All over Tampa Bay there is an effort to make roads bike and pedestrian friendly.
In Pinellas County, construction is underway on a new walkway along Roosevelt Boulevard, called a multimodal path.
On this particular path, pedestrians will cross four interstate ramps along the way.
Two of them have either traffic lights or stop signs to stop the traffic, and the other two are merge ramps, with no lights or signs.
However, the merge ramps are the most dangerous spot where the path is going to cross the interstate. Not only is it an interstate exit ramp off of I-275, but it is a two-lane ramp at speeds greater than 50 mph.
Vincent Chisolm, who spends about a half an hour a day walking the paths in the Carillon Office Park, understands the responsibility for getting safely across those crossings rests with him.
“And also you have to be attentive to the drivers. It’s almost like defensive driving. You have to pay attention to everything around you, because sometimes with earphones and technology today, be so focused and so self-absorbed that it’s easy not to pay attention. But you have to be observant for everything,” said Chisolm, a Clearwater resident.
John McShaffrey with FDOT said the agency is going to pay special attention to the spots where the trail crosses those very busy ramps.
Rectangular rapid flashing beacons with signs will be installed on the north and south sides of the exit ramp in advance of the trail and at the trail itself along with yellow and white striping delineating the trail at the actual crossing.
For those on the trail, they’ll also have flashing beacons. The trail surface will also change to alert those on two feet and two wheels of the crossing ahead.