ABOUT THE V . M . YBOR NEIGHBORHOOD during that initial public input and change the project pretty drastically to accommodate the context and the public sentiment that they had about it .”
The final design maintained parking on both sides of the road while also widening both sides ’ sidewalks . And instead of bike lanes , which took up 10 feet of the road , the team put in “ sharethe-road ” markings so cars and bikes could share the space .
V . M . Ybor – one of Tampa ’ s most historic , diverse , and eclectic neighborhoods – was named for Spanish immigrant Vicente Martinez Ybor who , in 1885 , founded Ybor City ’ s cigar industry . The neighborhood contributes to the Ybor City National Historic Landmark District , one of just two livable , nationally designated landmark districts in the state of Florida .
Source : vmybor . org
“ Our emphasis was on partnering with the City to develop a concept that met all the needs – of the residents , of the City , and of transit ,” Siewert said . “ That ’ s the whole idea of a Complete Street .”
Grimsdale said she couldn ’ t be more pleased with the end result . Her street is not only more aesthetically pleasing but also safer and more pedestrian-friendly .
“ It ’ s absolutely beautiful . I just feel a sense of pride driving down Columbus now ,” she said . “ Before , you were so close to traffic , and if people were using the lanes improperly and going two cars down – as if it were two lanes going each way – you would feel threatened walking down the sidewalk . Now we have these big , wide sidewalks where I can actually walk side by side with my husband and our dogs , and it ’ s just a much more comfortable walk .”
Hardie described the Columbus Drive project as “ transformational ” and praised the Ayres team for being such a collaborative and “ people-first ” partner . 14 | TRENDS Ingenuity , Integrity , and Intelligence .