Sure, make room for cyclists and walkers there and on Snell Isle Boulevard, residents say, but not at the expense of drivers.
By JON WILSON
Published February 8, 2004
ST. PETERSBURG - They call it "street dieting."
A national buzz phrase among advocates for bike and pedestrian paths, it means taking away lanes from motorists so that foot and cycle traffic can be accommodated.
But the folks who use 62nd Avenue NE prefer their street pleasingly plump.
About a dozen who live in nearby neighborhoods said so loud and clear at City Hall last week.
In a special meeting with City Council member Bill Foster and transportation planners, they suggested that bike paths may be okay - but not at the expense of lanes for vehicles, at least along 62nd Avenue NE.
"There's no way we can afford to lose two lanes," said Tanglewood resident John Bosquett. "We've been going through living hell because of the reclaimed water project."
A long-running reclaimed water job has belabored the street and given such neighborhoods as Edgemoor, Mangrove Bay, Harbor Isle, Mariner's Pass and Shore Acres a peak-hour taste of bottlenecked traffic.
As it turns out, residents may not have to worry about 62nd Avenue between reduced from five lanes to three (including a turn lane in each case).
"We have options," said Foster, who is not a fan of "dieting" 62nd Avenue. "I think (transportation planners) are willing to explore those."
As an example, Foster cited wider sidewalks. "We have options there because 62nd fronts a lot of city property," he said.
A city-owned golf course, sewer plant and brush dump face the avenue.
It is among the first roads being redesigned for bike and pedestrian lanes under Mayor Rick Baker's CityTrails program. Residents use 62nd as a chute to such major roads as Fourth Street N, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street N and Interstate 275.
It also serves Shore Acres Elementary and Riviera Middle School. Shorecrest Preparatory and Canterbury School of Florida campuses are nearby.
CityTrails, which envisions a network of 93 miles of designated bikeways and walkways by 2008, has been talked up in numerous public meetings. Many residents have expressed a desire for safer paths for nonmotorized traffic. St. Petersburg has consistently been part of a regional axis of danger, ranking among the nation's toughest on pedestrians.
A few city streets already have been striped for bike lanes, among them parts of First avenues N and S and Beach Drive NE. Some motorists have registered complaints or questions about those sections.
But last week's gathering was the first time residents met with officials to discuss a specific design, said Joe Kubicki, transportation planning director.
Some also voiced concerns about Snell Isle Boulevard's proposed laning for bikes, and how it might affect on-street parking in front of the Woman's Club, which relies on renting the hall for parties and receptions to meet expenses.
Kubicki said on-street parking won't go away. He also put to rest rumors that, as part of a broad bike lane loop, First Street N would have to be closed.
"Absolutely, First Street N will not be closed. There is no plan to close First Street," Kubicki said.
"We're going to be conducting a special evaluation of First Street from downtown north, because we have the Old Northeast area to serve, and want to be sensitive to them," he said.
But most of the discussion focused on 62nd Avenue NE, which is part of a wide CityTrails loop that includes such roads as Bayou Grande Boulevard, Chancellor Street and Overlook Drive, in addition to Snell Isle Boulevard.
Kubicki pointed out that taking 62nd Avenue from five to three lanes, while striping bike lanes on both sides, is just one option.
Others include putting 8-foot-wide sidewalks on both sides of the road, or installing a 12-foot-wide dedicated trail on 62nd's north side.
The dedicated trail option seemed to play well with residents, although neighborhood representatives plan to collect a broader sample of opinion.
"It seems like such a perfect option because the majority of the property (along 62nd) is public property, and it seems like it would be a good match," said Terese Hilliard, Edgemoor president.
Hilliard said she was concerned that a two-lane 62nd Avenue would send frustrated motorists through neighborhoods in search of quicker routes.
Joanne Walker, president of the Snell Isle Woman's Club, suggested another aspect of the traffic diversion theory:
"I'm afraid if you add a (bicycle) loop, you bring in people off the Pinellas Trail and add to the bulk" of users who go through neighborhoods.
CityTrails is envisioned as part of a countywide pedestrian and bicycle network connecting smaller paths to the Pinellas Trail, the Friendship Trail on Gandy Boulevard and another major trail yet to be built on the county's east side, using Progress Energy easement.
The City Council approved CityTrails last year. It's up to planners to approve specific designs.
"I can't envision administration putting in optional recreational loops in residential areas without seeking input from the residents," Foster said.
A decision on 62nd Avenue NE could come in about a month, Kubicki said. A timetable for implementing it would depend on which option wins.
