Sarasota, FL (April 26, 2023): The Ringling Trail Complete Street was recognized as the Project of the Year by the American Public Works Association (APWA) Florida Chapter during its annual conference in Jacksonville last week. Assistant City Engineer Dan Ohrenstein, project team co-lead along with Capital Projects Manager Camden Mills, accepted the award on behalf of the City of Sarasota.
“This was the first protected bicycle lane project in the Sarasota-Manatee region, coupled with lane repurposing, and community conversations occurred during the pandemic,” said Assistant City Engineer Dan Ohrenstein. “More cyclists are traveling between The Legacy Trail and downtown core since the protected bike lanes were installed along the Ringling Trail and that’s translating into economic growth,” said City Manager Marlon Brown.
Click here for more information about this project and the award.
Like the European train system, Sarasota County’s bus system (SCAT) can provide a natural extension and complement to traveling by bicycle. The bus system provides a number of connections to The Legacy Trail, and the buses can carry up to two bikes per bus. The chart below shows locations where bus routes connect directly to points on the trail.
4/20/23 Update from Miranda Lansdale with the County Transit Department: Our contracted provider for the OnDemand service has now added bicycle racks to 12 of their vehicles. The OnDemand service is a curb-to-curb rideshare, “on demand” transportation option available in 4 zones. The zones generally cover where our bus routes do not (1: Downtown Sarasota/Lido Key/Longboat Key, 2: Siesta Key, 3: Venice/Englewood, 4: North Port). The idea is that a passenger can enter a ride request that includes pickup and dropoff location within an OnDemand zone, and within 30 minutes a van will arrive to execute the request. When making the request, the individual can select the option for a van with a bicycle rack. Other passengers may be picked up or dropped off along the way. The cost is $2 per ride.
Some interesting possibilities are:
Use the bus to get to and from the trail without having to cycle on roads, or having to load your bicycle into your car, or
Use the bus system to plan a one-way trip on the trail. For example, with Bus Route 17 one could start at the Venice Train Depot, cycle to downtown Sarasota for lunch, and return on the bus to the Train Depot. or
Suppose you have a flat tire. You could use the bus to get home or to a bike shop.
The following video shows how simple it is to load your bike onto the bus bike racks:
Click here for more information on how to use the Sarasota County bus system. Click here for bus schedules and routes.
The steel truss bridge span over Deer Prairie Creek was installed on 11/3/22. Thanks to Brett Koppes for lthe amazing drone video of the installation. See map above for the location of the bridge. The new bridge allows access to the North Port Legacy Trail connector via the natural surface trail, now designated the Alphabet Trail (Sure beats walking over the weir!). Parking is available at the Deer Prairie Creek Preserve South Parking Area, which can be accessed from Tamiami Trail.
Thanks, and congratulations, to the City of Sarasota for successfully obtaining a Recreational Trails Program grant to build an extension of The Legacy Trail along the southern border of Payne Park, and along the northern side of Alderman Street. The grant is still subject to some environmental approvals, but these are not expected to be an issue.
This new trail segment will be 1,170 feet long and 14 feet wide. In addition to the trail, the project will include a shade shelter, benches, tables, bike rack, drinking fountain, lighting, informational signage, and landscaping. The total cost of the project is $897,000, of which $400,000 is the state grant award and $497,000 is the matching fund contributed by the city.
This extension, combined with the existing Brother Greenway Trail, is getting us closer to having a safe multiuse recreational trail connection from The Legacy Trail to Bayfront Park.
The weekly FLT information table on the Legacy Trail is on hiatus for the off-season. We will be returning to the Ashton Trailhead on Saturdays starting in early October. In the interim, membership information, t-shirts, square feet, maps, and more is available on the FLT website.
FDOT and Sarasota County are currently developing designs for an overpass over I-75 connecting Lakewood Ranch with Cattleman Road near Nathan Benderson Park. The project, named the North Sarasota Multimodal Connector (NSMC), is progressing past the 60% phase toward 90% plans. The renderings above show the current design concept. The overpass will include multi-modal paths for cyclists and pedestrians. No start or completion date is currently scheduled.
Check out this beautiful new video about the current state of the trail and its value to the community. Many thanks to Rich Tyson of the Sarasota Bradenton RE Group for producing the video, and also thanks to Louis Kosiba, FLT President, for his presentation on the video!
Bee Ridge Overpass, Image Courtesy of FDOT / Sarasota County
Bee Ridge Overpass, Image Courtesy of FDOT / Sarasota County
Bee Ridge Overpass, Image Courtesy of FDOT / Sarasota County
Clark Rd. Overpass, Image Courtesy of FDOT / Sarasota County
Clark Rd. Overpass, Image Courtesy of FDOT / Sarasota County
Clark Rd. Overpass, Image Courtesy of FDOT / Sarasota County
Conceptual McIntosh Crossing Route and Underpass, Image Courtesy of Sarasota County
Conceptual McIntosh Crossing Route and Underpass, Image Courtesy of Sarasota County
FDOT presented their current concept for the design of these overpasses to county commissioners at their December 13 meeting. The plans are expected to be complete by the end of 2022, with construction to begin in the Fall of 2023. Both overpass projects are expected to be completed by November 2024.
Some noteworthy information from the meeting:
The overpasses will be 12 feet wide and use the same construction method as used for the Laurel Rd. overpass. This type of construction uses reinforced earth on the approaches to the mid-span. Click here for details of this method.
The design of the Clark Rd. overpass is influenced by the need for compatibility with a future project to straighten the McIntosh Road intersection at Clark Road. There is currently no funding for straightening the McIntosh intersection, so it is unlikely this project will start any time soon.
When the McIntosh Road intersection is straightened, it will be necessary for trail users to cross McIntosh immediately after (or before) crossing the overpass. One conceptual plan suggested by Spencer Anderson, Sarasota County Public Works Director, would be to slightly raise McIntosh Road and have the trail go under it (see conceptual images in gallery above).
Thanks to The Amazing Parks Staff for working hard to get the trail back into shape!
Sarasota County Parks has indicated that The Legacy Trail and the eastern (mainland) section of the Venetian Waterway Park are now open. Note that there is still work being done at the intersections, as some of them are not fully functioning.
The North Port Connector is now open!
The Venetian Waterway Park West (island side) had a large washout of a section of the trail near the airport (See below). The segment of this trail south of the Circus Bridge is now closed. The Army Corps of Engineers is set to begin reconstruction of the bank later this month. but this section will probably not open until the new year.
Washout on VWP-West south of Circus Bridge. Photo by Mike Soltis
UPDATE:
Thanks to Eugene Somogyi for this photo update! According to Megan from Sarasota County “The Army Corp of Engineers is nearly done with the washout repair work on the west side of the Venetian Waterway Park. Sod will soon be installed to stabilize the bank, and then work will continue to restore the concrete trail. The date for completion of this project is still to be determined.”
You are invited to help plan for a safe, comfortable, and more connected regional bicycle/pedestrian trail system!
The Sarasota/Manatee MPO is working on two trail studies: the Manatee Trail Alignment Study and the Sarasota Trail Alignment Study. These planning studies focus on developing a network of biking and walking trails that will connect to schools, parks, transit stops, essential services, local attractions, and other key destinations.
Please help us by expressing your opinion on these surveys. Click here for more information and to take the surveys. Thank you!
