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Recreation buffs needed to walk 'n' roll on the trail
By JON WILSON, Times Staff Writer
ST. PETERSBURG -- A Pinellas Trail section will become a transportation testing ground Saturday. Mostly self-propelled volunteers are needed for the Trail Ride for Science, which will gather data to make life easier for cyclists, walkers and others who get around without motors. Cyclists of all kinds, inline skaters, wheelchair folks and skateboarders are welcome. So are people who push jogging strollers, ride scooters or pump handcycles. A few power scooters -- a motorized wheelchair -- are needed, too, officials say. "Everyone, as you can imagine, has different requirements," said Felicia Leonard, a transportation planner with Sprinkle Consulting Inc., which is putting on the event. It's part of a project to establish national design standards for paths accommodating nonmotorized vehicles or skaters. Participants should show up between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the Azalea community center, 1600 72nd St. N. It takes about an hour to complete a course that will measure such things as speed, acceleration, deceleration, braking and turning ability. Similar studies are being conducted in California and in the Washington, D.C.-Baltimore area. In St. Petersburg, the bigger picture is the city government's plan to encourage getting around by means other than automobiles. Safety issues, better paths and more bike lanes are among the plan's elements, and Saturday's event fits that framework. Meanwhile, the city has hired its first bicycle/pedestrian coordinator. Venkat Vattikuti will start Feb. 3. He said he'll immediately look at the city's "hot pockets" -- places where motor vehicles are most likely to hit walkers and bikers. It is a paramount issue. St. Petersburg is part of a Tampa Bay region that has consistently been ranked among the most dangerous to pedestrians. The Mean Streets Report, produced by a national transportation watchdog group, ranked the region the nation's worst in 2000. Last year, Tampa Bay "improved" to No. 2; Orlando was first. Vattikuti, 38, has bachelor's and master's degrees in transportation engineering and is working toward a doctorate at the University of South Florida. He grew up in Guntur, India, where he said bicycling is a major mode of transportation. Vattikuti has worked for the Tampa-based Sprinkle firm for the past seven years. He'll start the city job at about $42,000 annually, paid by a grant from the state Department of Transportation, said Michael Frederick, neighborhood transportation manager. Bike enthusiasts generally seem to approve of the new position. "It's what many cities do to successfully provide accommodations and safety. The coordinator is there to focus his or her attention directly on bike-pedestrian issues so bicyclists and pedestrians don't get ignored. I have high expectations ...," said Kimberly Cooper, a regular bike commuter between work and home. To help address safety, Vattikuti will conduct bike rodeos at the neighborhood level. Police also conduct citywide rodeos, which emphasize safety and good equipment for young riders. Frederick said the additional rodeos will come to specific neighborhoods so riders won't have to travel so far. Vattikuti said he will be on hand Saturday. About 150 volunteers 13 years and older are needed for the testing. Using their own mode of transportation, they'll negotiate a series of stations on a half-mile trail section between 22nd and Ninth avenues N. Among elements to be measured is "sweep width" -- a term describing how much room a machine or person needs for side-to-side movement. For example, a bicycle needs about 4 or 5 feet, while an inline skater may require more than 6, Frederick said. "It's going to be fun. People enjoy these events," Leonard said. Prizes and refreshments are among the incentives, Leonard said. Participants under 18 need a signed waiver from a parent. For information, call (813) 949-7449.
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From the Times South Pinellas desks |
