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Forward Pinellas recommends $120,000 micro‑mobility study and advances $3 million in construction funding for Pinellas Park projects
Summary
Forward Pinellas staff recommended, and the board unanimously approved, a $120,000 planning grant to St. Petersburg for a micro‑mobility feasibility study and advanced two $1.5 million construction grant applications from Pinellas Park (combined $3 million); planning grant cap was increased to $150,000 for future calls.
Forward Pinellas voted unanimously April 9 to fund a St. Petersburg micro‑mobility feasibility study and to advance two construction applications from Pinellas Park for further consideration in the work program.
Staff told the board that the agency expanded its Complete Streets grant program into a broader local government transportation grants program and raised the annual planning grant cap from $100,000 to $150,000 for future funding cycles. For the current call, only one planning application was received: the City of St. Petersburg requested $120,000 to study micro‑mobility expansion and satellite station feasibility in the downtown area.
A subcommittee evaluated construction candidates using a scored rubric and recommended advancing two Pinellas Park construction projects (each requesting $1.5 million) that together fit the $3 million construction allocation. Other construction applicants, from Clearwater and Pinellas County (Sunset Point Road), scored lower in the subcommittee review.
Advisory committees — both the Technical Coordinating Committee and the Citizens Advisory Committee — reviewed the recommendations and expressed unanimous support, staff said. Forward Pinellas moved and unanimously approved the staff recommendation: award $120,000 for the St. Petersburg micro‑mobility planning study and advance the two Pinellas Park construction projects into the prioritization and programming process.
Why it matters: The change in the grant program broadens eligibility beyond traditional “complete streets” projects, gives smaller governments a larger planning grant cap (staff said $150,000 going forward) and aims to accelerate local planning and construction by aligning grants with jurisdictions’ capacity to deliver projects. Staff said some smaller governments were overwhelmed by federal grant workloads and the larger planning cap aims to help.
Next steps: Planning funds become available July 1; construction projects will be positioned for the five‑year work program with the recommended construction project prioritized for FDOT consideration in the new fifth‑year (target year shown to staff as 2031). Forward Pinellas staff said they will continue outreach to city managers and conduct pre‑application meetings to help jurisdictions apply in future cycles.
