Tampa Adds Bollards, Parking Spaces to Ybor City After Crash That Killed Four

Tampa officials rolled out new safety measures for Ybor City after a crash last fall took four lives on 7th Avenue. The plan brings narrower lanes, 45 new on-street parking spots, two bus bays, and bollards to shield sidewalks from vehicles.

Crews started repaving chunks of 7th Avenue to squeeze lanes tighter. Between Nebraska Avenue and Nuccio Parkway, 36 parking spots will shrink the roadway and force drivers to slow down. Speed limits will drop too.

"We don't wait for these things to happen, but when they do, we make sure to put extra attention on those areas where they are occurring," Mobility Director Brandon Campbell said, according to WTSP.com.

The mobility department is funding this project at about $40,000. Paving work should finish within two weeks.

"The longer term or intermediate term, we will be continuing to partner with the community redevelopment agency and look for thoughtful opportunities to add to their rebricking effort with the potential for speed-rated bollards and further protect those sidewalks," Campbell said.

Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw Lieber recalled what she saw that night. "I was out here that night. It was a horrific crash scene," Bercaw Lieber said.

City Council Member Guido Maniscalco backs the changes. "A lot of families come here. A lot of people enjoy the nightlife here. We want to make sure people feel safe and are safe," Maniscalco said.

Kayla Holloway lives near the entertainment district and thinks improvements must happen. "Something that even happened today is we have the lights that signal people to slow down and stop so we can cross the street, and some people still ignore that," Holloway said.

Aryes House, who lives near the district too, questioned whether infrastructure fixes get at the real problem. "My first initial reaction to that is that's not our problem down here in Ybor, pedestrian safety. It's deeper than that," House said.

Saniyah Abram pushed for more police on the streets. "I feel like more law enforcement too — that would help with people feeling more safe," Abram said.

Mayor Jane Castor defended the area's overall safety record. "You have additional police officers, more than you would have in any other area. So the safety of Ybor City is really not in question. It's just the perception," Castor said.

More upgrades will arrive later this year.