State approves funding for barrier island traffic study

During Longboat Key’s peak season, traffic snarls are commonplace on the barrier island.

A new $675,000 Sarasota/Manatee Barrier Island study may be the latest to confirm the issue while suggesting possible short- and long-term solutions. But, at least five traffic studies involving the Key have been performed since 2005, and none of these surveys has been able to uncork the island’s traffic bottleneck.

The state approved funding 80% of the study costs Wednesday, Sept. 28, said Tricia Labud, the Florida Department of Transportation traffic studies and analysis specialist handling the project. The Sarasota-Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization will pick up the remaining 20% of costs, Labud said.

The cost of the latest traffic study to determine ways to ease jams on Longboat Key could become more expensive once a consultant is hired. The study can cost a maximum of $1.5 million.

A big concern for Longboat Key, however, is whether it will take into account mainland traffic coming onto the island. Town Manager Dave Bullock and Commissioner Jack Daly warned the study is worthless at any cost without doing so.

Daly, who sits on the MPO board as the town’s representative, helped convince FDOT to pay for the project by arguing barrier island traffic is a statewide problem. 

The scope of the study approved by the MPO was understood to include a focus on mainland traffic issues contributing to traffic congestion on the barrier islands, Daly said. He also said he was concerned the focus was being lost.

Bullock reached out to Labud this week to discuss Longboat Key concerns.

Labud’s response was reassuring, Bullock said. She thanked Bullock for pointing out the current wording of the scope of the study is unclear.

“We agree that it is vital to the success of this study to include the mainland connections to the east,” Labud said. “We will certainly be adding clarifying language within the scope to define the limits of the study before consultant presentations.”

A steering committee will help define study parameters once a consultant is selected, Labud said.