Figure 49. Fatal and serious injury crashes within 250 feet of greenways, 2012 - 2022 5
Crashes
areas, or it may indicate few pedestrians and bicycles in the area, perhaps due to a lack of access or per- ceived safety risks. Out of the 144 total crashes that occurred over 10 years, there were 10 fatalities and 32 serious injury crashes involving people on foot or bicycles within 250 feet of greenways, and the num- ber of crashes per year increased over that 10 - year period. These serious crashes highlight the im- portance of safe crossings and safe connections with other bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure adjacent to greenways. A greenway will draw people on foot and on bikes to the area, and without infrastructure to protect vulnerable road users, the risk of danger- ous conflicts will be increased. Safe crossings and connections should be considered in the design of all new greenways.
Significance All greenway network users should have safe access to the system, regardless of mode choice. Figure 49 shows fatal and serious injury pedestrian - and bicy- cle - related crashes that occurred within 250 feet of the existing greenways between 2012 and 2022. These crashes do not necessarily involve people who were on or were planning to be on the greenway network, as that information is not readily available, but they still give an indication of the overall safety of accessing the greenway network. Evaluation of Existing Conditions Many greenways have had few or no bicycle or pe- destrian crashes occur nearby, including Tampa By- pass Canal Trail, Bell Creek, Northdale Lake Park, and Lettuce Lake. The lack of these types of crashes may indicate safer crossings and lower speeds in these
5. Crash data from FDOT, August 2022.
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HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY GREENWAYS AND TRAILS MASTER PLAN
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