There is a story of turning Interstate 175 in St. Petersburg into a boulevard. Ideas may sound familiar, as they arise from time to time. This time, it may become more established.
Calling the I-175 an “interstate” seems constantly misleading, as Rocky Mountain Oyster is not an oyster or the Democratic Republic of Korea.
The stretch feels like an off-ramp on a long highway. The artery covers just 1.3 miles from Interstate 275 Street to Forth Street. Interstate 75 starts near Miami and ends at the Canadian border. Interstate 90 extends across the country from Seattle to Boston. I-175 doesn’t even cover all of St. Pete’s downtown.
Sometimes our little spurs look in the sky. The chunks of concrete and retaining walls make you feel like a scene from a dystopian movie.
Where did all of them go? (Unforgettable music).
In fact, according to the state, the western part of Spur has an average of 45,000 vehicles per day. That’s about four times the section near Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street (and at least four times the one I would have guessed). Still, I-175 has been shown to be rather “underutilized” and have probably been doing so for decades.
That’s why converting it into a highway is not just a thought experiment.
At a recent Florida Department of Transportation Open House, residents pasted a yellow sticky note onto a giant I-175 map. The memo included comments and suggestions on ways to improve the roads. Feedback is part of the state’s I-175 Action Plan and is based on the 2022 St. Petersburg Mobility Survey.
The idea is to look into the pros and cons of maintaining an interstate, narrowing down your footprints, and converting it to a boulevard. The plan is in the exploratory stage and does not have any details including the critical price tag.
Despite the height of the interstate, removing it completely is one of the most visible changes in St. Pete’s modern history. It replaces the waves of soulless concrete with a more traditional road grid – and all the additions that come with it. Other cities are tearing the interstate, so it’s not without precedent.
At the open house, many commenters supported building a highway or at least reducing the interstate to provide room for walking, parks, commercial and residential developments. The idea of recatalyzing the neighborhood and Campbell Park on the south side of the interstate also preferred the redevelopment of a large-scale plan for the historic gas plant district on the north, where Tropicana fields and Tampa Bay Rays are now located.
On social media, comments were more mixed.
“This is a great opportunity to turn a highly unused, unnecessary six-lane highway into a community asset,” wrote one commenter.
Another said: “These projects could be bo jobs that are free from accountability or penalties for misconduct.”
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One concern is that it will increase the time it takes for an ambulance to reach a nearby hospital complex. It is now easily accessible from one of the interstates. Downtown mobility research found that the highway can handle expected traffic, but travel time increases. The study did not address ambulance calls.
Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital told me in a statement that its main focus is patient safety and that seconds can save lives. “So there are some concerns about this plan,” the hospital said. “We look forward to working with the city of St. Petersburg and all other stakeholders as we continue our community dialogue on this issue.”
St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch appears skeptical, but he is not entirely opposed to fixing the interstate. He believes that the small I-175 will free up valuable land, but removing it completely could damage the hospital and nearby fire stations, making it difficult to get to Downtown and the Dali Museum, Mahafei Theatre and the Arts District.
While running for mayor several years ago, Welch told the Times editorial board he rarely heard from anyone in his neighbourhood. This week he repeatedly stated that he would reconnect these neighborhoods.
“Removing I-175 will improve cycling and pedestrian connections with current residents of the adjacent area and could restore the (road) grid, but it does not address the initial promise of economic inclusion related to the destruction of the historic gas factory community,” he said in a statement.
It seems there is some kind of persuasiveness for proponents who convert interstates into boulevards. They have a little time – the state transport department’s research begins earlier this year and will not end until April next year. stay tuned.
Please participate
Are you thinking about the I-175 plan? You can get an investigation into Florida Department of Transportation or leave a comment at Tinyurl.com/bdubbrv. Also, send a Times letter to the editors at www.tampabay.com/opinion/submit-letter/
