Primary Selection Criteria
| Cost | |
|---|---|
| Phase 1, North Gap (Enterprise Rd. to Brighthouse Field) | $5,589,066 |
| Phase 2, North Gap (Chesnut Park to Enterprise Rd. | $9,252,860 |
| Phase 3, South Gap (Belleair Rd. to Ulmerton Rd.) | $4,560,255 |
| Phase 4, South Gap (Ulmerton Rd. to San Martin and Miscellaneous*) | $11,681,049 |
| Total | $31,083,230 |
| * Includes intersections/signalization, design & survey, mobilization, MOT, geotech and testing, unforeseen additional items, contingency, as-builts / project close out | |
| Local Match | |
| Pinellas Trail Extension Program, North Gap | $3,077,100 |
| Pinellas/Duke Energy Trail Extension, North Gap | $4,912,000 |
| N.E. Coachman Road at Coachman Road Intersection Improvement, North Gap | $400,000 |
| Old Coachman Road over Alligator Creek Bridge Replacement, North Gap | $300,000 |
| Intersection Improvements, North Gap** | $1,055,200 |
| San Martin Blvd. over Riviera Bay Bridge Replacement, South Gap*** | $600,000 |
| Intersection Improvements, South Gap** | $1,582,800 |
| Total | $11,927,100 |
| ** Intersection improvements include as-needed crossing improvements, 40% for North Gap and 60% for South Gap | |
| *** San Martin Bridge funds allocated for this project are separate from the funds set aside for a federal grant match for the bridge construction | |
| Funding Breakdown | |
| Total Cost | $31,083,230 |
| Local Match | $11,927,100 |
| Local Match (%) | 38.37% |
| TIGER Grant Request | $19,156,130 |
| TIGER Grant Request (%) | 61.63% |
| Note: The pre-application had a project total of $32,000,000, including a TIGER request of $20,000,000 and a local match of $12,000,000. | |
State of Good Repair
This project will reduce vehicle miles traveled in the County and help maintain a state of good repair on surrounding transportation facilities.
Completing the Pinellas Trail Loop will improve the resiliency of Pinellas County by enhancing the facilities available for alternative modes of transportation and providing a safe connection to other modes of transportation. When completed, this will place more than half of the residents of the County within one mile of an uninterrupted 75 mile non-motorized transportation facility, increasing accessibility for everyone in the County. The Loop enhances resiliency by providing a transportation option that increases the mobility of Pinellas County residents and visitors.
Creating a Reliable Multimodal Network
Completing the Pinellas Trail Loop will leverage decades of taxpayer investment in bicycle and pedestrian facilities while utilizing existing infrastructure, such as existing right-of-way and the Duke Energy utility corridor, to complete missing pieces of the Loop.
Completing the Pinellas Trail Loop is a high priority for Pinellas County, the Pinellas County MPO and involved partners. This proposed project is consistent with local and regional planning documents. The two segments included in this grant application are included on the Regional Priority List for Regional Multi-Use Trails.
Plan Document Consistency
- Pinellas County Comprehensive Plan Capital Improvements Element
- Pinellas County MPO Long Range Transportation Plan
- West Central Florida MPO’s Chairs Coordinating Committee Regional Long Range Transportation Plan Multi-Use Trails Element
Pinellas County and its partners maintain the current Pinellas Trail Loop and are committed to providing regular maintenance and ensuring a long-term state of good repair for the entire Loop, once it is completed. Funding for the project is both stable and sustainable. Pinellas County’s commitment to the Loop, including the funding of its operations and maintenance costs, have been proven through decades of investment. This project will complete the final sections of the Pinellas Trail Loop and support additional economic development opportunities that will generate increased revenue to maintain the state of good repair for the facility into the future.
“Our Chamber represents some 500 businesses whose employees regularly enjoy the benefits of the Pinellas Trail system. It provides an important transit alternative for citizens.”
