Weekend Accidents Reinforce Need In Pinellas For Improved Bicycle, Pedestrian Safety

LARGO, FL — The death of a pedestrian and serious injuries to a bicyclist on Largo streets over the weekend occurred just as the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office launched an initiative to reduce accidents involving bicyclists and pedestrians on county roads.

On Sunday at 4:10 a.m., Largo police were called to 66th Street North, about 400 feet north of 142nd Avenue North, after a man was struck in the road by a Hyundai Sonata.

Largo Fire Rescue attempted life-saving aid, however, the pedestrian died at the scene.

The pedestrian's death followed a crash on Saturday that left a bicyclist seriously injured.

Largo police said the bicyclist was crossing Roosevelt Boulevard at 58th Street North outside the crosswalk when a Dodge SUV traveling east on Roosevelt struck him.

Pinellas County ranks in the top 25 counties in the state for traffic crashes resulting in serious and fatal injuries to pedestrians and bicyclists. On average, two people are killed or severely injured each day on Pinellas County roads. Last year, 107 people died, according to Forward Pinellas, the countywide agency charged with addressing countywide land use and transportation concerns in Pinellas County’s 24 cities and the unincorporated Pinellas County.

With the help of a University of North Florida grant in partnership with the Florida Department of Transportation, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office has launched a high-visibility enforcement initiative to improve the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists on Pinellas County roads.

The initiative began Friday and will run through May 13. Pinellas County deputies will be stationed at 12 locations in the county identified as high crash areas for bicyclists and pedestrians.

The effort aims to increase awareness of and compliance with traffic laws that protect the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists.

Deputies will distribute educational materials as well as issue warnings and citations to pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers who violate traffic safety laws including bicyclists who fail to ride in the direction of traffic and use lights when riding at night and pedestrians who don't use crosswalks or intersections, obey pedestrian signals or aren't visible to drivers at night.

Pinellas Park is conducting a similar initiative through May 13 with a grant from the University of North Florida.

In the meantime, concerns about road safety and speeding on Largo streets prompted the city to launch a Speed Limit Reduction Policy Procedure this year, allowing residents to petition the city to have the speed limits on their neighborhood roads lowered from 30 mph to 25 mph.

There are 696 streets eligible to have speed limits reduced if 60 percent of the residents agree.

While the initiative is intended to reduce speeding on residential roads, most of the crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists occur on major roads, according to a survey conducted by the University of North Florida as part of its safety initiative, which begins as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration observes National Pedestrian Safety Month in October.

Forward Pinellas has adopted a Safe Streets Pinellas Action Plan as part of its Vision Zero program committed to reaching zero deaths and serious injuries in Pinellas County by 2045.

Vision Zero was first implemented in Sweden in the 1990s and has since been adopted by communities throughout the U.S.

Forward Pinellas' Vision Zero effort began in the fall of 2019 and includes working with communities on measures to enhance traffic safety including the addition of bike lanes, sidewalks and signalized crosswalks.

Among the projects undertaken by Forward Pinellas is an Alternate U.S. 19 study.

Extending nearly 38 miles, Alternate U.S. 19 is the longest road in Pinellas County, connecting the cities of Tarpon Springs, Dunedin, Clearwater, Largo, Seminole and St. Petersburg as well as Palm Harbor in the unincorporated area of north Pinellas County.

Approximately 30 miles of this corridor, extending from Park Street in Seminole to the Pinellas/Pasco County line, is the subject of two planning studies being conducted by the FDOT in cooperation with Forward Pinellas and local governments to improve mobility and safety.

One of the studies addresses the section between Park Street and Belleair Road in Largo and the other covers the section between Belleair Road and the Pinellas/Pasco County line.

Forward Pinellas has also undertaken several demonstration projects to test ways to make roads safer, such as exploring new technology and educational outreach activities.

Additionally, the agency is working with the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority and local governments on a Transit Suitability Analysis to explore increased access to public transportation as well as other alternative means of transportation.

In the meantime, pedestrians and bicyclists can do their part:

• Be predictable.
• Follow the rules of the road and obey signs and signals.
• Walk on sidewalks whenever they are available.
• If there is no sidewalk, walk facing traffic and as far from traffic as possible.
• Keep alert at all times; don't be distracted by electronic devices that take your eyes (and ears) off the road.
• Whenever possible, cross streets at crosswalks or intersections, where drivers expect pedestrians.
• Look for cars in all directions, including those turning left or right.
• If a crosswalk or intersection is not available, locate a well-lit area where you have the best view of traffic.
• Wait for a gap in traffic that allows enough time to cross safely; continue watching for traffic as you cross.
• Never assume a driver sees you. Make eye contact with drivers as they approach to make sure you are seen.
• Be visible at all times. Wear bright clothing during the day, and wear reflective materials or use a flashlight at night.
• Watch for cars entering or exiting driveways, or backing up in parking lots.
• Avoid alcohol and drugs when walking or cycling; they impair your abilities and your judgment. According to the National Road Safety Foundation Inc., a quarter of all cyclist deaths in 2019 involved a cyclist who was alcohol-impaired.

Drivers can share the responsibility to keep pedestrians and bicyclists safe by following these rules:

• Watch for pedestrians and cyclists everywhere, at all times.
• Use extra caution when driving in hard-to-see conditions, such as nighttime or bad weather.
• Slow down and be prepared to stop when turning or otherwise entering a crosswalk.
• Yield to pedestrians and cyclists in crosswalks and stop well back from the cross-walk to give other vehicles an opportunity to see the crossing pedestrians, so they can stop, too.
• Never pass vehicles stopped at a crosswalk. There may be people crossing that you can't see.
• Never drive distracted or under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
• Follow the speed limit, especially around people on the street.
• Follow slower speed limits in school zones and in neighborhoods where children are present.
• Be extra cautious when backing up—pedestrians can move into your path.

See related stories:

• Pinellas To Counter Reputation For High Bike, Pedestrian Deaths
• Enforcement Effort Aimed At Keeping Pinellas Park Roads Safe
• Pinellas Residents Urged To Take Vision Zero Pledge
• St Pete Beach 1st To Sign On To Pinellas Safe Streets Plan