About this petition

Tampa's Hillsborough River runs next to city parks, though neighborhoods and to Tampa's downtown.  But, as residents of Tampa, we are still feel disconnected from the water.  If you don't personally own a boat, how do you get to the river?  If you live in a downtown high rise, where do you keep a boat?  We need a way for the resident's of Tampa to re-engage with our river.

Inspired by bike share program's in other cities, we want Tampa to build a kayak share program.  Kayak share stations can be stationed along the city's waterfront parks allowing users to take a kayak out on the water, travelling from one kayak share location to another.  Like a bike-share, residents of Tampa and visitors will register on the program's website to gain access to the kayaks. Users of the kayak share program will access the kayak through their own unique ID card and will be accountable for the return of kayak equipment.

Possible locations for Kayak share include: 

• Lowry Park
• Rivercrest Park
• The Heights of Tampa
• Curtis Hixon Park
• The Convention Center
• Channelside
• Harbor Island
• Davis Island

Linking these existing city parks through the Kayak share system turns the Hillsborough River into a 6 mile long aquatic trail.  Any resident or tourist who registers with the Kayak-share program would have instant, on demand access to a kayak and the ability to go from neighborhood to downtown along the river.

Its fast, its convenient, it connects the city through our river.  We call it: The Aqua~bahn.  A Tampa Kayak share.