St. Pete Steps Into the Spotlight: Florida Greenways and Trails Council Comes to the Sunshine City

The Trail Town designation is more than a title — it’s a turning point.

In a unanimous vote by the Florida Greenways and Trails Council this past January, the City of St. Petersburg’s Greater Arts District was officially designated a Trail Town by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Greenways and Trails City of St. Petersburg — making St. Pete the newest member of an elite group of communities recognized for their commitment to trail culture, connectivity, and livability. The designation was a joint effort between The Sunline, the St. Pete Chamber of Commerce, and the City of St. Petersburg — a coalition that embodies the kind of public-private partnership this city does best.

And now? The council is coming to us.
Mark Your Calendars: April 8–9, 2026

The Florida Greenways and Trails Council’s next full council meeting is set for April 8th and 9th, 2026, right here in St. Petersburg. This is no small thing. The council — a statewide body that shapes Florida’s trail policy, funding priorities, and community designations — will convene in our city as a direct result of the recognition St. Pete has earned. All council meetings are open to the public, and this is an invitation worth accepting.

Why This Designation Matters
St. Petersburg was selected as a Trail Town because of the Pinellas Trail’s proximity to four distinct arts districts: the Warehouse Arts District, the EDGE District, the Central Arts District, and the Waterfront Arts District City of St. Petersburg — a uniquely St. Pete combination of culture, community, and movement. “We honed in on identifying arts districts, because there really is this kind of symbiotic relationship that exists between the arts and the trails,” said Cheryl Stacks, the city’s transportation and parking manager.
The trail corridor also serves as an ideal transportation facility adjacent to iconic local events including the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, First Friday, Halloween on Central, Localtopia, and the SHINE Mural Festival.

The Economic Case for Trails
The Trail Town designation isn’t just symbolic — it’s a economic development tool. Councilmember Corey Givens Jr. pointed to the economic benefits, particularly for small and minority-owned businesses along the corridor. Stacks echoed that vision, noting that the status could assist the city in several grant pursuits, especially at the state level.
The precedent set by other Trail Towns is telling. Dunedin, the first city to receive Trail Town designation, credited the Pinellas Trail for a sharp rise in business occupancy rates along its corridor — from 30 percent to 100 percent. If trails can do that for Dunedin, imagine what a fully activated Sunline corridor can do for St. Pete’s neighborhoods.

A Vision Taking Shape
The Sunline is a community-led concept to improve connectivity along sections of the Pinellas Trail, enhance greenspace, and activate community spaces — with the goal of transforming the trail into a vibrant, biodiverse corridor that supports trail-oriented development.
St. Pete’s trail network also sits at a remarkable geographic intersection. The Florida Coast-to-Coast Trail — a 250-mile paved multi-use trail linking St. Petersburg to Titusville — is currently 88 percent complete, Florida Department of Environmental Protection positioning our city as the western anchor of the most ambitious trail project in Florida history.

A City in Motion
The Trail Town designation reflects something St. Pete residents and visitors already feel when they ride the Pinellas Trail at sunrise, grab a coffee in the Warehouse Arts District, or watch a mural come to life along a greenway. As Mayor Ken Welch said, it reflects “what we’ve known all along – St. Pete is a vibrant community where residents and visitors can enjoy our thoughtfully-designed trails, active transportation, arts and culture community and local businesses.”
The Florida Greenways and Trails Council isn’t just visiting St. Pete this April. They’re coming to see what a Trail Town looks like when it’s done right.

The Florida Greenways and Trails Council meeting takes place April 8–9, 2026, at The St. Pete Distillery. The meeting is free and open to the public.