Drivers in downtown St. Petersburg may see an unfamiliar line-up of cars along the border of Williams Park.
The city is studying 14 back-in spaces along 2nd Avenue North between 3rd Street North and 4th Street North.
Previously P.S.T.A. buses used the space as part of the downtown stops, but those stops have been relocated. Evan Mory, Director of Parking and Transportation for the City of St Petersburg, had the new angled parking installed in their place.
Referring to the way drivers access the spots, Mory said, "It also is a safety feature, a Complete Streets Project that will make it safer for cars, bikes and pedestrians to utilize parking there."
Traditional pull-in angled spots allow easy access to enter a parking space, however, during exit, a blind spot is created, causing drivers to slowly pull into traffic.
Other cars, or cyclists are not in plain view. The back-in angled parking places the driver on the same side as oncoming traffic, with a clear view to safely return to travel lanes.
Mory cites a Tucson, Arizona study of the spots showing they eliminated all crashes between cars and bikes while exiting parking spaces. He hopes, after a period of adjustment, St Petersburg can increase the number of back-in parking spaces on city streets.