Anna Maria looks for solutions to ‘chaos’ on Pine Avenue
A solution for Pine Avenue chaos could arrive by July 22.
The havoc results from the destination’s popularity and a growing tourism market — too many pedestrians, bicyclists and vehicles of all sorts, some meandering in the road and others driving too fast.
Anna Maria commissioners May 13 unanimously approved a $50,274 expenditure to engage a St. Petersburg-based civil engineering and surveying company, George F. Young Inc., to develop a plan to reimagine the Pine Avenue corridor.
The project is titled “Reimagining Pine Avenue” but it will include Magnolia and Spring avenues, Gulf Drive and South Bay Boulevard.
Gerry Traverso, vice president of transportation engineering for the firm, spent about 30 minutes explaining to commissioners the process his company would use to develop four options for the business corridor.
Funding for the study will come from money awarded the city through the American Rescue Plan, a pandemic stimulus package providing federal funding to local governments, Mayor Dan Murphy told commissioners.
In addition to monitoring traffic flow, Traverso said his firm would seek input through public hearings and online submissions and present options by July 22.
Each option will include a study indicating impact on traffic flow and ease of access, along with estimated costs and timetables.
Commissioner Jonathan Crane was concerned the study is being conducted after high season and would not capture the tourists that “drive crazy.”
Also, tourists ride bicycles without caution or concern for what’s happening around them and cross streets without using crosswalks, Crane said.
Traverso assured commissioners the study could be done at any time and still consider the unpredictability of the vacation mentality of tourists. He said the firm uses several means to account for population fluctuations and is adept at doing projects in popular vacation destinations.
He provided the example of a project his firm handled in Treasure Island, where tourists would bar hop and then attempt to cross a four-lane road, sometimes while intoxicated and often not in crosswalks.
The solution, he said, came from a landscape architect working in the area that suggested using shrubs to create a natural wall, forcing pedestrians to utilize crosswalks.
But what works in one city doesn’t necessarily work in another. Traverso said recommendations are tailored to the specific needs identified in the study and examination may determine shrubs are not the answer in Anna Maria.
Public works director Dean Jones said he could see where they would work in some areas and would support the low-cost option of adding shrubbery if recommended.
This isn’t the first time safety in the city’s business corridor has come up in the past year.
Planning and zoning board members have in recent months discussed the need for quick measures when it comes to Pine and Magnolia avenues, even attending a March 25 city commission meeting as a board to raise concerns.
P&Z member Melissa Anderson took more than 50 photographs March 22 of problems on Magnolia Avenue stemming from a lack of sidewalks, a narrow road and limited on-street parking. She shared the photos with board members March 23.
Anderson, wife of Commissioner Joe Muscatello, said at the time that traversing Magnolia Avenue was risky and compounded by pedestrians and bicyclists with no regard for traffic.
Anderson’s photographs also depicted another problem: sightline issues and delivery vehicles parked too close to the intersection of Magnolia Avenue and Gulf Drive.
Former Anna Maria Commissioner Doug Copeland attended the May 13 commission meeting and said he applauds commissioners for taking on the issue.
He pointed out the city’s infrastructure is more than 100 years old and it’s outdated.
“Something drastic” needs to be done, he said.