The stretch of 50th Street between Fletcher and Fowler Avenues long had a reputation among students at USF and residents as a dangerous and intimidating stretch of road for pedestrians and bicyclists alike.
The road forms one of the boundaries of the school and opposite the school, there are condo and apartment complexes that house a large population of students. The speed limit was 45 mph (which meant people drove at least 50), there was one cross walk at the intersection of Fowler and 50th and a large population of people who wanted to cross from one side of the road to the other. There was conflict and every once in a while,
actual contact.
In response to complaints, Hillsborough County has recently made some minor, but noticeable, pedestrian improvements to the road:
Bright signage has been added announcing the presence of pedestrians at newly painted crosswalks.
The speed limit was reduced from 45 mph to 40 mph and new bus stops were built. 
These improvements were added to 50th Street before the beginning of the 2011 Fall semester at USF. Speaking from the perspective of a student of USF who lives on this street, I have to say that it has been an awesome quality of life improvement. In a metro area that has recently ranked second on a list of the most dangerous cities for pedestrians, it is comforting to see action being taken toward creating a safer, more pedestrian-friendly environment.
This isn’t the only place that needs a little attention. Improvements could be made across the region that will make all of Tampa Bay a safer place to walk. If we can create an environment where people don’t feel like they have targets on their backs, where they have safe routes to the amenities across the street from their homes and where transportation planning acknowledges the need for pedestrian facilities, then we can shed our notorious designation as a dangerous place to walk and make Tampa Bay an even better place to live, work and play.