Pedestrian Flags Make Gulf Boulevard Safer

Unless you live on the Gulf side, crossing Gulf Boulevard to enjoy a few hours at the Beach without pedestrian safety measures could be scary, especially when Tampa has been dubbed tops on the list of cities to incur traffic accidents. 

The Pedestrian Flag program seemed to be an answer. The program is a team effort of the Florida Department of Transportation, District 7, beach towns and cities located along Gulf Boulevard in Pinellas County to use retro-reflective flags to gain the attention of drivers and pedestrians.

Pedestrians ready to cross where flags appear simply take the flag from its container and while crossing display the flag to approaching drivers. At the end of the crosswalk they return the flag to the container on the other side. Each location also has a sign that reinforces the need for pedestrians to be aware of their surroundings before stepping in the crosswalk.

Along this 13.5 mile segment of beach towns and cities from 75th Avenue (SR 693) to 5th Avenue (SR688), the flags have been placed at various crosswalks in Indian Rocks Beach, Indian Shores, North Redington Beach, Redington Beach, Madeira Beach, Treasure Island and St. Pete Beach. County,

According to Peter Hsu, P.E., District Safety and Special Projects Engineer, Florida Department of Transportation, “This is the best community team project I have worked on so far. Together with Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), Barrier Island Government Council (BIG-C) and businesses, I believe we are making Gulf Boulevard safer for pedestrians.”

Clearwater was the first city in the Tampa Bay area to use the flags starting in 2002.The project got its legs from Kirkland, Washington where in 1995 the city was the first to use pedestrian flags. Currently 73 locations use them. Salt Lake City started an orange flag program in 2000 and by 2007 had 134 crosswalk locations.

Sandy Knoebel, Planner, Pinellas County, is in charge of the Flags program for the beaches and gives updates at BIG C monthly meetings. Members give her a count of how many flags are missing in order to see the progression of the program in each area.

 “It's a work in progress,” says Knoebel who at the August meeting reported having 2500 flags to last from January through March for restocking as needed. Unfortunately like towels and ashtrays that disappear from hotels, approximately 13 flags disappear at each crossing each month.

To offset losses to the DOT funded program, the cities are considering courting businesses to advertise their logos on the flags with the stipulation by DOT that no advertising appear on the poles.

Beach officials are still bandying around the idea of whether the program is working, especially in cases where it is reported the flags are not being used.  Or they are being taken from containers and not returned.