The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District Seven conducted a Project Development & Environment (PD&E) Study for Fowler Avenue/State Road (SR) 582 from N. Florida Avenue to west of N. 56th Street in Hillsborough County, Florida, a distance of approximately 4.0 miles. Fowler Avenue is currently a four-lane facility from N. Florida Avenue to Interstate 275, an eight-lane divided facility between Nebraska Avenue (US 41) and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard/County Road (CR) 581 and N. 30th Street, and six-lanes divided elsewhere.
Existing Condition
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It is classified as an urban principal arterial. Fowler Avenue is also a critical evacuation route as designated by the Florida Division of Emergency Management’s evacuation route network.
The PD&E Study will evaluate transit corridor alternatives from Nebraska Avenue to Bruce B. Downs Boulevard and innovative intersections from Bruce B. Downs Boulevard to Bull Run Drive. Intersection safety and bicycle and pedestrian facilities will be studied throughout the study limits.
The project limits are shown on the project location map below.
The objective of the project is to develop and evaluate a “Build” alternative and provide the environmental and engineering analyses and documentation for the FDOT to reach a decision on the type, conceptual design, and location of the improvements. The “No-Build” or “No Action” alternative remains a viable option throughout the PD&E Study.
The PD&E Study will be finalized when the project documents are approved by the appropriate FDOT office(s). If a “Build” alternative is selected and funding is programmed, the project may then proceed to the next phases of project development, which includes the final design, right of way acquisition, and construction phases.
System Linkage
Fowler Avenue is an urban principal arterial that provides a vital east-west connection between I-275 on the west end of the project corridor and I-75 just outside the project corridor to the east. The alignment of Fowler Avenue runs from N. Florida Avenue to US 301, a distance of approximately 7.8 miles.
Safety
A total of 3,320 crashes were documented between 2015 and 2019 along this corridor. Approximately 56% were rear-end crashes, which is a crash type typically related to “stop-and-go driving” conditions and is indicative of traffic congestion, and approximately 20% were angle and left-turn crashes. Of the 3,320 total crashes, there were 53 severe crashes with nine fatalities and 46 incapacitating injuries. A total of 120 of the total crashes involved a pedestrian or bicyclist, which includes the nine fatalities and 17 incapacitating injuries. Refer to the graphics below for all crashes and crashes with pedestrians and bicyclists.
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Proposed Alternatives
From Nebraska Avenue to Bruce B. Downs Boulevard/N. 30th Street, three transit corridor alternatives will be analyzed independently during the PD&E Study. All three alternatives include the conversion of the existing general purpose/continuous right turn lanes into transit prioritized/exclusive lanes to accommodate transit. These transit alternatives include:
- Business Access Transit (BAT) Lane Concept
- Frontage Road Concept
- Median Guideway Concept
Refer to the following graphic depictions developed for FDOT’s University Area Multimodal Feasibility Study for each transit alternative. These alternatives will be further developed in accordance with this study as it progresses.
From Bruce B. Downs Boulevard to Bull Run Drive, innovative intersection concepts will be analyzed. Innovative intersections may include partial Median U-Turns (MUT), Restricted Crossing U-Turns (RCUT), and/or other innovative designs.
Project alternatives will provide safety improvements and multi-modal accommodations along the Fowler Avenue project corridor from N. Florida Avenue to west of N. 56th Street.
BAT Lane Alternative
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Frontage Road Alternative
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Median Guideway Alternative
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Study Purpose and Need
Purpose of the study:
Identify alternatives that will improve safety and multi-modal accommodations on Fowler Avenue from N. Florida Avenue to west of N. 56th Street.
In the years 2015-2019 a total of 3,320 crashes occurred in the study corridor including:
- 53 were severe crashes – 9 fatalities and 46 incapacitating injuries
- 75% of all crashes were at 10 intersections in the corridor
- 56% of all crashes were rear-end and 20% were angle/left turn
Pedestrian and Bicycle Crashes include:
- 120 of all crashes involved a pedestrian or bicyclist
- All 9 fatalities and 17 of the incapacitating injuries involved pedestrians and bicyclists resulting in 51% of all severe crashes.
- 68% of all crashes occurred at or near a signalized intersection
- 73% of all pedestrian/bicycle crashes occurred between Nebraska Avenue and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard