ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — St. Petersburg began installing modular traffic lane dividers called zipper devices on Wednesday as part of a pilot project to help protect bicyclists from motorists on narrow bike lanes, according to Transportation Manager Cheryl Stacks.
“We do still have a safety challenge here with bicyclists,” she said. “Anything that we can do to kind of improve safety, potentially minimize the frequency or severity of crashes is going to be something that we’re going to want to do.”
There were 15 bicyclists hit and killed by vehicles from 2023 to 2025, according to the St. Petersburg Police Department. The five fatalities in 2025 were all riders on e-bikes, which was the first year the agency started tracking the electric mode of transportation.
So far in 2026, there have been zero bicyclist fatalities.
“The last couple of years, like many communities, we have seen a spike in e-bike related fatalities,” stated Evan Mory, Transportation and Parking Management Director. “This project and projects like it will contribute to increased human and e-powered bike safety in St. Petersburg.”
The zippers have been installed on First Avenue North between 20th Street and 28th Street. The Bikery partner, J. Alexander Norman, said he tries avoiding riding his bicycle on First Avenue North because traffic moves fast and it can be dangerous.
“I’ve actually had a few customers who have been hit by cars on that, on that road there,” he said. “So it is scary. Personally, I don’t really ride it very often.”
The zipper device looks and feels like a concrete curb but is actually made of a durable plastic. The device is much easier to install than concrete and is cheaper, according to Stacks.
“(It) allows us to be a little bit more nimble in getting these out into the roadways,” she said. “We’ve heard some community response and requests for more of this type of infrastructure.”
Stacks believes the buffered bike lane enhancement will be better than plastic posts, which was installed years ago on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street North.
“On other projects we’ve used posts only, and those tend to be a little bit more expensive for us to maintain,” she said. “They get a little dirtier over time. This project here should ease our maintenance a little bit better and probably provide a little better esthetics.”
Norman said he welcomes any device that will help keep motorists from drifting into the bike lane.
“The paint doesn’t really do much. So having a little bit of a barrier that somebody can run over and kind of make them aware,” he said. “Also something visual that stands up a few feet definitely helps.”
The city has installed posts at the beginning and end of each block where the zippers are located. Stacks said F-DOT approved the devices in the last couple years and this will be the first time zippers are used in St. Petersburg. The pilot project will test the installation in a very narrow buffer space, according to Stacks.
“Depending on the community response and the things that we learn about the project, we could potentially use this elsewhere in St. Petersburg,” she said. “It’s really great to have an extra tool in the toolbox.”
The pilot project costs $100,000. If it’s successful, First Avenue South west of downtown would be the next road to get the zipper devices installed.
Josh Rojas
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