For projects currently under development please see Current Projects & Drafts.