Forward Pinellas: Enhancing Safety & Wayfinding on the Pinellas Trail

Published on November 12, 2025

Pinellas Trail Wayfinding Signs

By Whit Blanton, FAICP, and Kyle Simpson, AICP

Pinellas Trail Wayfinding

Forward Pinellas serves as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for Pinellas County. In that role, we work collaboratively with all 25 local governments, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), and regional partners to identify transportation needs and establish funding priorities.

Earlier this year, Forward Pinellas, FDOT, and Pinellas County installed 45 wayfinding signs along the Pinellas Trail at 15 key intersections from Keystone Road to downtown St. Petersburg. These signs highlight regional destinations and trail connections, providing guidance to residents and visitors. The Pinellas Trail is part of Florida’s Coast-to-Coast trail, traveling 250 miles from St. Petersburg to Titusville. To maintain consistency, the project team used branding developed for the Coast-to-Coast Trail in the new signs. We hope to expand the program in the future to cover more destinations and trail facilities throughout Pinellas County.

Safe Streets Pinellas

A core focus of Forward Pinellas’s work is ensuring the transportation system is safe for everyone. To advance that goal, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program awarded Forward Pinellas a $400,000 grant to update the Safe Streets Pinellas Action Plan.

First adopted in 2021 as a countywide roadmap to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries, the Action Plan will undergo an update over the next year to incorporate the latest crash data, refine safety strategies, and explore new tools and technologies to improve traffic safety.

As part of the update, Forward Pinellas will host a series of community workshops starting in spring 2026 to share project updates and gather input from the public and stakeholders. We will also launch an interactive online map and survey to allow community members to identify safety concerns and share their experiences.

Trail safety is a key part of the Forward Pinellas mission. We are continuing to work with the City of Dunedin, Pinellas County, and law enforcement agencies to help all users stay safe when enjoying the Pinellas Trail. In the coming months, we will be working on additional measures to keep trail users safe and comfortable as its popularity continues to grow.

Trail Safety Tips

As we continue these efforts, it’s important for everyone who drives, walks, or rides the trail to do their part in keeping our community safe. The following tips, shared by Forward Pinellas, highlight ways we can all help prevent crashes and protect one another on and around the Pinellas Trail.

Drivers:

  • Adhere to the speed limit
  • Stop at stop signs and red lights
  • Look right before turning right for people in the crosswalk
  • Use extra caution during dawn and dusk when visibility is reduced

Pedestrians:

  • Follow pedestrian signals
  • Use marked crosswalks when available
  • Be cautious around turning drivers

Bicycle and E-Bike Riders:

  • Always ride with the direction of traffic whether you are in the street or on the sidewalk
  • Use lights at night – white on the front and red on the back
  • Follow traffic laws and signals
    • When riding in the road, follow traffic lights and stop signs that cars would use
    • When riding on the sidewalk, follow pedestrian signals
  • If riding on the sidewalk, yield to pedestrians and give an audible signal before passing

Over the past few years, e-bikes have become a popular and fun way for people to get around in Dunedin. E-bikes are considered bicycles under Florida law and are allowed on roads, sidewalks, and trails.

E-Bike Safety:

  • Follow speed limits on roads and trails and use appropriate speeds – when the trail is congested or when passing someone, slow down
  • Use extra caution if riding on the sidewalk – drivers might not expect you
  • Wear a helmet – higher speeds can cause more serious crashes
  • E-bike motors are capped at assist speeds up to 28 mph – if your device can go faster than 28 mph, it is not an e-bike under Florida law and is illegal to be used on roads, sidewalks, and trails in Florida

 

 

 

Back to top