APRIL FOOLS -- Region looks to swan boats to solve traffic

China is known for its crowds of bicycle riders.

London has its classic black cabs.

And in a matter of days, Sarasota County will be on its way to the same kind of transportation renown with a fleet of rainbow-colored commuter swan boats.

The region is expecting delivery this week of 125 of the pedal-powered vessels as part of its new Water Wings for Sarasota program designed to alleviate road jams, especially during the high season.

By next fall, a total of 250 of the whimsically winged craft will form the basis of the largest publicly operated fleet of swan boats in the world. Organizers justified the size of the fleet after a pilot program earlier this year, which appealed to the 9-to-5 crowd eager to get off the road.

“We’ll have a lot less traffic and a lot bigger calves in a matter of weeks,” said Jake Jakobs, director of people-powered transportation for the Manatee-Sarasota Metropolitan Planning Organization. “Around summer, offices might want to think about adding shower facilities, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. But, to be clear, we won’t be crossing bridges so much when we come to them.”

The boats will initially be based at five sites along the waterfront: Bayfront Park, the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall,  Phillippi Estate Park, Ted Sperling Nature Park on Lido Key and the Bayfront Park Rec Center on Longboat Key.

Use of the boats is free but will require a swipe of a drivers’ license or state ID to unlock the pedals and steering mechanism. The swipe will also activate a tracking beacon, allowing users of a mobile phone app to find an available boat near them to travel waterways within Sarasota and Manatee counties. The same tracking software will automatically turn the boats around north of State Road 64, west of the gulf beaches and south of Turtle Beach.

The project was financed by $500,000 in loose change found in the dry cleaning of waterfront Sarasota residents over the course of six months."They don't know we even did this,'' Jakobs said.

With two seats and two pedaling positions, plus a small area for cargo, the boats are capable of about 5 mph. There is no provision for sun or weather protection, so riders are encouraged to dress appropriately, consider sunscreen and stay hydrated.

City and county leaders began discussing the plan about a year ago after sitting through hours of presentations by men in sea captain’s hats, promising to have ferry boat service operating within six months.

The swan boats require no city, county, state or federal permitting and, as of 12:01 p.m. Jan. 20, no environmental impact studies need be done. The boats are expected to be popular with tourists, but the program is squarely aimed at commuters.

Among the early adopters of the program, during a six-week pilot program involving 12 of the boats last fall, were professionals who frequently shuttle between Sarasota’s downtown and Longboat Key or Lido Key.

“I look forward to the day I can do this daily,’’ said Sandy Michaels, a Longboat Key-based attorney. “Sure, it takes two hours to cross the bay. But look at it this way. It’s an hour I don’t have to spend at the gym, and it’s often an hour to drive over here, anyway.

“I like the yellow ones best.’’