Ybor City will narrow street and add bollards after deadly crash
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Cars line up at an intersection on a recent evening in Ybor City. Photo: Kathryn Varn/Axios
Street narrowing and car barriers are among new safety features coming to Ybor City.
Why it matters: Tampa city officials are enacting the changes in response to the November police chase and car crash that killed four people and hurt more than a dozen.
State of play: Police and transportation leaders presented the changes to City Council members last week, following a town hall at the beginning of the month.
- Within the next two weeks, the city plans to add bus stop lanes and 36 street parking spaces to Seventh Avenue between Nebraska Avenue and Nuccio Parkway, just west of the gateway welcoming drivers to Ybor.
- Officials will also cut the speed limit there from 30 to 25 mph.
- The driver in November's crash sped down that stretch of wide road before he lost control of his car and slammed into the sidewalk outside beloved gay bar Bradley's on 7th.
- Officials hope the changes will slow traffic as drivers approach the entertainment district, transportation services director Adam Purcell told Council.
The city will also add vehicle barriers called bollards to "higher volume intersections," Purcell said, similar to the black poles outside the Columbia Restaurant.
- Adding more police officers to the area and continuing efforts to convert paved roads back to brick streets are ongoing.
- The city is continuing to add more police officers to the area and convert paved roads back to brick streets.
The big picture: Bollards and traffic-calming measures were among ideas floated by residents and pedestrian advocates in the weeks after the crash.
- Some Ybor frequenters wanted to see the district transformed into a pedestrian-only plaza during peak hours.
- But Mayor Jane Castor and business owners, including Bradley's on 7th owner Bradley Nelson, previously said such a move could invite potential troublemakers who have no intention of patronizing businesses.
- Purcell said opinions were split at the recent town hall meeting. "That's why we focused [on] ... keeping the cars where the cars belong and protecting the pedestrians."
What they're saying: Nelson told Axios he thinks the new safety measures "are well thought out."
- "I think the changes will make a significant impact on Seventh Avenue," Nelson said. "Increased police presence has already been seen. It has, and will continue, to make Ybor a much safer place."
Between the lines: Another issue that arose at the town hall was the Florida Highway Patrol chase leading up to the crash, WUSF reported.
- "There was no reason to keep it going; they had eyes on him," said a cousin of Sherman Jones, one of the four who died in the crash.
- The state agency loosened its chase policy in 2023, contradicting data and guidance that suggests fewer restrictions on chases make roads more dangerous.
- The agency in the days after the crash declined to answer questions about the chase policy and placed blame on the driver.