Ready for a little freewheelin’?
Good news: The City of Tampa is beefing up its bike lanes. Construction kicks off this week to add a total of ~3 miles to the Green Spine Cycle Track — the city’s east-west urban bicycle track.
Right now, the track starts at Cass Street and North Rome Avenue and runs through downtown and Ybor City into East Tampa. The $4.4 million project will extend the Green Spine north, up Nuccio Parkway and North 15th Street to Cuscaden Park at East 21st Avenue.
Drivers can expect detours around the route. Leaders say construction should wrap up by the end of the summer.
The mostly federally funded expansion is the latest move to make biking safer across Tampa Bay. For context: Tampa was ranked the third-most deadly city for cyclists in the nation in 2023.
How does it make biking safer?
The expanded route will feature two-way bike lanes with three-ft brick dividers between bikers and drivers — just like the rest of the track.
The project also includes a new 14-ft widened shared-use sidewalk to bring bikers and walkers alike across East 21st and 67 new parallel parking spaces.
Get equipped to hit the road
- Through Tampa’s e-bike voucher program, residents can score discounts ranging from $500 to $2,000 on new e-bikes. Sign up for the email list to be notified when the 2025 program opens.
- We took a look at the Cigar City’s overall biking experience, from the bikability meter rating to its hilliness score.
- Buy your new ride at a local shop like City Bike Tampa, South Tampa Bicycle Co, or Oliver’s Cycle Sports.
