Forward Pinellas Commits to Zero Traffic Fatalities with Safe Streets Action Plan Update

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Forward Pinellas Commits to Zero…

A Vision of Zero Traffic Deaths

In recent years, Pinellas County has seen a decline in the number of fatal and serious injuries on our roadways. In 2016, there were 1,119 fatal and serious injury crashes. In 2024, there were 696 fatal and serious injury crashes. Despite this encouraging trend, we believe even one life lost is too many. Pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists continue to be the most vulnerable. In a report by Smart Growth America, our region ranks in the Top 10 of most dangerous metropolitan areas for people walking. As our population and number of visitors grow so does the urgency to improve our roadways to ensure all users have a safe environment to move around.

Forward Pinellas has been awarded $400,000 in funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) through the Safe Streets and Roads for All Program (SS4A) to update the Safe Streets Pinellas Action Plan over the next two years.

The Safe Streets Pinellas Action Plan serves as a road map to reach the goal of zero fatalities and serious injuries. The plan was first adopted in 2021 through a data-driven and collaborative approach with help from our local communities and a multi-disciplinary Task Force. The plan is updated periodically with new data, refined crash reduction strategies, and new strategies and technologies that have been proven to reduce fatal and serious injury crashes.

About the SS4A Program

The Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant program was established by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) with $5 billion for use from 2022-2026. The SS4A program funds regional, local, and Tribal initiatives to prevent roadway fatalities and serious injuries on our nation’s roadways. Forward Pinellas first received funding in 2022 and partnered with Pinellas County, and the cities of St. Petersburg, Gulfport, Dunedin, Largo, and Oldsmar to conduct detailed analyses of specific locations to identify safety challenges, recommend implementable solutions, and build community support to advance those solutions. These projects wrapped up in early 2025 and some safety recommendations have already been implemented.

Safe Systems Approach Core Principles

Death and serious injuries are unacceptable
Humans make mistakes
Humans are vulnerable
Responsibility is shared
Safety is proactive
Redundancy is crucial

Project Highlight: Improving Pedestrian Safety at 49th St. N

49th Street in south Pinellas County is a six-lane divided roadway with a raised median and posted speed limits of 40-45 mph. High vehicle speeds pose risks to pedestrians. Forward Pinellas worked with Pinellas County to analyze crash data and existing infrastructure for safety and engage with community members and stakeholders to develop actionable solutions. One identified solution that has already been implemented is the addition of a leading pedestrian interval (LPI) at signalized intersections along 49th St. N through the Lealman community. How is this safer? LPIs give pedestrians a three to seven second head start to enter a crosswalk before vehicles in the same direction are given a green signal. It is a low-cost solution to increase pedestrian visibility and safety.

What is Changing with the New Update

Forward Pinellas will be updating the Safe Streets Pinellas Action Plan. We will be engaging with our local communities, analyzing crash data, and identifying innovative solutions.

Key components of the update will include:

Extensive public outreach and collaboration with stakeholders including state, local, and regional partners, community organizations and businesses, law enforcement, hospitals, first responders and medical community.
Create and deploy a public-facing dashboard to display crash data and analysis and gather community input on areas with safety concerns.
Update the High Injury Network (“HIN”) which identifies where the high numbers of traffic deaths and serious injuries are occurring.
Develop a High-Risk Network (“HRN”) which are areas that have safety concerns and high potential for fatal and serious injury crashes even if they have not yet occurred.
Assist up to three local governments in evaluating their land development regulations and transportation manuals to ensure policies support improved safety.
Deploy near-miss technology at strategic locations to identify crashes that are “almost” happening, in an effort to identify and implement low-cost/high-impact solutions.

Join Us in Shaping a Future of Zero Traffic Deaths

Safety is a top priority for Forward Pinellas and we are committed to the vision of zero deaths and fatal injuries on our roadways. Collaboration and support from our local communities will be essential. The update to the Safe Streets Action Plan will include increased collaboration, greater awareness, and improved data and strategies to get us one step closer to achieving our vision. Over the next two years, Forward Pinellas will provide numerous opportunities for gathering community input, such as a series of community workshops starting in Spring 2026 and an interactive online map and survey. Please stay tuned!