The first Loop segments opened in 1990 on an abandoned railroad line. Since then, this 15-foot wide trail has transformed the pedestrian and bicycle facilities available to County residents and visitors. The original backbone of the Loop, the Pinellas Trail, has been hailed as a priceless haven in a busy, highly urbanized environment, winning numerous awards, including induction into the National Rails to Trails Hall of Fame and twice receiving the Best Trail of Florida award from the Florida Office of Greenways and Trails. This has brought lasting positive change to Pinellas County that will be significantly enhanced and continued by completing the loop.
Economic Competitiveness
Completing the Pinellas Trail Loop will increase the overall economic competitiveness of Pinellas County, bolstering the County’s long-term economic success and providing a short-term economic boost. The Pinellas Trail Loop integrates existing transportation infrastructure and provides access to major employment centers, schools (including institutions of higher education and technical schools) and commercial facilities.
The increased Loop access expands the labor pool for employers located near the Pinellas Trail and provides alternative methods of travel for those patronizing nearby businesses (Figure 3)
Improving Economic Mobility
The interconnected Loop provides a long-term, safe and sustainable transportation option that will generate economic development opportunities along its 75 mile route. There are several downtown areas and identified Environmental Justice areas along the Loop, as shown in Figure 4. By providing connections to transportation alternatives, including public transportation, the Loop fulfills missing links to the ladders of success for individuals in the community. In addition, these alternatives provide much-needed connections to educational and commercial opportunities. This will provide access to advancement opportunities for education and employment. Table 2 shows jobs located near the Loop.
| North Gap | South Gap | Entire Loop | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Half Mile | One Mile | Half Mile | One Mile | Half Mile | One Mile | |
| Major Employers: On-Site Jobs | 4,424 | 13,764 | 35,274 | 47,711 | 62,980 | 103,957 |
| Jobs | 34,280 | 58,308 | 86,075 | 107,162 | 280,722 | 358,367 |
| Note: Major employers - those with 100 or more employees, provided by Pinellas County Economic Development Department | ||||||
The potential to enhance economic competitiveness can be seen in a number of ways, but one particularly noteworthy example is in Clearwater, Pinellas County’s second most populous city. The North Gap segment in Clearwater provides access to the Westfield Countryside Plaza, a commercial center that includes a major Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) transit transfer facility, serving seven (7) transit routes. Five of these routes are traditional bus routes and two are called “connector routes,” routes that not only have a fixed schedule, but will deviate from the route up to ¾ of a mile from the set route. One of the connector routes provides service to Tampa, the only bus service currently available from Pinellas County to Tampa on Saturdays. Figure 4 shows the bus stops and transfer locations.
With the completion of the Trail Loop, PSTA riders would be able to utilize the Pinellas Trail Loop to get to/from the bus, either on foot or via bike. Completion of the North Gap will provide direct and safe access for pedestrians and bicyclists to reach this important commercial center and bus transfer facility. With an estimated 78% of users (2014 MPO Pinellas Trail Survey) utilizing the Trail for non-recreational purposes, the North Gap has the potential to provide a significant benefit by increasing the access to jobs and major commercial centers, where retail and other consumer demands can be satisfied.
The South Gap traverses the Gateway area of St. Petersburg, a major employment and regional activity center. Completing the Pinellas Trail Loop will provide an alternative multi-modal transportation facility, increasing access to employers, removing vehicles from the congested roadway network, improving air quality, and promoting livability. The South Gap will provide access to the 94-acre Jabil Circuit Headquarters, as well as to Home Shopping Network and Raymond James and Associates, Inc. Approximately 86,000 jobs are within one half mile (1/2) of the South Gap. Completing the Pinellas Trail Loop will greatly improve employee access to jobs and help alleviate traffic congestion.
The South Gap traverses the PSTA 34th Street Transfer Center, which is located next to PSTA’s Headquarters. The 34th Street Transfer Center includes five routes. Additional Loop bus connections in the South Gap include an express bus that goes from St. Petersburg to downtown Tampa.
