A study was done on impacts of the Pinellas Trail in Pinellas County
\n(Tampa\/St Pete), Florida. Some information on the study (from Whit Blanton
\nof Renaissance Planning Group, which conducted the study) is included below:<\/p>\n
In 2000, the Pinellas County MPO commissioned Renaissance Planning Group of
\nOrlando to conduct a study of the community impacts associated with the
\nPinellas Trail, a 34-mile converted railroad in the St.
\nPetersburg\/Clearwater area of Florida. The MPO was planning extensions of
\nthe trail and connections to it from other communities, and had encountered
\nopposition from homeowner groups and others about potentially negative
\nimpacts on property values, noise and crime. The study was intended to
\nevaluate economic impacts in terms of residential property values, business
\ninvestment, and crime statistics, and included a household survey of
\nresidents living within 1\/4 mile of the trail. The trail was divided into
\nsegments to better capture the effect of surrounding land use and crime
\ncharacteristics. A national literature review was also completed.<\/p>\n
Major findings:
\nThe literature review concluded that trails have a deterrent effect on
\ncrime, a neutral or slightly positive effect on property values, and bring
\nnew money into the local economy. This was borne out by the local analysis.<\/p>\n
For all trail segments studied, the median home sale prices adjacent to the
\ntrail are escalating faster than countywide. The rate of increase was
\nparticularly high in certain areas. The results indicated that the trail
\ndoes not negatively impact property values and suggested that it may help
\nincrease property values by roughly 2 percent to 3 percent annually over
\ninflation.<\/p>\n
In St. Petersburg, it was determined that crime rates for “trail tracts” were not statistically
\ndifferent from citywide crime tracts. Accordingly, the Pinellas Trail does
\nnot contribute to crime rates. Peaks in crime rates seem to be related to
\nthe character of the area rather than to the existence of the Pinellas
\nTrail. Generally, the 1993, 1995, and 1999 crime statistics support the
\nfinding that the trail has not exacerbated criminal activities. Factors
\nexternal to the trail are better indicators of crime rates.<\/p>\n
There were several important findings from the residents’ survey. The most
\nnegative perceptions of the trail are held by the 5 percent of residents who
\nhave never used the trail. Even though infrequent users gave the Pinellas
\nTrail a negative overall rating, their composite score was not as low as the
\nscore given by residents who had not been on the trail. Infrequent users
\nwere primarily concerned about the trail’s adverse impact on crime, privacy,
\nand noise. As a group, they still rated the trail as having a positive
\nimpact on property values, accessibility, and neighborhood acquaintances.
\nDaily users had the highest composite rating of the trail; however, they
\nwere still marginally concerned about crime (0.09) and privacy (0.05). The
\nsingle strongest indicator of trail perception is trail usage and, because
\nof the high use of the trail (66%), the overall perception of the trail is
\npositive.<\/p>\n
While the trail is generally seen as a community asset, the neighborhoods
\nthat are the most concerned about the Pinellas Trail are those who perceive
\ninequities between communities in the way that the trail is constructed,
\nmaintained, and policed.<\/p>\n
Realtors were surveyed as well, and 90 percent said that home sales had
\nincreased significantly or increased somewhat in areas near the trail versus
\nother areas in the market.<\/p>\n
The business survey revealed that a majority of businesses near the trail
\nwere expanding their facilities or experiencing increasing sales, and
\ngenerally reported positive impacts from their proximity to the trail.<\/p>\n
Copies of the report can be obtained by contacting Al Bartolotta of the
\nPinellas County MPO (727-464-8200; abartolo@co.pinellas.fl.us
\n). RPG contact is Whit Blanton. (wblanton@citiesthatwork.com<\/p>\n
Jennifer Z. Carver, AICP
\nBicycle & Pedestrian Program Planner
\nCapital Region Transportation Planning Agency
\n300 South Adams Street
\nTallahassee, FL 32301
\n(850) 891-8090 S\/C 280-8090
\nFax: (850) 891-8734
\ncarverj@talgov.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A study was done on impacts of the Pinellas Trail in Pinellas County (Tampa\/St Pete), Florida. Some information on the study (from Whit Blanton of Renaissance Planning Group, which conducted the study) is included below: In 2000, the Pinellas County … Continue reading