Pinellas County has an abundance of bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and Forward Pinellas has prioritized continued improvements to the active transportation network to support mobility options for all residents. The Active Transportation Plan recognizes this unique advantage of living in Pinellas County and includes funding for a safe, accessible network of bicycle and pedestrian trails as the cornerstone for a healthy and economically vibrant community.

The Active Transportation Plan is designed to improve health outcomes, expand economic opportunities and protect the environment by encouraging residents to walk and bicycle for their everyday transportation needs. It guides strategic investments in pedestrian and bicycle networks to serve a wide variety of trip purposes.

Active Transportation Plan
Bicyclists crossing a bridge

Documentation

Active Transportation Plan - Summary Report

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Active Transportation Plan - Full Report

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Active Transportation Plan is intended to further a countywide vision and build on the bicycle and pedestrian planning efforts of the county’s local governments.

parked bicycles

As part of the Advantage Pinellas effort, Forward Pinellas developed a new countywide Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan branded as Advantage Pinellas: Active Transportation Plan. This plan offers actionable, multimodal strategies to achieve improved bicycle and pedestrian mobility in Pinellas County.

The planning effort was undertaken to identify current conditions, gaps, and opportunities for increasing active transportation options throughout the county. The new plan was developed in partnership with local agencies to create a safer and more accessible bicycle and pedestrian network.

Active Transportation Plan Goals

Pinellas County desires a Regional Active Transportation Network that:

  1. Improves safety and reduces bicycle and pedestrian conflicts;
  2. Connects with destinations and integrates with other modes such as public transit;
  3. Is accessible and comfortable to all users, of all abilities in all communities; and
  4. Enhances the quality of life, economic condition, and health of the region.

Active Transportation Benefits in Pinellas County

infographic with the importance of active transportation

Data & Planning Analysis

The data analysis approach involved a synthesizing of several GIS datasets to identify focus areas and potential corridors. This included review and analysis of:

  • Low Service Areas for Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities
  • Level of Traffic Stress
  • Population
  • Demand
  • Network Gaps (Existing and Proposed Facilities)
  • Safety
map with marks

The planning analysis looked at network connectivity to identify the location of gaps in terms of connecting activity centers, communities, and destinations. For example, several stakeholders expressed a need to better connect certain communities such as Dunedin and Clearwater. Although completion of the Pinellas Trail Loop has been a top priority in the trail plans of Forward Pinellas and Pinellas County over the years, project stakeholders also expressed a need for more cross county facilities extending north-to-south and east-to-west.

Stakeholder Feedback

To assist with the development of a community supported vision, goals, and performance measures, development of the Active Transportation Plan relied on a variety of public engagement tools. This included online mapping, interactive polling, and three in-person work sessions to gain a better understanding of the community’s priorities regarding the current and future active transportation network.

Local government and other project stakeholders gathered at the Forward Pinellas Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) and Technical Coordinating Committee (TCC) meetings to discuss bicycle and pedestrian concerns and opportunities within their respective communities. In addition, various plans were reviewed to ascertain local government priorities in terms of bicycle and pedestrian needs.

Mother with kids and dog walking on the sidewalk