TEMPLE TERRACE — For those suffering from a case of premature sticker shock: Don’t, says Temple Terrace Mayor Andy Ross.

A new transportation study presented to the City Council earlier this month laid out a long-term vision for making it easier and safer to walk and bike around Temple Terrace, though Ross stressed that the project’s high end price tag of $15 million to $18 million is not on the table for the city.

“Just before we move on for the public watching, I want to squash the Facebook rumors right here,” said Ross. “Nobody on this council, or the previous council that commissioned this, ever contemplated spending $18 million of your money to build this. … This was a study done by the consultant for the TPO, given to us.”

The Temple Terrace multimodal trail network plan, funded by the Hillsborough Transportation Planning Organization, was presented by consultant Alvaro Gabaldon of the design firm Benesch.

The study examines the city’s street network and identifies ways to improve “multimodal” connectivity.

“When we say that word, we’re talking about people walking, biking, generally, using vehicles other than cars,” Gabaldon said. “When we look within the city’s boundaries, we’re looking for opportunities to increase connectivity, and when we say that, we’re looking for ways to help people get to where they want to go.”

Roughly 120 residents completed a web survey, and the TPO held several workshops in the community. Other existing studies, like the Florida Department of Transportation’s 56th Street corridor study, were also factored in.

Responses from the public indicated it would walk or bike more if it felt safer to do so. And they want better connections to parks, shopping and neighborhoods.

However, the city’s traffic patterns make those difficult. For example, Gabaldon pointed out that much of the existing bike and trail infrastructure runs along the city’s major arterial roads like Fletcher Avenue, Fowler Avenue, Temple Terrace Highway and 56th Street. Those are the busiest and fastest roads in Temple Terrace, however, making them among the most stressful for people traveling outside of cars.

Crossing 56th Street, Gabaldon pointed out as an example, was a “big challenge” to connectivity.

“It’s unfortunate that the majority of that infrastructure that exists today is the most stressful experience for a non-automotive person, transporting themselves through Temple Terrace,” he said.

The team doing the survey scored the city’s road segments based on things like proximity to schools and parks, speed limits, sidewalk availability and local connectivity. A segment with sidewalks on both sides, for example, would score higher than a segment with just one.

The TPO recommended action like separated bike lanes (as opposed to those shared with cars), traffic calming devices like raised crosswalks and shared-use paths.

The study estimates that implementing all the recommendations would cost between $12 million and $18 million. Sidewalk gaps alone account for nearly 30% of the total.

“Sidewalks are pretty expensive,” Gabaldon said.

The totals are planning level estimates, not design quotes. The city could use gas tax revenues on some of the smaller items, although much of that money is already committed to repaving and other infrastructure needs. Federal and state grants are another financing option.

The study did come up with an 8.5-mile “visionary trail” that weaves through Temple Terrace and would cost between $4.5 million and $6.5 million, according to rough estimates. Gabaldon said the bike lanes on Riverhills Drive were a “huge foundation” of the concept.

The visionary trail would connect 13 parks, link three schools and Florida College, pass through the downtown CRA area and take advantage of existing and potential regional connections to Lettuce Lake Park to the north, the bypass canal to the east, USF, MOSI and employment centers to the northwest and Serena Drive and other improved multimodal streets in the City of Tampa.

While the price tag is steep for a city already facing a potential massive bill this summer to fix its water issues, Ross indicated the plan is more of a menu than a mandate, with the future opportunity to choose some of the more modest and low-cost improvements like pavement markings or traffic calming as opposed to a full build out.

“There are things that we can take away from this and perhaps integrate … some things we can do here with pavement paint and things like that to facilitate what we’re trying to do here,” he said. “But we’re not wanting to build $18 million worth of trails. That’s not what we are talking about here.”