TAMPA, Fla. — Along Rowlett Park Drive stands a reminder to drive safely. It's in memory of Jeniffer Marie Elliott, 18, who died last August in a traffic crash.
"We're going to focus our efforts and our energy right now to try to go in those high accident areas to reduce the crashes and associated injuries and fatalities," said Tampa Mayor Jane Castor.
A $2.6 million federal grant will go towards slowing down the drivers on Rowlett Park Drive, as well as Sligh Avenue, Palm Avenue, and 34th Street. Funded through USDOT's Safe Streets and Roads for All program, the grant aims to ensure more memorial crosses like Elliott's never have to go up again.
The money also focuses on improving low-income and disadvantaged communities.
"A vision zero imagines zero deaths out on our roadway, zeros crashes that result in serious injuries," said Mayor Castor.
While Tampa is seeing a decline in traffic fatalities, the number of traffic crashes continues to rise. Seventy-nine people died, and more than 350 people suffered from life-altering injuries from crashes in 2022. The year prior, there were 81 fatalities and 267 serious injuries. By August of 2023, there were 28.
But even one crash is too many.
"This grant, while small at $2.6 million, is mighty in that it will help us demonstrate certain strategies that we may not have tried before, specifically targeted towards speed management. And why is speed important because that's the single largest correlator of significant injury or death on our streets.," said Mobility Department Director Vik Bhide.
There aren't specifics for the speed management tactics yet. Examples of speed mitigation efforts that may be applied include new striping and signage, speed feedback signs, new pedestrian crossings, and/or intersection bulb-outs using striping and posts to extend the sidewalk or curb line.
The city will work with the University of South Florida's Center for Urban Transportation Research to figure out what works best for those troublesome intersections and roads.
