SPL LIVING
On The Move PHOTOS/CITY OF ST. PETERSBURG
Scoot Pedal Sail Ride
Getting around the ‘Burg without a car keeps getting easier
BY MARCIA BIGGS When Steven and Haley Herzfeld need to get around downtown St. Pete, they usually set out on their bikes to ride the several miles from their home in North Kenwood. Moving here four years ago from Boulder, Colorado, they were looking for the same bikefriendly urban environment that they had become accustomed to. Steven, 32, says they moved to St. Pete because they liked the neighborhoods and the “micro-mobility” – a transportation system that offers safe options for single users such as bikes, e-bikes and e-scooters. “You could call us an urban millennial couple,” he admits. “We both work from home and we share one car, which basically sits in the driveway most of the time. When we go out we usually take our bikes, or if it’s going to be a late night we take Uber. Quite often we shop online, so we don’t need to get in a car and drive.” The Herzfelds are like many other young professionals who have opted to make St. Pete home. “We like that the City has taken such a pro-active stance on mobility,” said Steven. “They craft ordinances and create plans to address future issues. It makes for a great place to live.” On any given day, one need not look far to see that downtown St. Pete is on the move … on bikes, scooters, trolleys, shuttles, buses and on foot. Every few blocks there’s a hub of pretty blue bikes or scooters — corrals for 300 Coast rental bikes and 450 e-scooters. Look up to see a bright yellow and red rubber wheel trolley pass by. It’s a free ride called the Looper that lets passengers get on and off at all the city’s major museums and attractions. Awaiting passengers in the Vinoy Basin, the Cross Bay Ferry catamaran entices explorers to catch a breeze and head across the bay between downtown St. Pete and Tampa. At the new St. Pete Pier, a free tram transports visitors from beginning to end. Along Bayshore Drive, a small roaming pink vehicle with BEEP on the hood is AVA, an electric self-driving shuttle. AVA (short for Autonomous Vehicle Advantage) travels between the Vinoy
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StPeteLifeMag.com
January/February 2021
Renaissance and the Dali Museum Wednesdays through Sundays until February 15. It made its appearance in late November as part of a three month PSTA/ FDOT pilot program. Giving people transportation options is what it’s all about, says Cheryl Stacks, transportation manager for the City of St. Petersburg. With guidance from a comprehensive Complete Streets mobility plan that was adopted in 2019, city officials are putting into action a long-term program aimed at getting residents and visitors out and about without the need for a personal vehicle. “What we are trying to do is increase mobility options so regardless of the mode you want to take around St. Petersburg, there is a way and a safe infrastructure for you to do so,” said Stacks. “Certainly if it’s going to advance the city’s other goals related to sustainability or public health, economic development or social equity, we are all in favor of it.” Indeed, St. Pete’s attractive waterfront, abundance of parks, bike trails and bicycle street paths are all encouragements for an active, outdoor lifestyle. It’s all part of a growing and vital downtown, where residential living is growing by leaps and bounds. Residents are flocking to a carefree and car-free way of life, says Nicole Roberts, spokesperson for Car-Free St. Pete, an initiative that encourages and educates residents to know all the alternatives to driving a car. It’s a joint effort between Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership, Coast Bikes, the Cross Bay Ferry and the Downtown Looper Trolley. A map on the carfreestpete.com web site shows where people can find hubs for bike shares and scooters, along with Looper trolley and bus stops stretching from the Gateway area north of downtown to Pinellas Point. Recently added is the route for the SunRunner, the new rapid transit bus that will take passengers from downtown to the St. Pete beaches starting in 2022. “I feel people are getting more and more open to the idea,” says
