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Biking picks up here like everywhere

Rising gas prices are often cited, but some say a renewed interest in fitness also is getting people behind handlebars.

ST. PETERSBURG - Reflecting a national trend and perhaps the rising price of gas, bicycle use in St. Petersburg appears to be on the upswing.

Much of the evidence is anecdotal, said people who track such developments. Specific numbers are difficult to come by.

One indicator may be that the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, the county bus agency, reported in August a 17 percent increase over August 2004 in the number of people using the buses' bike racks.

A sampling of St. Petersburg bike shops suggested that business has been good, particularly since about August, when gas prices spiked sharply.

"We've probably sold 30 percent more (bicycles) than last year," said Rick Fidanzato, owner of ABC Bicycles, 6633 Central Ave.

Moreover, he said, business has been "nonstop" on accessories such as baskets and lights, meaning more people may be bicycling to work or shopping spots.

More expensive fuel is cited often as a reason. But there may be more to it.

"I think that with rising gas prices, it certainly puts cycling at a really good place," said Laura Hallam, executive director of the Florida Bicycling Association.

Hallam also said renewed interest in fitness and weight loss may be helping to drive bike use.

Meanwhile, the city government has launched a project that its overseer thinks may be the nation's only such municipally sponsored program: actually counting bicycles.

The city recently purchased six bike counters at $600 each from MetroCount, a company specializing in traffic data.

The first test on First Avenue N just west of 16th Street proved surprising, said Mike Frederick, neighborhood transportation manager. It's a section that has been striped to provide a bike lane, part of the CityTrails program to make the city more bicycle and pedestrian friendly.

"To our shock and amazement," Frederick said, the counter logged 435 cyclists during a week's time, much more than expected.

To verify the number, transportation bosses sent a representative to the site. The figures panned out, Frederick said.

Plans call for counting bike traffic on both striped and unstriped roads. Getting an idea about the most heavily used roadways is a goal, as is comparing traffic after lane striping.

Frederick said video cameras are another tool being contemplated to assess dangerous spots, such as where a motor traffic lane crosses a bike lane.

The city's striping project and new developments such as Pinellas Trail bridges over major roadways have been boons to biking here, Fidanzato said.

"It's way safer riding down First Avenue than before. The only problem is the education part. People need to realize we are vehicles," he said.

Earlier this month, an article circulated nationally said more bikes than cars and trucks were sold last year. It was treated in some places as big news, and it is true, said Tim Blumenthal, executive director of the Bikes Belong Coalition in Colorado - but it is true every year.

Last year, dealers sold just fewer than 19-million bicycles nationwide, Blumenthal said. The figure is likely to rise this year but not by a huge percentage because the sales number already is large, he said.

"We're hearing a lot of enthusiasm from bike retailers," he said. "They're talking about a surge and an interest, particularly since August, and we've heard September was bigger than August."

It would make sense in light of gas prices, Blumenthal said.

The three best bike sales years, he said, were 1972 through 1974 because of the Arab oil embargo.

"We're excited because this feels like a time of general rediscovery," Blumenthal said.

He said federal transportation officials have made available - in theory, at least - $4.5-billion for possible use for bicycle and pedestrian amenities.

Frederick said city officials are aware of the money but haven't formulated application plans - yet.

"We will apply, where qualified, for our share of it," Frederick said.