Gainesville City Commission accepts federal $8 million award for safe streets and roads
Press release from City of Gainesville
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – An $8 million award from the U.S. Department of Transportation will be used to transform part of University Avenue into a complete street offering improved pedestrian and cyclist safety and accessibility for all users.
The Gainesville City Commission officially accepted the award during today’s meeting, advancing its Vision Zero initiative to eliminate traffic-related deaths and serious injuries in Gainesville by 2040.
“This is a big deal,” said Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward. “There are more than 400 cities in Florida, and we are one of only three to receive a Safe Streets and Roads for All implementation grant, made possible through the Inflation Reduction Act.”
Alongside a $2 million local match, the federal funds will help convert a stretch of University Avenue between NW 12th and SE 31st streets into a roadway featuring dedicated bicycle lanes, raised crosswalks, transit stop improvements, and slower traffic. The first phase of the project, resurfacing and restriping, is expected to begin in 2026.
The City currently is working in partnership with the Florida Department of Transportation and the University of Florida on a Preliminary Design and Environment study to advance the design and implementation of the project. The study is also assessing potential improvements along a 1.5-mile stretch of West 13th Street between NW 8th and SW 16th Avenues. Earlier this year, the City scheduled a series of guided, corridor walks during which residents asked questions, shared concerns, and provided feedback about the traffic-calming design approach. Additional opportunities for community engagement are planned later this year as part of the study. (More information is available at www.transformU13.com.)
Acceptance of the federal award comes as University of Florida students begin arriving on campus before the start of fall semester classes and as local agencies and organizations actively promote bicycle and pedestrian safety for newcomers, visitors, and residents.
Sounds like a demonrat bail out.
There are few east/west roads in G’ville. None south of Main St. The Democrat politicians have screwed up Main and 8th Ave. Now, they are bragging about how they can further stifle the traffic of the people who work for a living and pay the local taxes. They have ruined downtown for recreation and relaxation. 16th is marginal, leaving 39th and 53rd as the two east/west arteries in the city. A very poor performance from the politicians who are supposed to represent the people and not the agenda of a political party.
Oh yeah, downtown was such a great place in the 70s and 80s before the City took an active approach. All the restaurants – hey, I liked Louis Lunch too, and Kessels Coney island, but come on! Downtown is a great place and the city’s actions helped that – didn’t like them closing the Farmer’s Market with Covid however.
Funny….I have lived here all my life and I don’t remember downtown as ever bring as fraught with violent crime and violent mobs as it is now.
I go there all the time Cliff and so do thousands of others with many families. Stay out of the parking garage after 2 and you should be fine.
You are exactly right. . .
How can you have a road south of Main Street when main runs north/south?
The distance from NW 8th ave to NW 16th ave on NW 13th st is 2,700 feet or about 1/2 mile. Not 1.5 miles as in the article above. Ward has dollar signs in his eyes. I bet part of that 8 million is going to be laundered into some other pet project.
SW 16th avenue to NW 8th Avenue *is* 1.5 miles.
Of course University Ave in front of the university are the most prime blocks in the city for pedestrian and business activity, and the fact that it is also a state highway is too bad. I drive that strip maybe twice a week and with it’s now slowed down traffic, it is not a problem. Unless a game or graduation is getting out, no traffic jambs or gridlock. Yeah, 5 minutes longer getting East or West, and of course looking at pretty girls and other human sights along that strip is really hard to take. I’ll pay that price and so should and will the city and university – and save a few lives along with it. Don’t like it? 8th Ave is still easy or move to Lake City.
Guess that, “special meeting trip” Harvey took to D.C. had some benefit. Guess we’ll see if it truly is beneficial to the city or just beneficial to Harvey.
“Gainesville City Commission accepts federal $8 million award for safe streets and roads”
Should require them to repair the streets too and not just to add more bike lanes.
You can bet that a majority if not all of that 8 million will vanish into thin air.
Don’t believe it then just follow the money trail. Until, and not until the city and FDOT find a way to get the dumb a@# students off their phones while crossing WUA, then the injuries and death’s will continue.
All the fancy lights, pedestrian, bicycle and other ideas haven’t worked so far have they?
Traffic on University Ave is already slow thanks to the “construction” going on directly north of UF. I say “construction” because it sure doesn’t seem like a lot of constructing is going on. That stretch of road has been torn up with lane closures and multiple merges for at least a year now.
The goal of the city is to make downtown as hostile as possible as cars to force people into adopting their vision of a “walkable city”.
That’s how these people operate. They intentionally drive up the price of oil to force adoption of electric vehicles. They set wildfires to make people believe in global warming. They drive up the price of meat to force adoption of plant-based and alternative proteins.
Whatever the issue is, they manufacture the problem in order to push through the solution that people have already rejected.
Another federally conceived and funded project that will only add to Gainesville’s segregation problem. It seems our local politicians are hell bent on cutting out east/west thoroughfares.
Safe street award? …. Is this a joke?