Tampa Kicks Off $1.7M Green ARTery Project To Create 22-Mile Bike Network

Work has started on Tampa's newest bike paths. The Green ARTery will stretch 22 miles when done, with $1.7 million in funds backing the project. State grants make up more than half the money.

Back in 2010, neighbors banded together to push for safer streets. Twenty local groups joined forces, wanting better ways to walk and bike. Now their dream takes shape as paths that will join green spaces across the city.

"We want the viewer to feel like they're on the ride. It's not just about where we're going – it's about how we're getting there," said Michael Joyce per That's So Tampa.

The city's push for better biking shows up in fresh ways. Take Spoke Stories: it's a podcast where guests pedal through town while they talk. Each episode proves bikes work for daily trips.

"A lot of people still see biking here as niche or even unsafe," Joyce said. "But when you show someone commuting, grabbing coffee, or heading to a meeting on a bike, it reframes what's possible."

Trees will line these new paths, keeping bikes away from cars. It's a big step up from the past, when riders had to share busy roads with traffic.

More customers now roll up to stores on two wheels. At his Water Street bike shop, Joyce sees folks zip past traffic jams to reach nearby spots with ease.

City groups work as one to make biking better. The Downtown Partnership teams up with bike fans and shops, building both paths and support for pedal power.

"We don't just need bike lanes here and there. We need consistency," Joyce noted. "When people feel safe the entire ride, that's what changes minds."

The first path sections are underway. When done, riders can cross central Tampa without touching a main road.