Safety
Fostering A Safe, Connected And Accessible Transportation System
In 2014, a total of 1,139 crashes involved vulnerable bicycle and pedestrian users of the transportation system. (Pinellas County MPO, Crash Data Management System, 2014)
Completing the Pinellas Trail Loop will provide non-motorized modes of transportation with a safe, dedicated and continuous facility, linking residential, employment, commercial, recreational and institutional uses. Providing vulnerable users such as bicyclists and pedestrians with an alternative to facilities shared with automobile and truck traffic will reduce crashes, particularly the serious and fatal crashes that are often the result of conflicts between bicyclists or pedestrians and motor vehicles.
U.S. Highway 19 and McMullen Booth/East Lake Road are the principal roadways that run parallel to the North Gap of the Pinellas Trail Loop. These two corridors include some of the highest crash intersections in Pinellas County, while also being amongst the most congested with some of the highest traffic volumes.
Figure 6 (Download PDF)
Seven (7) of the top 25 crash locations in Pinellas County are located nearby the gaps. Of these, the intersection of U.S. 19 and Tampa Road, the top crash location, experienced three (3) crashes in 2013 involving bicyclists and pedestrians. The number one location for pedestrian crashes is located within one mile of the South Gap. In 2013 alone, this location experienced four (4) crashes involving pedestrians. The second highest intersection for bicycle crashes in Pinellas County is within one mile of the North Gap and experienced nine (9) crashes involving bicyclists in 2013. Figures 6 shows bicycle and pedestrian injuries and fatalities, as does Table 4.
Bicycle and Pedestrian Crashes within 1/2 Mile of the Loop Gaps (2014 Crash Data) |
||
|---|---|---|
| Injuries | Fatalities | |
| North Gap | 10 | 0 |
| South Gap | 22 | 6 |
| Total | 32 | 6 |
The South Gap of the Pinellas Trail Loop traverses the Gateway area where the roadway network carries substantial volumes of both local and regional vehicle trips. This area experiences significant heavy truck traffic, given the industrial nature of portions of the area, resulting in conflict between the modes, due to the lack of safe facilities for non-motorized users.
Completing the Pinellas Trail Loop will improve safety for bicyclists and pedestrians by providing them with a facility on which they can commute and travel, without having to travel along roads with high volumes of vehicular traffic, thereby reducing the potential conflicts with motor vehicles. This safer environment will reduce the number of bike and pedestrian crashes.
Maintaining safety on the Pinellas Trail Loop is an existing priority of the County, MPO and their partners. The Pinellas Trail Security Task Force, composed of law enforcement officers and local officials, meets quarterly to share information on the Trail. An Emergency Marker Program has been developed so that users can easily identify their location on the Trail in the event of an emergency or to report a maintenance issue. Overpasses and underpasses have been constructed to safely move users across many of the busier intersections, as well as rectangular rapid flash beacons (RRFBs).
In addition, there is a Volunteer/Auxiliary Ranger program to monitor the Trail and assist users and the Pinellas County Parks and Conservation Resources Rangers patrol the Trail, along with municipal and County law enforcement personnel.
Providing Pinellas County residents and visitors with a dedicated multi-modal facility will contribute towards increased pedestrian and bicycle safety. This includes the number, rate and consequence of crashes, particularly those resulting in serious injuries and fatalities involving Pinellas County bicyclists and pedestrians.