What transportation projects matter most to a community? That’s a tough question, and the answer varies based on who’s being asked. Yet these are decisions that are essential to the future of our county and region – and that we have to answer every year. When Forward Pinellas began looking at projects to put on…
Florida Safe Routes to School, a program that funds efforts to increase the number and safety of students walking or biking to school, has opened the call for applications. Applications for projects in Pinellas County are due to the Florida Department of Transportation (District Seven) by December 30, 2016. The application is available on the FDOT website. A signature of…
In the wake of failed transportation funding proposals in Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties, there’s a growing chorus of voices on both sides of Tampa Bay about how we finally figure out a way to pull together as a region to solve our transportation problems. State and local government officials have long advocated for a regional…
“I ride my bike to work every day,” Justin Doyle told me while pouring beers on a hot July afternoon at the Horse and Jockey Pub in South Pasadena. He was responding to my questions about bicycling on Pasadena Avenue, where the pub is located. I’ve biked on the corridor myself many times and have…
The recent vote to support funding for the Tampa Bay Express (TBX) in the Hillsborough County MPO’s Transportation Improvement Program illustrates the difficult choices we face to improve transportation in the Tampa Bay region. The Florida Department of Transportation’s plan to construct variable priced toll lanes on Interstate 275, I-4 and I-75 has sparked much public debate…
In April, the St. Petersburg City Council approved funding for a bike share program in its downtown area. The program will launch in September with the roll out of 30 stations and 300 GPS-enabled smart bikes. Now the City needs to figure out where to locate the stations and they’re looking to the locals for…
In April, the St. Petersburg City Council approved funding for a bike share program in its downtown area. The program will launch in September with the roll out of 30 stations and 300 GPS-enabled smart bikes. Now the City needs to figure out where to locate the stations and they’re looking to the locals for…
The role of transportation and land development in Pinellas County took on increased importance with passage of a special act of the Florida Legislature in 2014 unifying a 13-member governing board of local elected officials with responsibility for countywide transportation and land use planning. Pinellas remains Florida’s most densely developed county with nearly one million residents…
http://forwardpinellas.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/1280px-ciclovc3ada_bogotc3a1_cra_7_con_cl_17.jpg Elected officials and professionals involved in efforts to improve transportation infrastructure in their communities often talk about mobility and safety being the top priorities. These are necessary pursuits. But the core values of building a quality transportation system are about health and equity. These themes are central to the mission of 8 80 Cities,…
Pick almost any month and you can read about a crash involving a pedestrian and automobile somewhere along Gulf Boulevard in Pinellas County. Often, these crashes include a fatality or serious injury. It’s an unfortunate and unacceptable situation that results from a combination of increased travel demand, conflicts over limited space, unfamiliar tourists, and a busy…
In 2012, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) informed the MPO that bids on projects around the state were coming in lower than expected and that FDOT had extra (that’s right-extra!) money for transportation projects. Turns out, they had just about enough to fund improvements to Gandy Boulevard from 4th Street North to 16th Street…
Access, the means of approaching or entering a place, is an often overlooked indicator of how successfully a community is evolving from nondescript corridor to place. Shifting from an emphasis on driving to an emphasis on walking, bikes and buses, it’s critical how consciously we plan for access. Access is often thought of in the narrowest…