Length 38.2 mi (61.5 km) Season Year round | Trail difficulty Easy to Moderate Hazards Crime | |
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Location Pinellas County, Florida, United States Use Cycling, Walking, Hiking, Jogging, Inline Skating Trailheads Tarpon Springs, St. Petersburg | ||
Pinellas trail through dunedin florida part 1
The Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail is a rail trail in Pinellas County, Florida. It stretches from Tarpon Springs in the north to St. Petersburg in the south, passing through the towns of Palm Harbor, Dunedin, Clearwater, Largo, Seminole, South Pasadena, and Gulfport. It is utilized for walking, jogging, cycling, and inline skating. Some trail users are able to commute to work using the Pinellas Trail instead of a motor vehicle.
Contents
- Pinellas trail through dunedin florida part 1
- Map of Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail Florida USA
- History
- Future
- Hazards
- References
Map of Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail, Florida, USA
The distance that the main trail currently covers 38.2 miles (61.5 km).
The Pinellas Trail was named after Fred Marquis, a former Pinellas County Administrator who served from 1979 until 2000.
History
The Atlantic Coast Line (ACL) and the Seaboard Air Line (SAL) railroads both served St. Petersburg and Clearwater for many years. They merged in 1967 to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (SCL), which consolidated the existing infrastructure. After the SCL joined CSX Transportation in the 1980s, 34 miles (55 km) worth of trackage in Pinellas County was abandoned, which was purchased by the Florida Department of Transportation. After voter approval, the County acquired the property and began construction of the Pinellas Trail.
The first 5 miles (8.0 km) opened in December 1990, linking John S. Taylor Park in Largo to Seminole City Park in Seminole. With the passage of the first Penny for Pinellas one-cent local option sales tax, plans were made to construct additional segments along the former railroad corridor.
The Pinellas Trail is composed of the following railroad segments:
Future
When completed, the Pinellas Trail will extend to 47 miles (76 km) in length.
Hazards
Unlike most rail trails which transverse rural countrysides, the Pinellas Trail travels through several very urban areas.
When traveling through some of the neighborhoods in sections of St. Petersburg and Tarpon Springs, trail users are encouraged to be cautious. In Clearwater, the same warning applies; trail users may have the right-of-way in areas with minimal vehicular traffic, but they do not when the trail crosses a major artery such as State Road 60.