Marketing Campaign and PHBs Improve 

Safety for Pedestrians in Tampa

Florida Department of Transportation

KEY ELEMENTS:

Crash reduction

Public outreach

The Hillsborough County Metropolitan Planning 

Organization identified East Hillsborough Avenue in 

Tampa, Florida as a high crash and high use corridor for 

pedestrians. The Florida Department of Transportation 

(FDOT) District 7 installed Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons 

(PHBs) along the corridor to control traffic at midblock 

crossings and unsignalized intersections. FDOT 

observed reduced pedestrian crashes within a year of 

the installation.

IMPLEMENTATION 

In fall of 2015, FDOT installed PHBs at 11th 

Street, 37th Street, and 46th Street where 

marked crosswalks did not previously 

exist. Due to right-of-way constraints, FDOT 

mounted the PHBs within existing raised 

medians and created an accessible 

pedestrian refuge area within those medians. 

FDOT upgraded roadway lighting along 

the entire corridor to LED, but at the PHB 

locations, FDOT installed pedestrian 

actuated lighting that illuminates the 

crosswalk when someone presses the 

pushbutton for the PHB. While the Florida 

Traffic Engineering Manual states that 

“crosswalk illumination shall be provided 

For more information, please contact:

Florida DOT, District 7, 800.226.7220, 

http://www.fdot.gov/info/moreDOT/districts/dist7.shtm

Figure 1. Billboard advertisement used by FDOT to educate the public about PHBs and remind drivers to yield to pedestrians.2

 SAFE TRANSPORTATION FOR EVERY PEDESTRIAN CASE STUDY
EDC-4 STEP: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/innovation/everydaycounts/edc_4/step.cfm

Case Study: Marketing Campaign and PHBs Improve Safety for Pedestrians in Tampa 

References

1. Hillsborough County Metropolitan Planning Organization, "East Hillsborough Avenue Corridor Study," (2013). http://www.planhillsborough.org/east-hillsborough-avenuecorridor-study/

2. Florida Department of Transportation. 

at all newly constructed uncontrolled 

approaches,” District 7 adopted pedestrian 

actuated lighting as a best practice 

since most new uncontrolled crosswalks 

have either a PHB or a Rectangular Rapid 

Flashing Beacon. The PHB project used 

a unique approach to contracting that 

enables FDOT to reduce the time from 

concept to construction. FDOT uses the 

“Design-Build Push-Button” mechanism to 

address safety issues of medium complexity 

by including the designer and contractor 

on the same contract so that potential 

constructability problems can be identified 

and remedied early in the design process.

FDOT embarked on a multi-pronged 

education campaign because the three 

PHBs were the first installations on Tampa’s 

State road system. District 7’s Bicycle & 

Pedestrian Safety Specialist, Alex Henry, 

said it was important to ensure that 

people walking, biking, or driving along 

the corridor knew how to properly interact 

with the new devices. FDOT partnered 

with the Center for Urban Transportation 

Research to develop a media plan that 

allowed for both reach and frequency to 

the targeted audience (those in a two-mile 

radius around Hillsborough Avenue). FDOT 

utilized a combination of bus benches, 

billboards, door hangers, and geo-targeted 

mobile ads to create awareness for the new 

crosswalks. The budget for the education 

campaign was approximately $18,000. 

FDOT also partnered with McDonald’s©

to include a coupon along with the door 

hangers and on-street education was 

conducted on two separate occasions. 

“Our on-street education efforts have also 

allowed us the opportunity to get feedback 

from the surrounding community who have 

been very receptive and appreciative of the 

improvements,” said Henry. 

RESULTS

FDOT’s initial observations showed that 

some drivers misunderstood the PHB, so the 

agency installed signs on the mast arm that 

read: “Stop on flashing red then proceed if 

clear.” For the year immediately following 

the installation of the PHBs, Hillsborough 

Avenue saw a decrease in bicycle and 

pedestrian crashes—7 crashes compared 

to the previous six-year average of 20. FDOT 

plans to conduct a formal evaluation of 

crash trends, crossing behavior, and driver 

compliance in 2018.

Figure 2. Hillsborough Avenue bicycle and pedestrian crashes.

“The initial crash reduction we’ve seen on East 

Hillsborough Avenue has been very encouraging. 

I think it is proof positive that a combination of 

relatively inexpensive and easy to implement 

countermeasures can help to make an impact on 

even our most challenging corridors.” 

–Alex Henry, Florida DOT District 7 

Bike/Ped Safety Specialist