A bike trail can be much more than a bike trail.
Tony Marrero commemorates the 25th anniversary of the Pinellas Trail—a 47-mile bike trail serving about 75,000 cyclists, walkers and joggers each month in the St. Petersburg area of Florida.
"Credited with boosting the county's economy, the trail connects disparate neighborhoods and has revived downtowns in Dunedin and Tarpon Springs. As one of the country's early "rails to trails" projects, its popularity has inspired hundreds of similar projects across the nation," writes Marrero.
The article includes more about the tragic events that led to the creation of the bike trail on the former tracks of the Atlantic Coast railroad line. A monorail was also once considered for the route. Also detailed are some of the success stories that have sprouted along the trail's route. Exhibit A is Dunedin: "the poster child for how the trail and the community can benefit from each other," according to one source quoted in the article.
FULL STORY: After 25 years, Pinellas Trail continues to grow in size and relevance
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Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
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The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association