St. Pete police launch campaign to keep pedestrians, bicyclists safe
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - From now through May 2024, there will be more St. Petersburg police patrolling along roadways and intersections that have been designated as problematic for drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists.
The department provided the following list of those streets:
- 34th Street North and south
- 4th Street North
- 18th Avenue South
- 16th Street South
- 3rd Street North
- US 19/5th avenue north
- 49th Street North
This latest traffic safety initiative is part of the Florida Department of Transportation's "Alert today, Alive tomorrow" campaign that's grown throughout the state since beginning in 2021.
READ: Gulfport teen critically injured after being hit by trolley: Police
FDOT, in cooperation with the Institute for Police Technology and Management, awarded St. Pete police a $49,000 contract to pay for additional law enforcement personnel that will be posted at dangerous intersections in order to enforce traffic laws and educate the public on how to safely navigate roads by foot, bicycle and car.
Since the beginning of this year, the city, county and state have been working together to assess dangerous areas and the group "Forward Pinellas" says it is also working on plans to convert several one-way streets to two-way streets over the next few years throughout the county.
READ: Pedestrian hit, killed in Pinellas Park, police say
Year-to-date, St. Pete police spokespeople say they've had seven pedestrian fatalities compared to 11 during the same time in 2022, and two bicycle fatalities compared to two in 2022.
Pinellas County ranks in the top 25 counties in the state for traffic crashes resulting in serious and fatal injuries to pedestrians and bicyclists.
St. Pete police are expected to discuss more details about the campaign during a media conference at 3:30 p.m. on Monday.