Innovative safety improvements on the way for walkers and bicyclists in St. Pete

PINELLAS COUNTY, fla — According to a Smart Growth America 2024 Dangerous by Design Report, the Tampa, St. Pete, and Clearwater metro areas were ranked 8th most dangerous for walkers and bikers.

Now, the City of St. Pete and the University of South Florida are collaborating on a project to improve safety in the city.

Those changes include installing solar-powered lights to improve visibility at night, adding curb extensions and bike boxes to create more space between bikers and cars, and installing pedestrian crosses with flashing beacons. The city also said it will reduce speed limits on smaller neighborhood streets.

We spoke to Brian Peret, an avid biker in St. Pete. He said these changes are crucial to protecting the city's residents.

“If you’re a biker and you’re on these streets long enough you are going to get hit,” Peret said.

A concerning statement from Peret, who serves in several local groups advocating for safer streets to protect bikers.

“Right now biking in St. Petersburg is a very high stress event,” Peret said.

He expressed optimism about the changes this project will bring. It is a multimillion-dollar project, with 3.6 million dollars originating from a U.S. Department of Transportation grant.

The city picked 18 locations across three corridors to make the changes. The list is below:

• Quick-build raised crosswalks near schools and recreation centers
  
  • 7^th Avenue South, between 16^th Street and MLK Street
  • 13^th Avenue North, between 28^th Street and 16^th Street
  • 11^th Avenue South, near Childs Park Recreation Center
• Enhanced Pedestrian Crosswalks
  
  • 38^th Avenue North near 5^th Street
  • 1^st Avenues North and South at 25^th Street
  • 22^nd Street South at Fairfield Avenue South
• Solar Powered Streetlighting
  
  • Pinellas Trail – 31^st Street to 16^th Street (excluding section from 20^th to 24^th that already has lighting)
  • 18^th Avenue South – 31^st Street to 16^th Street
  • 4^th Street South – 6^th Avenue S to 18^th Avenue S
• Flexible Curb Extensions, Protected Intersections, and Bike Boxes
  
  • Central Avenue at 21^st St, 23^rd St, and 27^th Street
  • 22^nd Street S at 13^th Ave S and 15^th Ave S
  • 28^th Street N at 9^th Ave N, 13^th Ave N, and 30^th Ave N

The city is still working on the grant agreement with the DOT. Once that is complete, we will have a better idea of when to expect the changes.