HEALTH
On the move
BY SUSAN BURGESS
The new Savannas Recreation Area bike trail, about 1.3 miles long, is open much to the delight of cyclists because there are few paved, off-street bike
trails on the Treasure Coast. Nick Dibenedetto (front), Joe Reilly (middle) and Mark Hamel (back) try it out. Walkers and runners will also enjoy it.
City amenities promote active lifestyles
Some things are worth getting out of bed for on a
Saturday morning: a glorious sunrise bike ride; an
early-morning canoe launch into the still, reflecting
waters of a river; a visit to a quiet park to work out on
the fitness circuit. It’s a chance to soak up the peace and quiet
of the early hours of the day, burn off the week’s cares and
calories and renew body and spirit.
The active lifestyle, promoting fitness and health for Port
St. Lucie residents, is an important part of the 55-year-old
city’s plan for its future, says Mayor Gregory Oravec.
The city is taking aim at obesity and taking its place
alongside larger and older cities that provide amenities such
as dedicated bicycle trails, horseback riding trails, disc golf,
fitness circuits and hiking trails.
“Health is a trend today in city planning,” says Patti Tobin,
the city’s planning and zoning director. “Planners are looking
at more ways to provide active recreation.”
The latest perks for fitness and nature-conscious visitors
and residents include a new paved bike trail, a river canoe
launch, an expanded Savannas Preserve State Park education
center, and, if the money can be raised, an outdoor fitness
circuit in the Southbend area.
The bike trail, canoe launch and education center expansion
are some of the ways the city chose to mitigate the impacts
of the new Crosstown Parkway bridge over the North
Fork of the St. Lucie River. The choice to go for active outdoor
projects fits in with the state’s Healthiest Weight Florida
initiative as well as its own master plan.
Avid cyclist Nick Dibenedetto and friends are thrilled
with plans to create new bike trails. They recently tried out
the new 1.3-mile Savannas Recreation Trail off East Midway
Road. “You can’t get a lot of miles in on that trail but you can
connect to it from other roads and it’s a great destination for
a bike ride,” he says. The Savannas Recreation Area is popular
with campers, has kayaks for rent for those who want
to go out into the wetlands and plenty of places to picnic or
play games.
The city collaborated with St. Lucie County and Fort Pierce
to get the project done. The new trail is a segment of the St.
Lucie North-South Trail that connects to Green River Parkway
and is also a piece of the great East Coast Greenway that
will eventually connect Key West to Maine. >>
30 Port St. Lucie Magazine