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Letter to the editor

A downtown where walkers are welcome

It's downtown environment earned Dunedin a nod as the most walkable small city in America.
	[Douglas R. Clifford | Times (2004)]

The news is seldom positive when it comes to pedestrian safety in Pinellas County, but Dunedin has managed to be delightfully different in that regard.

The city recently was named No. 1 on a list of five of the most walkable small cities in America by RunThePlanet.com, a runners' Web site.

About Dunedin, the Web site wrote, "The Pinellas Trail bike path bisects the compact town center of Dunedin. ... Pocket parks, colorful and climate-appropriate landscaping, traditional streetlights and interesting architecture add to the town's beauty, while clearly demarcated pedestrian crossings and 15 mile per hour speed limits make walking safe."

Boulder, Colo., was named the most walkable medium-sized city and Washington, D.C., the most walkable big city. The Web site drew its selections from nominations by readers.

The Web site clearly was focusing on downtown Dunedin in its rankings. Indeed, one of the factors that has made redeveloped downtown Dunedin so admired is its focus on the pedestrian.

State Road 580 used to come through downtown Dunedin, bringing swift traffic and congestion. But when Dunedin decided to remake its downtown, it persuaded the state to divert SR 580 north of downtown and the city built a new Main Street devoted to pedestrian safety.

It made its Main Street serpentine, thereby creating more retail street frontage and forcing motorists to slow way down - a model other cities, including Clearwater, are employing to stop drivers from speeding through a retail district where they want people to stop and feel comfortable walking around.

Dunedin also smartly utilized the then-new Pinellas Trail, which cuts right through downtown, in its design of the retail district. Restaurants and shops look out on the trail, and trail amenities were added to make Dunedin's portion one of the Pinellas Trail's most appealing stretches. Walkers and cyclists using the trail feel comfortable detouring onto Main Street to shop or sightsee or just sit on a bench to rest.

Four-way stop signs and traffic lights force Main Street traffic, already moving slowly because of the speed limit, to stop at every block, allowing safe and convenient crossing for pedestrians. Landscaping is attractive but kept low to the ground to promote visibility. At the busiest downtown intersection, an audible tone was added to the pedestrian crossing signal for walkers who need that extra help.

As the retail district has expanded beyond Main Street to surrounding side streets, the city has made sure that pedestrian amenities followed it. Pedestrians can feel as comfortable walking on Douglas Avenue or Broadway as they do on Main.

Dunedin's recognition as a walkable city was especially nice to see after the Brookings Institution recently ranked the "Tampa Bay area" as worst in walkability among the nation's big cities. Brookings failed to recognize that the Tampa Bay area isn't one city, but many cities and unincorporated communities, each with its own special character and pedestrian environment.

Dunedin often gets plaudits for its unique amenities. Its walkable downtown was especially deserving of the attention given by RunThePlanet.com.

[Last modified January 2, 2008, 21:07:46]