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Forward Pinellas report: crashes, fatalities down over five years; aggressive driving and pedestrian/bicycle safety remain concerns
Summary
Forward Pinellas’ annual countywide trends and conditions report, presented Sept. 10, finds overall reductions in crashes, fatalities and injuries over a five‑year period but notes increases in aggressive driving and persistent safety risks to vulnerable road users; the MPO plans more Safe Streets work and data upgrades.
Forward Pinellas staff presented an annual countywide trends and conditions report to the board on Sept. 10 that shows an overall five‑year decline in crashes, fatalities and injuries but highlights persistent risks for vulnerable road users and a rise in aggressive driving.
Rob Brill (presented as Rob Bridal in the transcript), Forward Pinellas planning staff, summarized key findings: traffic counts recovered after the pandemic low in 2020 and vehicle miles traveled have steadily increased; more than half of residents live within 10 miles of their workplaces and a growing share of jobs are within a half mile of trails, supporting walk and bike mode choices; and remote work is rising (18% in the most recent year, up from 15% and 12% in prior years).
“Overall the crash trend is that crashes, fatalities, and injuries are all down,” Brill said, noting that reduced speeds associated with increased congestion have contributed to that trend. However, the report flagged increases for some vulnerable‑user metrics: bicycle crashes rose slightly and bicycle fatalities rose on average; pedestrian fatal‑crash trends showed mixed movement; and aggressive driving rose about 23 percent in the five‑year window. Brill also noted a sustained improvement in impairment‑related fatal crashes, down about eight percent.
Staff described ongoing and planned safety activities: Forward Pinellas has pursued federal Safe Streets and Roads for All grants and was awarded a September 2024 grant to update the Safe Streets Pinellas action plan, including near‑miss analysis, high‑injury network review, and a public crash data dashboard. Brill said Forward Pinellas is primarily a monitoring agency that coordinates with partner jurisdictions, sheriff’s offices and FDOT, and staff prioritize projects for FDOT funding consideration.
Why it matters: the report informs project priorities, safety campaigns and grant applications. Board members asked about e‑bike data collection and enforcement, and staff said they are working with law enforcement to improve crash reporting for electric bicycles and exploring targeted safety studies. Members also discussed bridge and corridor volume trends and congestion management tactics.
The board received the report and staff said they will continue monitoring trends and coordinating safety investments and enforcement with partner agencies.
