A crowd of South Tampa residents turned out Wednesday evening to weigh in on a planned traffic redesign of El Prado Boulevard, with many expressing opposition to a project they say will reduce traffic lanes and create congestion.
The open house at Jan Kaminis Platt Regional Library drew such a large crowd that the line stretched out the door. Attendees reviewed project maps and spoke with city staff about the proposal, which would convert one lane in each direction on the currently four-lane divided road into a six-foot bike lane with a three-foot buffer.
Tampa Mobility Director Brandon Campbell said the $6 million project will also include new sidewalks, a new crosswalk, and a push-button pedestrian crossing at Bayshore Boulevard. Construction is expected to begin next month.
Several residents and local business owners pushed back on the plan. Some worried about the impact on traffic flow, while others questioned whether the bike lanes would see enough use to justify the tradeoff. Victor Cucuz, owner of Carpet Crafters Rug Company on El Prado, said the changes would hurt businesses and slow traffic. Resident George Siegal said he felt the open house was more about explaining a decision already made than gathering genuine public input.
Campbell disputed concerns about congestion, noting that El Prado sees between 3,000 and 8,000 vehicles per day — well below the roughly 20,000 a four-lane road is designed to handle. He said the city is confident the redesigned road can accommodate current and future demand.
Campbell also noted that two online engagement sessions held during the design phase did result in changes — most notably, keeping two lanes in each direction near Concordia to address school queuing concerns at Roosevelt Elementary.
Because the project is considered already under construction, Campbell said any further changes to the plans would require a formal change order.
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