The Brief
St. Petersburg is developing its first sidewalk-focused master plan to identify gaps in the city’s pedestrian network.
A city survey found residents prioritized new sidewalks near schools, followed by commercial areas.
The city has identified 971 miles of sidewalk gaps, including 550 miles in residential areas.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – St. Petersburg is mapping out where it needs more sidewalks and residents are getting a say in what comes next.
The city held the first in a series of webinars Tuesday as officials work on a sidewalk master plan designed to identify gaps in the existing network and determine how they can be filled.
Using technology for the project
What we know
The project will use geographic information system (GIS) technology along with aerial imagery to map existing sidewalks and identify where connections are missing.
The city gathered public input through a survey earlier this year, receiving responses from 862 residents.
The majority said building sidewalks where none currently exist should be a priority over improvements such as upgrading curb ramps.
Residents ranked filling sidewalk gaps near schools as their top priority, followed by gaps near commercial areas.
Adding sidewalks and trees
What they’re saying
Domenico Pontoriero, who serves on the city’s Community Planning and Preservation Commission and is car-free by choice, said some neighborhoods in South St. Pete are particularly underserved.
“Everything south of Central is pretty underserved,” Pontoriero said, pointing to neighborhoods including Childs Park, Jordan’s Park and Campbell Park.
Tara Hubbard said she wants the city to consider the environmental benefits of adding trees as part of the sidewalk planning process.
“Not only provide that comfort and shade for pedestrians, but also, you know, there’s a multitude of benefits of having trees in our city,” she said.
Sidewalk gaps
By the numbers
The city has identified:
888 miles of existing sidewalks
971 miles of sidewalk gaps
How the city could pay for it
Dig deeper
Most of the funding is expected to come from the city’s Infrastructure Capital Improvement Fund.
Other potential funding sources include the Florida Department of Transportation’s Safe Routes to School program, Forward Pinellas grants and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All program.
Future webinar
What’s next
The city plans to hold another webinar one week from Tuesday at 6 p.m. for residents in Districts 1, 5, 7 and 8.
The Source
FOX 13 spoke with St. Petersburg residents and a member of the city’s Community Planning and Preservation Commission. Information about the sidewalk network, resident survey and potential funding sources was provided by the City of St. Petersburg.