US 19 is a 34-mile highway extending from Tarpon Springs to St. Petersburg. It is the most heavily traveled arterial road in Pinellas County. It is also part of the Florida Strategic Intermodal System (SIS), a statewide network of high-priority transportation facilities, and is served by Route 19, which has the highest ridership of all routes in the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) system.
Since the 1980’s, substantial public investment has converted US 19 from an at-grade roadway to one with limited access via overpasses and interchanges. Significant investments have been made toward improving safety, including crosswalk installations, sidewalk construction, median modifications, and the addition of overpasses for bicyclists and pedestrians. However, safety and congestion remain serious concerns for the entire corridor. In addition to safety, other major issues afflicting the corridor include lack of accessibility for vulnerable users (e.g., pedestrians, bicyclists and transit users) and the economic impact of the partially controlled access improvements on adjacent businesses.
