Tampa has officially begun construction on the next phase of a transformative infrastructure project designed to enhance mobility and access across the city.

On Tuesday morning, city officials gathered at Purity Springs Park to celebrate the progress of the Green ARTery, a planned 22-mile trail system that will provide safe and scenic pathways connecting neighborhoods, parks, and schools throughout Tampa.

This long-anticipated network is inching closer to reality.

“I was the one who had the dream, and it appears it’s coming true,” said Myron Griffin, a community leader and one of the original visionaries behind the Green ARTery.

The trail loop, designed for pedestrians and cyclists, aims to offer safer alternatives to driving while weaving through some of the city’s most vibrant green spaces.

“If we made an artery that kind of went around the river and included as much of the beautiful green spaces as we could, it would become a part of enriching the whole neighborhood—like the arteries and veins in our body,” Griffin explained.

Griffin was instrumental in launching the concept in 2010. What began as an initiative to connect sidewalks in Seminole Heights grew into a citywide effort involving over 20 local organizations.

“My dream was to create a safer route linking the area’s green spaces. It started small, but the vision quickly expanded,” he said.

The first completed segments will include upgraded sidewalks, new crosswalks, and fresh paving through Old Seminole Heights and Lowry Park Central.

Once finalized, the full loop will link areas as far east as Ybor City and as far north as the Hillsborough River, while also connecting to the northern edge of the Tampa Riverwalk.

The initial phases of the project are expected to cost around $1.7 million.

In addition to improving pedestrian access, the Green ARTery will link popular attractions like the Lowry Park Zoo and the Florida Aquarium, providing a practical and eco-friendly alternative to driving.

“To feel as if I’ve contributed something lasting to the city I love—it’s hard to describe the joy,” Griffin said.

The first two segments are slated for completion by mid-August, with the entire 22-mile loop projected to be finished within five years.

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(Image credit: City of Tampa)

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