Residents Call For More Safety Measures Along Bayshore Boulevard

TAMPA, FL -- At 4.5 miles long, it’s touted as the world’s longest continuous sidewalk. And, if you ask Tampa residents, it’s one of the world’s most beautiful sidewalks as well.

The sidewalk features a decorative concrete balustrade overlooking Hillsborough Bay. Across the street are some of the city's largest, most expensive homes. And in between is a four-lane palm tree-lined divided thoroughfare that residents say has become a raceway.

The joggers, rollerbladers, sightseers and dog walkers who regularly use the sidewalk flanking Bayshore Boulevard have long complained of the dangers of speeding traffic along the road despite the posted 40 mph speed limit.

Last week, their predictions of disaster came true when a young mother pushing her 21-month-old daughter in a stroller was struck by a car while crossing the four-lane road. Both mother and daughter died as a result of their injuries (see related story).

The city responded in record time, setting up flashing lights on temporary trailers, warning drivers that the speed limit along Bayshore has been reduced from 40 to 35 mph. As soon as possible, the city plans to replace the trailers with permanent 35 mph speed zone signs.

However, some residents don’t think those measures go far enough.

Members of the civic organization, Keep Our Bayshore Beautiful, will meet tonight to discuss other traffic-calming solutions they plan to present to the Tampa City Council.

Ideas range from lowering the speed limit to 25 mph and more vigorous enforcement of that speed limit to putting in marked crosswalks with flashing signals.

One resident, Allisa Lee, has proposed going a step further. She wants the city to consider creating a new linear park along Bayshore by permanently closing the two lanes closest to the bay and turning Bayshore Boulevard into a two-lane road.

“In order to get to the pedestrian sidewalk, those people risk their lives attempting to cross the adjacent four-lane highway,” she said. “There are zero crosswalks on this multi-mile stretch of road, where drivers frequently travel up to 20 mph over the speed limit. Something needs to be done.”

She’s started a petition drive on the website Change.org asking Mayor Bob Buckhorn and the city council to consider her ideas. To date, 363 people have signed the petition.

In the meantime, members of Keep Our Bayshore Beautiful hosted a vigil over the weekend and are discussing the creation of a fitting permanent memorial for the mother and child, Jessica
Raubenolt, 24, and her daughter, Lillia, who lost their lives last week. Among the ideas being considered is a lily garden.

The Bayshore residents have also established a Go Fund Me page for the Raubenolt family. In six days, it’s raised more than $87,000.

Image via Raubenolt family