“This project would impact our students and staff at the Clearwater, Tarpon Springs, Seminole, Downtown, St. Petersburg Gills, and the Midtown campuses as well as the Veterinary Technology Center. Once the trail is completed, the EpiCenter and District Office would be less than a quarter of a mile from a new section of the trail. As you can see, the looping of the Pinellas Trail would be very beneficial to St. Petersburg College.”
Providing Economic Opportunities
Major employers and business parks are located near the Pinellas Trail Loop (as shown in figure 3), including the C.W. Bill Young VA Medical Center.
Figure 3 (Download PDF)
Completing the Pinellas Trail Loop will provide access from areas with high concentrations of low-income and minorities to employment and commercial centers, as well as educational facilities, such as the Pinellas Technical College (PTEC) and St. Petersburg College (SPC). This will provide crucial opportunities that will allow Pinellas County residents to work to expand the middle class by providing a low-cost, convenient method of transportation. CareerSource Pinellas, the local workforce development entity, has several offices throughout Pinellas County. One office is located in close proximity to the South Gap. Increasing access to the services provided by CareerSource Pinellas will allow for increased workforce development and access to potential jobs and much-needed services.
Figure 3 (Download PDF)
In addition to traversing areas identified by the MPO as Environmental Justice focus areas (Figure 4), the Trail Loop gaps include brownfield areas, such as the Ulmerton Road Opportunity Corridor. The North Gap is located within ½ mile of a Clearwater HUBZone, a program to encourage economic development in historically underutilized business zones. Additional connections to economic development opportunities such as these are available along the entire Trail Loop.
In the short-term, the design and construction of the projects (the North Gap and the South Gap) associated with Completing the Pinellas Trail Loop will create a number of employment opportunities and remove physical barriers currently in place that limit access to educational and employment centers.
Completing the Pinellas Trail Loop will strengthen the economic competitiveness of Pinellas County in that it completes the integration of a multi-purpose transportation facility with the county’s comprehensive, multi-modal network. The North and South Gaps are key links to numerous destinations and to the countywide trail network, allowing for safer and more efficient pedestrian and bicycle travel.
Through the implementation of a connected trail system that links employment and residential areas, the Pinellas Trail Loop will be an attractive transportation option for all residents. This is particularly needed in Pinellas County in order to attract and retain younger residents. There are numerous higher education facilities along the Pinellas Trail Loop, including PTEC, career and technical postsecondary education centers, and multiple St. Petersburg College campuses.
By Completing the Pinellas Trail Loop, more than half of Pinellas County will be able to walk or ride a bike to access educational opportunities, jobs and retail services, as well as access to public transportation through the connections between the transit system and the Trail.
This project will also have a positive impact on small businesses. Pinellas County has a Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Program that provides mechanisms that enhance contracting opportunities for SBEs.The current program includes local businesses that are independently owned and are not dominant in their field of operation.The program includes a Sheltered Market Component that allows Pinellas County to recommend certain contracts be made available only to SBEs.The SBE Program assures taxpayers and the local business community that there is a system in place that preserves contract opportunities for small businesses to conduct business with the County.Small businesses have thrived around existing Loop segments, such as those in downtown Dunedin.
The Pinellas Trail Loop has demonstrated that it facilitates transformative economic development along its current route. For example, when the Pinellas Trail Loop opened in the City of Dunedin in 1992, it spurred a revitalization of the downtown Dunedin area. With the opening of the Trail, commuting and recreational bicyclists and pedestrians were brought to and through the City’s downtown and began patronizing its shops and restaurants. Throughout existing Trail areas, new businesses have opened that market directly to Trail users and capitalize on passer-by traffic, such as bicycle shops, restaurants and more that market to Trail users by providing bike racks and advertising refreshments and restroom facilities.Similar results can be expected for other communities, a result of increases in access for commuters, residents and visitors, thus expanding the number of customers available to local businesses and promoting economic development throughout the county.
The Pinellas Trail Users Survey found that 90% of respondents would use new connecting trails to parks and other destinations or trails along the corridor.