City of Tampa Parking & Mobility Action Plan (August 2025)

Purpose of the Plan

The City of Tampa has embarked on a journey to reshape its approach to parking. As highlighted in Mayor Jane Castor’s Transforming Tampa’s Tomorrow (T3) vision, parking is a key piece of the transportation network, and parking policies must support transit, urban development, and affordable housing. The Tampa Parking Master Plan was sparked by the Parking Division’s call to action through T3 to Reinvent Urban Parking. Through this planning process, the City focused on four recommended action items established by the Transportation Advisory Team. These overarching goals will shape the City’s approach to addressing future parking needs, as well as assist in accomplishing six objectives for Tampa’s Parking Master Plan.

Plan Objectives

Priority Setting 

The Plan should be used to set Division priorities for the next five years. These Plan priorities will have implications for needed staffing levels and resources to implement action plan recommendations. 

Strategic Investments 

Implementing recommended Plan Actions will require financial investments on the part of the Parking Division and Mobility Department. The Plan should be used to inform the annual budget process and ensure the Division has adequate funds to implement action plan recommendations. 

Decision-Making Processes 

Many of the actions identified in this Plan outline a set of frameworks to aid management in the decision-making process. These performance-based and data-driven processes provide transparency to internal and external stakeholders as to how parking and mobility decisions are made. 

Stakeholder Collaboration

The Action Plan highlights tools and processes to actively communicate, engage, and collaborate with Tampa residents, businesses, and visitors. Staff should use the Plan to deepen its engagement with Division and Department staff, partner City agencies, and the general public.

Each section in this report has been designed to serve as a stand-alone guide that enhances the Parking Division’s ability to improve the parking and mobility experience in Tampa. There are four overarching sections in this report: Curb Management, Mobility and Access, Parking Management, and Operations and Enforcement. Action items and implementation strategies are provided to serve as a practical guide to making real change in Tampa. 

Background Context 

Description 

In this section, a brief description of the recommended action will be found. It will provide the reader with background context, as well as highlight how this recommendation aligns with industry best practices. 

Case Study 

Within the Case Study section, examples of real-world implementations and outcomes of the recommended action item will be provided. This section will also highlight any national standards or key principles as they relate to the recommended action item. 

Resources 

This section provides links to relevant material and additional information that can be used during the implementation of an action item. 

Policy Alignment 

This section highlights (with a green check mark) the overlap between the proposed action item and recommendations identified in previous planning efforts. Building off of previous guidance and recommendations will support the Parking Division in implementing strategies that will cohesively accomplish the City’s goals.

Implementation 

Implementation Steps 

For each Action Item, Implementation Steps are provided within this section to guide the Parking Division’s successful implementation. A detailed description of each Implementation Step is provided to define future activities that should be performed by the Parking Division. Implementation Steps should be performed in the order detailed in this section. 

Implementation Timeline 

A recommended Implementation Timeline is provided in this section. Performing the Implementation Steps in accordance with this timeline will help the Parking Division make progress in the execution of this Action Plan. This timeline includes four categories - Immediate: to be completed in less than 1 year, Short-term: completed within one to two years, Mid-term: completed within three to five years, and Long-term: completed in more than five years. The expected implementation timeline is indicated by a green box and check mark.

Implementation Areas 

The Parking Division should take a strategic approach to implementing this Action Plan with an understanding that neighborhood-specific improvements will be needed. This section highlights the recommended implementation areas for an Action Item. Areas highlighted in the map are the areas where the item is intended to be implemented.

Champions/Partners 

Identifying who will be responsible for implementing the recommended Action Items and ensuring collaboration across stakeholders is critical for the plan’s success. This section highlights "Champions", parties responsible for the implementation of an Action Item and "Partners", critical stakeholders that should be involved in the process. 

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) 

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are an essential performance threshold defined for each Action Item in this section. The Parking Division should use KPIs to assess its progress towards meeting or exceeding the goals identified for the recommended item.

Key Performance Metrics (KPMs) 

Key Performance Metrics (KPMs) are performance factors that should be tracked over time. KPMs can be tracked monthly, quarterly, or annually to assess the Parking Division’s progress towards meeting KPIs and the overall performance of the parking system. KPMs can be a result of the Parking Division’s performance or behavioral factors outside of the Division’s control.

Overview 

According to the International Parking and Mobility Institute (IPMI), curbside management is defined as the development, implementation, management, and enforcement of policy, assets, and technology governing the uses that interact with the curb lane, curb space, or curbside. Demand for our curb space has been changing and increasing due to the dramatic growth of e-commerce package, meal/grocery deliveries, and app-based ride-hail services causing higher demand by more people and vehicles for short curb stays. Our curbs must be designed and repurposed to remain accessible for these diverse customers, leveraging technology and industry best practices to make our curb space perform at a high level. 

The following action items will support the City’s goals of creating a dynamic, safe, and accessible curbside for its constituents, while establishing a data-driven approach to parking management and fully integrating data into the decision-making process: 

• Develop a Curbside ADA Compliance Audit 
• Develop a Curb Performance Index 
• Implement Smart Loading Zones

1.a. Develop a Curbside ADA Compliance Audit Description 

The U.S. Access Board published Public Right of Way Accessibility Guidance (PROWAG) in summer 2023. The PROWAG falls under Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements and addresses access to sidewalks and streets, crosswalks, curb ramps, pedestrian signals, on-street parking, and other components of public right-ofway. PROWAG should be incorporated into Tampa’s parking and mobility decision-making processes moving forward to increase access for its citizens. The Parking Division should perform a Compliance Audit that provides a comprehensive review of existing curb lanes to determine if ADA parking spaces meet national ADA standards. 

Case Study 

PROWAG provides examples of ADA curb standards for on-street parking and passenger loading zones. R310 On-Street Parking Spaces and R311 Passenger Loading Zones provide design and technical requirements for implementing accessible on-street parallel, angled, perpendicular parking spaces and accessible loading zones in the curb lane, respectively. Additionally, the Accessible Parking Coalition, founded by the International Parking and Mobility Institute (IPMI), provides resources and guidance to eliminate disabled placard and plate abuse and improve access to parking for people with disabilities. 

On-Street Parallel ADA Parking Space Dimensions. 

Space Size: 24 feet long and 13 feet wide.

On-street Parallel ADA Parking Space Dimensions. 

Where parallel on-street parking spaces are provided but a pedestrian circulation path isn’t available, the ADA parking space should be provided at the end of the block nearest the cross walk or at a mid-block crossing. There should be a curb ramp or blended transition present.