About the Pinellas Trail:
About the Pinellas Trail: |
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It began as a vision in 1983. A man whose son was killed while riding his bike, helped form the Pinellas County Metropolitan Planning Organizations Bicycle Advisory Committee, consisting of bicycle enthusiasts. The committee, in conjunction with the Pedestrian Safety Committee, wanted a safe place to enjoy bicycle riding, strolling or jogging. The county had a separate problem - what to do with a 34-mile corridor of abandoned CSX railroad right-of-way. The committees’ dream became a reality in 1990, when the first five-mile section of the Pinellas Trail opened, connecting Taylor Park in Largo to Seminole Park in Seminole. The Trail became immensely popular, with usage figures exceeding all expectations. With the passage of the first Penny for Pinellas one-cent local option sales tax, plans were put into motion to connect the County, from north to south, with a continuous Trail. An average of 90,000 persons use the Trail each month. The Trail is a unique greenway corridor linking some of Pinellas County’s most picturesque parks, scenic coastal areas and residential neighborhoods. While traveling along the Trail, outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy deep glades of ancient live oaks trailing Spanish moss, quiet waterways and tidal streams with all varieties of land and water birds. The Trail is a priceless haven in a busy, highly urbanized environment, where Trail-goers safely breeze along. The construction of eight overpasses allow Trail-goers to travel above traffic at busy intersections. Trail-goers may think they’re miles from civilization along some parts of the Pinellas Trail, but enthusiasts are never far from assistance, should help ever be necessary. The Trail is patrolled by the Pinellas County Security Task Force which represents law enforcement officers from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office and various municipal law enforcement agencies. Pinellas County Park Rangers also regularly patrol the Trail, just as they do any county Park, and the Auxiliary Rangers, a legion of volunteers, function as extra eyes and ears for the regular Park Rangers. Trail amenities include bike racks and refreshment stops along the way provided by the Pinellas Trails, Inc., a not-for-profit citizen's group. The Guide to the Pinellas Trail is a convenient, pocket-size flip chart map for navigating the Trail. The guide details rest stops, service stations, restaurants, pay phones, bike shops, park areas and much more along the entire length of the Trail. The free Guide to the Pinellas Trail is available at the Trail office, area libraries and the Pinellas County Courthouse Information Desk and on the Internet. The 34-mile long Pinellas Trail offers county residents and visitors a unique opportunity to enjoy the outdoors that is close to home, close to work and close to where you want to go. Grab your in-line skates, put on your jogging shoes or hop on your bicycle and head to the Pinellas Trail. To help everyone enjoy the Trail, there are some basic rules:
The Park Ranger's phone number is 549-6099. If you want information on bus routes near the Trail, please call the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority at 540-1900. Those little green signs along the Trail with the white numbers are station numbers. They are 500 feet apart and you can use them to calculate your distance traveled or report the location of any problems on the Trail. (Station number 0 is at the Trail's start at 34th St. in St. Pete.) To contact us about this book, here's the address: The
Pinellas Trail Guidebook Telephone:
(727) 464-8200 |
