In sum, the multimodal inventory assessment identifies several factors that likely discourage walking and cycling to/from areas or activity and transit use in Apollo Beach. Bicycle and pedestrian crashes clustered around the areas of activity at US 41 and Apollo Beach Boulevard are evidence of safety issues for these modes. Contributing to bicycle and pedestrian collisions along US 41 and Apollo Beach Blvd are the limited bicycle and pedestrian facilities, gaps in the network, high travel speeds, heavy traffic, and shortage of safe crossing opportunities. The relative lack of shade along the network and at transit stops, further discourages walking, biking and transit use in the hot, Florida sun.
Identified solutions include:
Completing gaps in the sidewalk network. Providing continuous sidewalk access to bus stops along the eastern side of US 41. Adding bike lanes to connect residential neighborhoods with surrounding neighborhoods and nearby commercial centers. Providing pedestrian bridges or cut-throughs for safe and convenient access to commercial centers from residential neighborhoods is another strategy where waterways or culs-de-sac limit accessibility.
3.2 Gibsonton
Gibsonton is an unincorporated community in southwest Hillsborough County and is approximately 9,154 acres (14.3 sq. mi.). Gibsonton is unique in that many residents are involved in the carnival business. To accommodate this unique commercial sector, much of Gibsonton has a “show business” overlay district that allows “detached single -family dwelling (conventional or manufactured), group living facility and the repair, construction and open storage of show business sets, equipment and veh icles” (Hillsborough County Land Development Code). North-south traffic movement in this community is accommodated by I-75 and US 41. The main east-west thoroughfares are Gibsonton Drive, Nundy Avenue, Symmes Road, and Big Bend Road. The Alafia River and Bullfrog Creek are natural waterways within Gibsonton, providing environmental and recreational resources (Hillsborough County City- County Planning Commission, 2008). The statistical profile for Gibsonton can be found in Appendix A. According to 2013-2017 ACS estimates, the median age in Gibsonton is 32 and the median household income is $48,320. The average commute time for Gibsonton residents is 30 minutes. When commuting to work, 83.3 percent of Gibsonton residents drive alone (the highest in the study area and higher than Hillsborough County), 1.4 percent use public transportation (the second highest in the study area), 1 percent walk to work, and 0.9 percent use other means of transportation (Figure 18). According to the OD analysis, most trips enter and leave this area through US 41 and I-75. Most trips leave the area in the morning and enter in the afternoon.
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