TAMPA — A stretch of one of Tampa’s most hazardous roadways is receiving a bicycle-friendly makeover, funded by the city’s red-light camera program.

Construction began earlier this month to convert a section of West Cleveland Street a few blocks south of the University of Tampa from three traffic lanes to two, with one lane transforming into a protected bicycle lane and around 80 new on-street parking spaces.

The bike lane, just under a mile long, will eventually connect to the future walkway planned for a stretch of the west bank of the Hillsborough River.

This reshaping of the streetscape, from Willow Avenue to Parker Street, is part of Tampa’s Quick Build program — small-scale projects that can be implemented quickly and cost-effectively, an effort to make safety improvements with finite funding. The project will cost approximately $350,000.

“We don’t have a lot of money for transportation and for mobility,” Mayor Jane Castor said at a recent news conference. “We have to stretch those dollars as far as we can.”

Cleveland Street is part of Tampa’s High Injury Network, an unenviable designation for roads where the most deadly and serious-injury crashes occur. From 2021 to May 2024, 80 crashes were recorded along the street, according to city data. Forty percent of those crashes resulted in injuries.

In Tampa, Florida’s third-largest city, limited transportation investment has not kept up with basic maintenance, nor has it delivered infrastructure such as rapid bus lines and light rail found in other similarly sized metro areas. The Tampa Bay region ― where, like much of the country, a reliance on cars for work and life is ingrained in the culture — is one of the most treacherous metro areas in the country for pedestrians.

The West Cleveland Street project will also result in the creation of Tampa’s first protected intersection, at South Hyde Park Avenue. The design keeps bicyclists separate from cars, providing them with a dedicated path through the intersection and the right of way over turning vehicles.

Once construction is complete, drivers exiting the Selmon Expressway at the Willow Avenue exit ramp will also have boosted visibility and safer access while merging onto Cleveland, according to the city.

Tampa’s traffic engineers found that West Cleveland Street is currently under capacity, so the changes won’t burden the roadway but will lead to a safer experience for all road users.

“We’re very confident that the two lanes will easily accommodate growth as well as traffic,” said Vik Bhide, the city’s mobility director.

In 2020, Tampa joined Vision Zero, an international pledge to eliminate traffic deaths and severe injuries. Last year’s redesign of the Cass Street Bridge to offer expanded space for walkers and bikers was the city’s first Quick Build project.

Along West Cleveland, construction is expected to be completed within the next few weeks. Drivers can expect nightly lane closures from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m.