UPDATED: 05/21/20 5:25 p.m.
While Tampa decides what to do about closing parts of its Bayshore Boulevard to traffic, St. Petersburg is basically saying, “Hell, we’ll close our Bayshore right now.”
A press release from Mayor Rick Kriseman’s office says St. Pete will close a portion of Bayshore Drive—between Fifth and Second Avenue—to vehicular traffic starting Friday, May 22 at 8 a.m. (To be fair, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor’s decision involves a much larger swath of road—plus, on Thursday, Tampa City Council decided to postpone a motion to close a portion of Tampa's Bayshore.)
St. Pete’s intent, like past Open Streets efforts, is to allow for more walking and cycling, and the closure will remain in place until further notice.
The stretch of closed road goes from where the new St. Pete Pier begins all the way to the The Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club.
“Beyond our Open Streets events, we have been looking at opportunities to experiment with road closures and create more space for those walking, biking, and exercising,” Kriseman wrote in the release.
“While this is a small stretch of road, it is heavily used and should give residents and visitors the chance to further spread out. I am hopeful it will be used wisely.”
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This article appears in May 21-27, 2020.