Fletcher Avenue Complete Streets Redesign 

— Hillsborough County, Florida 

VISION ZERO SUCCESS STORY — INFRASTRUCTURE

APRIL 2020 | FHWA-SA-20-010

Background 

The Hillsborough County Metropolitan Planning 

Organization (MPO), in the Tampa, Florida 

region, identified several corridors in the roadway 

transportation network that would benefit from 

infrastructure enhancements to improve the 

safety, mobility, and accessibility of all users, 

particularly pedestrians and bicyclists. Through 

early crash analysis, the MPO identified the top 20 

severe crash corridors, later adopted in its Vision 

Zero Action Plan1. The MPO Board supported 

prioritizing funding in the Transportation 

Improvement Program for redesigns that 

included safety for all modes. 

Fletcher Avenue, near the University of South 

Florida (USF), was one of the targeted corridors. 

From 2011-2013, the section of Fletcher Avenue 

from Nebraska Avenue to Bruce B. Downs 

Boulevard averaged over 1,100 total daily 

pedestrian crossings. Additionally, the corridor 

had a high pedestrian crash rate with 31 

pedestrian crashes. 

Implementation

In 2014, the Hillsborough County Public Works 

Department implemented a redesign of the 

roadway to address the identified issues on 

Fletcher Avenue. The redesign, completed in 

2015, included upgraded pedestrian crossings, 

light-emitting diode (LED) lighting at pedestrian 

crossings, raised pedestrian refuge islands and 

traffic separators, new bicycle lanes on both 

1 http://www.planhillsborough.org/vision-zero/

Key Successes

A redesign of Fletcher Avenue in Tampa, 

Florida resulted in the following trends: 

A decrease in average speed along 

the corridor.

A decrease in travel time for the eastbound 

direction during the AM period, and only 

a minimal increase in travel time for the 

corridor overall.

An increase in pedestrian and 

bicyclist volumes, reflecting 

improved accommodations for 

such transportation system users.

A reduction in the total number of 

vehicle crashes and crash severity.

A reduction in the severity of 

pedestrian and bicyclist crashes.

Crash Data

The Fletcher Avenue Complete 

Streets improvements addressed 

transportation safety: 

Three-Years Prior:

• 73 non-incapacitating injuries.

• 37 incapacitating injuries.

• 5 fatalities.

Three-Years After:

• 46 non-incapacitating injuries 

(37% reduction).

• 20 incapacitating injuries 

(46% reduction).

• 2 fatalities (60% reduction).
directions of the road, speed limit reduction from 

45 miles per hour (mph) to 35 mph, and high 

visibility enforcement in the corridor. 

Outcomes 

The Hillsborough County Public Works 

Department reviewed the effectiveness of the 

redesign and installed countermeasures by 

comparing traffic and crash data for three years 

prior and three years immediately following 

construction. The Public Works Department used 

engineering consultants and The USF Center for 

Urban Transportation Research documented 

behavioral observations to conduct analyses on 

operational, safety, and behavioral changes. 

The MPO documented behavioral observations 

of pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists along 

Fletcher Avenue. The study included identifying 

how crosswalks were used, the willingness of 

individuals to properly use crosswalks, opinions 

regarding the use or improper use of crosswalks, 

and barriers the individuals experienced 

related to the improper use of crosswalks. The 

observations showed an increase in crosswalk 

and push button use after completion of the 

infrastructure improvements and a reduction of 

individuals bicycling on the sidewalk. 

To expand on the prior crash analysis, the 

MPO assessed crash data for four years, 

instead of three, prior to and after the corridor 

improvements. This data showed from 2010-2013 

there were 93 fatal and serious injury crashes on 

the 3.02-mile segment of Fletcher Avenue, and 

from 2015-2018 that number reduced to 38 fatal 

and serious injury crashes. 

Funding

The cost of the project was $4.7 million, which 

included a $2.5 million safety grant from the 

Florida Department of Transportation. The 

MPO has determined that funds from the 

transportation surtax will pay for 370 miles of 

Complete Streets projects, like the one on 

Fletcher Avenue, each year. Those projects 

along with street light improvements and filling 

in sidewalk gaps are projected to lead to a 

35-percent reduction of injury and fatal crashes 

by 2045, with some corridors having significantly 

higher reductions from the cumulative effect of 

the Complete Street treatments. 

POINT OF CONTACT

GENA TORRES

EXECUTIVE PLANNER

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY MPO

813.273.3374 X357 | TORRESG@PLANCOM.ORG © 2020 VHB.

Figure 1. Upgraded pedestrian crossings on Fletcher Avenue.