Best Bike Paths or Lanes in the East Tampa Bay Area

We intended to ride in Florida as in California. But seeing how badly the drivers treated bike riders,I couldn't take my child out on a bike in 1987.

Several hospitals and the Sheriff called about my husband's accidents from inconsiderate drivers. One driver drove over him, then backed over him, leaving him for dead. He's ducked beer bottles,rocks and bricks and was shoved into drainage ditches by drivers.

With more bike lanes and some enforcement of the Three Foot law,requiring drivers to give bike riders three feet clearance, Florida has become a bit less hostile toward bike riders.Though drivers still yell at him, they aren't driving over him or throwing things at him.

Be careful when riding on our streets,take precautions such as:attach front and back lights,wear a bike helmet,use reflective gear and light colored clothing for night riding.Be aware of your surroundings,act carefully while on the road.Be prepared for evasive action when needed, since Florida is one of the worst places,for bike riders.

There are more striped shoulders in the area.You'll see three versions of bike lanes; The plain, one to two foot stripe, the striped with a bike-sign nearby or the striped with the sign and bike painted in the lane.A stripe with less than six inches isn't a bike lane.

My focus is commuting and safety.I'm listing routes that'll get you around most of the area with less hazard.

The bike lanes, cover both sides of the road.If a bike lane is mentioned as going past a street, it's because I'm not familiar with that area.

The lanes are:

East to West:

You can ride on Causeway from Kings Ave until it merges with 20/22nd St except between 50th and 90th St's due to road construction.

On Hwy 60, the lanes go from Lakewood Dr to Kennedy except for the Channel Side area.

MLK is striped from Plant City to Walmart in Seffner.Then just past 579, turn onto Broadway to the Bypass Canal.

Hillsborough Ave has lanes from I-75 overpass to Benjamin Rd.

Fowler has lanes from HWY 301 to Nebraska Ave.

The lanes on Morris Bridge Rd come out of the Hillsborough State Park, become Fletcher and on to 22nd street.

South to North:

The 301 lanes go from MLK,past Knights Griffin Rd, except for in front of the State Fair to the I-4 overpass.

56th St lanes go from 24th to Puritan Rd.

Bruce B Downs has lanes running from Fowler past Fletcher.

Tampa Ave has lanes from past I-4 overpass to past MLK.

Sources and Resources:

http://alansnel.blogspot.com/2009/02/bridges-of-tampa-bay.html

http://www.hillsboroughmpo.org/pubmaps/pubmaps_folders/folderother/otherplans_files/Bicycle_Suitability_Map_Back.pdf

http://northwest2.tbo.com/content/2007/sep/19/172022/nw-unsafe-roads-frustrate-cyclists1/news/

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/apr/29/bike-riders-beware-study-ranks-florida-deadliest/c_4/

http://chainwheeldrive.com/page.cfm?pageID=938

http://swfbud.blogspot.com/

http://www.sptimes.com/2006/11/26/news_pf/Tampabay/Bicyclists_ask_for_a_.shtml

http://www.tampabaycycle.com/PDF%20Documents/Upfront%20article-%20Alan%20Snel.pdf