TAMPA, Fla. — The Channelside area has become increasingly popular over the years and neighbors worry pedestrian safety measures aren’t keeping up with the development.
“There’s a lot of construction going on,” said Channelside resident Jared Boggs.
It’s a sign of continued growth that comes with growing concerns.
“Recently, they blocked off another lane of traffic. Now traffic just flies through here even faster trying to get around traffic,” said Boggs.
“We have a lot more people moving in, moving out — a lot more activity. People parking on the sides of the road, which is just blocking the traffic even further,” he added.
Boggs told ABC Action News it’s the crosswalk on Twiggs Street, near the Channelside Drive intersection, that’s particularly worrisome.
RELATED: City of Tampa holds public workshops on Twiggs Street safety improvement project
“I’ve almost been hit multiple times. We have a lot of people who walk dogs through here,” said Boggs.
“What I’ve seen a lot of is traffic flying through here, going way faster than they should. Especially for a residential area,” he added.
Along with speed, there are construction cones on the crosswalk blocking some visibility for drivers and Boggs said even when he presses the button on the pedestrian signal to cross the street and the lights flash, drivers ignore it.
“I was in the middle of the road, literally in the middle of the road getting ready to cross the other side of the road, and a car flies right past me,” said Boggs.
He said it’s so bad he worries every time his girlfriend has to cross the street.
“I get concerned, you know, is she going to get hit? Is she going to make it back from walking less than a quarter of a mile down the road,” said Boggs.
“Somebody is going to get hit here and seriously injured,” he added.
And they have.
According to Tampa Police, a pedestrian and their dog were hit by a car while walking across the street in this area less than three weeks ago.
“At what point does this become a matter? When someone dies? I thought that it would be a matter when somebody got hit, you know,” said Boggs.
City leaders know this area has major safety problems.
“Twiggs Street is actually on the Vision Zero high injury network corridor where they have high fatalities and high life-altering injuries along the corridor,” said Aiah Yassin, Mobility Project Manager with the City of Tampa.
ABC Action News spoke with them last month about an improvement project they’re already working on.
Officials said it’s a high priority because of how dangerous Twiggs Street is for drivers and pedestrians. However, it will take years to complete.
ABC Action News reached out to the city to find out what leaders are doing in the meantime. They sent this statement:
Our project will be looking at changes along Twiggs Street from Ashley Drive to Channelside Drive. As you know, we held a community meeting... to get input from the public and stakeholders on how we can improve Twiggs Street with an emphasis on safety for all road users. We are using this input to develop the project that will be implemented as part of the City’s recently awarded Safe Streets for All Grant.In the meantime, the Mobility Department is coordinating with Tampa PD on the details of the recent crash, and reviewing the construction work zone to ensure that traffic cones or construction equipment are not blocking visibility.
Boggs would like to see police officers patrolling the neighborhood and ticketing drivers.
Until then, he’s urging drivers to slow down.
“I really think it’s on the drivers at this point to pay more attention to keep the pedestrians safe,” said Boggs.
“If you’re driving through here, if you’re driving through anywhere and you see a crosswalk... and you see a pedestrian, please just take your time. That extra 10 seconds of somebody walking across the street can be the difference between life and death for them, and that 10 seconds isn't going to make a difference for you to get to where you’re going,” he added.
