Pinellas Trail inducted into hall of fame
The Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail was formally inducted into the Rail-Trail Hall of Fame on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2008, at the 2008 ProBike/ProWalk Florida Conference at the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront hotel. The trail opened its first 5-mile stretch in 1990 and now spans 50 miles among nine cities and towns throughout Pinellas County. It is recognized as one of the best U.S. trail systems and one of the first five trails to be nationally recognized by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC). Each month, about 90,000 individuals use the Pinellas Trail. RTC's Hall of Fame inductees are selected based on merits such as scenic value, high use, trail and trailside amenities, historical significance, excellence in management and maintenance of facility, community connections and geographic distribution.
Plaques commemorating the induction of the Pinellas Trail were presented to Pinellas County Planning Director Brian Smith and Pinellas Trails, Inc.’s President, Scott Daniels. |
General
information about Pinellas Trails Inc.
Pinellas Trails, Inc. is a 501c3 not-for-profit
corporation which supports the Trail and
related activities. The organization is comprised
solely of volunteers who love the trail,
and are dedicated to its future success.
>> Who We
Are
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a Volunteer! About the Pinellas Trail
 Most Pinellas County residents have bicycled,
walked, jogged or in-line skated on it.
It may be part of a daily exercise routine.
It may be the avenue by which one enters
Pinellas County's beautiful parks. Perhaps
citizens have avoided rush hour by utilizing
the trails for their commute.
This is the Pinellas Trail, a community
project we can all point to with pride,
a multi-use
trail everyone can enjoy.
From its first five-mile section, the
trail has grown by leaps and bounds.
Today, the
Trail connects communities from Tarpon
Springs to South St. Petersburg along
a 34-mile stretch,
quite a transformation from an abandoned
railroad right-of-way!
An average of 90,000 people use the
Trail each month. This greenway corridor
links
some of Pinellas County's most picturesque
parks, scenic coastal areas and residential
neighborhoods. While traveling along
the Trail, outdoor enthusiasts can
enjoy deep
glades of ancient live oaks trailing
Spanish moss, quiet waterways and
tidal streams
with all varieties of land and water
birds. The
Trail is a priceless haven in a busy,
highly urbanized environment, where
Trail goers
safely breeze along. The construction
of eight overpasses allows user to
travel above traffic at busy intersections.
In addition to recreational uses
the Trail is a safe and convenient
route
to commute
to work. Those who use the trail
instead of their cars reduce the
environmental
impact of rush hour, as well as
reducing stress
and other health improvements.
It is expected that the number
of trail users will continue
to increase
as
it is expanded
to meet the recreational needs
of the citizens of Pinellas County.
To view information about the
Pinellas Trail from the Pinellas
County
website, click on
this link: http://www.pinellascounty.org/park/12_Trail.htm
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