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St. Pete’s MLK Day Will Affect Traffic and City Services

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By TB Reporter

Here’s what you need to know to avoid jam-ups and frustration.

ST. PETERSBURG — Traffic will be disrupted in downtown St. Petersburg between 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Monday (Jan 18), as the 31st annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade takes place. Parking and public transportation also will be affected.

In addition, St. Petersburg city government offices will be closed for the national holiday. Trash and recycling collections will changed for some residents: Monday collections will be made on Tuesday and Tuesday collections will be on Wednesday.

Some city facilities that are open for business on Monday include three public golf courses (Mangrove Bay, Cypress Links and Twin Brooks), Mahaffey Theater/Duke Energy Center for the arts box office and business office, municipal beach concession stand on Treasure Island, municipal marina ship’s store, North Shore aquatic complex, recreation centers, the sanitation department brush sites and Sunken Gardens.

For a complete listing of closings online, visit www.stpete.org/holidays.

For water or sewer emergency service, call the Water Resources Department at (727) 893-7261.

The parade begins at 11 a.m. on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. at Third Avenue S, proceeds north to Central Avenue, east along Central to Bayshore Drive and north to Fifth Avenue. NE, disbanding in Vinoy and North Shore Parks.

Police encourage motorists to pre-plan their travel routes and to use streets west of 16th St. After 10:30 a.m., drivers wanting to cross First Avenue N, Central Avenue or First Avenue S are advised to use 28th Street, I-275, or streets farther west.

Other parade-related advisories:

  • Parking will be restricted along the parade route beginning Sunday evening and barricade placement will begin as early as 1 a.m. on Monday morning. In addition, downtown residents should be aware that residential parking permits do not exempt holders from receiving citations or possible vehicle relocation during special events.
  • The Central Avenue Trolley (CAT) will operate a slightly modified route on Monday, using First Avenue N (westbound) and Fourth Avenue N (eastbound) to bypass the parade. Regular CAT trolley fares apply (50 cents per ride). There will be no service on Central Avenue between First Street and 16th Street until approximately 3:30 p.m. Monday and there will be no CAT service to the Beach Drive/Pier/Dolphin/parking lots until after the parade.
  • In addition to Central Avenue, other roads affected on the CAT trolley route during the parade include MLK/9th Street, Second Avenue N and Bayshore Drive.
  • The Downtown Looper trolley will not be operating on Jan. 18. City-owned downtown parking facilities, except the Municipal Service Center garage, will be open for public parking to accommodate those wishing to enjoy the parade as well as other downtown activities and destinations.
  • The Sundial/Muvico Parking Garage (entrance at 117 Second St. N) will offer the night, weekend and holiday rate of only $1 for four hours ($1 for each additional hour or partial hour; with a $7 maximum); while other facilities including the South Core Parking Garage (entrance at 101 First Ave. S) offer normal rates including $1 per hour, also with a $7 maximum. The Al Lang Stadium Parking Lot, (southeast corner of First Street and First Avenue S.) offers a $5 flat rate for all-day; and both lots on the Pier Approach — the Beach Drive lot (formerly Dolphin) and the Pelican lot –offer a $3 flat rate for all-day parking.

For additional parking information, visit www.stpete.org/parking/index.asp, or see a downtown parking and transportation map available online at www.discoverdowntown.com .

St. Petersburg | Holidays | MLK Day | Traffic | Parking | TB Reporter

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