Plan Aimed At Reducing Bike, Pedestrian Deaths In Lealman

ST. PETERSBURG, FL -- Residents and business owners in community of Lealman community will have a chance to review proposed improvements designed to make the streets safer for bicyclists, pedestrians and drivers.

Pinellas County will host a public workshop to discuss the Linking Lealman Plan on Thursday, Feb. 7 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Lealman Exchange, 5175 45th St. N., St. Petersburg.

Linking Lealman is a plan to improve how people move around the Lealman community, regardless of age, ability or method of travel. Working with the community, Pinellas County has identified potential improvements for streets, sidewalks and other facilities that will be discussed during the workshop.

Pinellas County was awarded a Forward Pinellas grant of $50,000 to develop a streets improvement plan for the 54th Avenue North corridor within the Lealman Community Redevelopment Area.

After receiving the grant, county staff decided to expand the scope of the study and look at the entire Lealman community.

Located in unincorporated Pinellas County adjacent to the City of St. Petersburg, Lealman encompasses a 4-square-mile area bounded by 34th Street, 62nd Avenue North, 49th Street and 40th Avenue North.

Most of the community's 19,000 residents are low income. The median income is $30,358, compared to the countywide median income of $43,937. Nearly 23 percent of the households earn less than $15,000 a year.

Over the years, the community has become blighted with poorly maintained rental properties attracting drugs, crime and prostitution.

At the request of concerned residents and business owners, Pinellas County began working with community leaders on a revitalization plan for Lealman that was adopted in 2001 and used to create the Linking Lealman Community Redevelopment Area,. the first CRA in unincorporated Pinellas County.

The Linking Lealman mobility plan is a follow-up to the CRA. Residents are encouraged to attend and share their ideas.

Among its focus is improving safety on the community's roads, particularly for pedestrians and bicyclists. In September, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released a report that said Pinellas County has the highest death rate for bicyclists in the Tampa Bay area.

For information, click here.

Image via St. Petersburg

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