Longboat Key vice mayor expresses concerns about Sarasota in Motion plan

Longboat Key Vice Mayor Mike Haycock has a mixed reaction about future transportation plans for the city of Sarasota, largely because of their upstream effects on the barrier islands.

In a June 7 letter sent to Sarasota city commissioners, Haycock said the proposed Sarasota in Motion Master Plan reminds him of some of his favorite cycling cities, such as Minneapolis, Montreal, Nashville and Seattle.

“I would like to compliment the Commission on the Vision and Core Values and the staff on the key elements of the plan. It provides dedicated bike and pedestrian paths, wider paths on our streets (complete streets and road diets),” Haycock wrote in the letter. “The result should be a much safer, more beautiful place for the Sarasota citizens who live and work within a mile of city center.”

However, Haycock also wrote the plan’s “primary focus” is on people that live and work within walking distance of the Sarasota City Center Office Building at 1819 Main Street. He also said the plan “ignores” the majority of people who “commute to and around the city.”

“The Title of this study should have been ‘A plan to improve the safety and beauty of Downtown Sarasota by building more bike and pedestrian paths and streetscaping’. That is clearly the primary focus and that part of the is well done,” Haycock wrote. “However, it is not a Transportation Master plan as the title describes. It appears to completely ignore the primary form of transportation (Cars) and one of the key transportation issues (gridlock at rush hour and during the tourist season).”

Sarasota Chief Transportation Planner Colleen McGue replied to Haycock’s email with one of her own.

“Our team is confident that the title of the plan, as well as the policy, program and project recommendations are consistent with that of a full citywide transportation master plan,” McGue wrote. “This plan builds upon current projects we have planned and  under construction that improve vehicle congestion, such as the roundabouts on US 41, while simultaneously making the environment safer for bicyclists and pedestrians.”

Following months of at-times troubling traffic between the mainland and the barrier islands, brought on by roadwork along Ringling Causeway and Tamiami Trail, Haycock has expressed his concern that the city’s plan did not provide enough consideration for people living in the surrounding areas outside of the city of Sarasota, which includes the barrier islands of Longboat Key, Lido Key, Lido Shores and St. Armands.

“If you go dig into their phase one or phase two documents that they have, they talk about input,” Haycock said. “It’s really input for people that live and work in Sarasota. It wasn’t really any of the kind of stakeholders that use the streets and live outside of Sarasota city proper.”

McGue wrote that Longboat Key staff had attended “every community workshop and open house meeting” that Sarasota has hosted about the plan.

“We have provided opportunities for the community to engage with staff on this plan throughout the planning process, both in person and online,” McGue wrote. “These are well documented in our draft plan.”

Haycock also asked city leaders about the plan’s projected growth rate for Sarasota of 20% during the next 20 years. However, Haycock mentioned how the Florida Department of Transportation’s modeling used 11% to design the proposed roundabout at U.S. 41 and Gulfstream Avenue.

“Our plan assumes a city population growth rate of 20%, as you noted, however there is not a direct correlation between traffic growth and population growth, especially when we are proposing improvements to our transportation facilities to support active modes of transportation,” McGue wrote.

In the near future, the big issue for Longboat Key and the barrier islands is scheduled traffic work on the roundabout at U.S. 41 and Gulfstream Avenue. The work is set to start in spring 2021.

“For us, the big issue is getting across the [John Ringling Causeway] bridge in a timely manner in the wintertime, and making sure that they don’t do anything that throttles traffic on Fruitville [Road],” Haycock said. “I point that out in that note that I sent and basically made that point that every road doesn’t have to be everything for everybody, so don’t screw around with Fruitville [Road]. Make sure it’s very efficient for car traffic, so we have an efficient way to get east-west from the barrier islands.”

In early March, Longboat Key town commissioners discussed the possibility of filing a lawsuit against Sarasota because of their opposition to the roundabout project at U.S. 41 and Gulfstream Avenue.

Town attorney Maggie Mooney said town commissioners have not decided whether to file litigation against Sarasota. However, the town paid a $2,500 retainer fee to Tampa-based attorney David Smolker to begin researching the basis of a possible suit. 

Public records show the town paid an additional $1,149.65 to Smolker, Bartlett, Loeb, Hinds and Thompson P.A. for services in April and May “regarding [a] transportation dispute with the City of Sarasota.”

At its June 30 meeting, Longboat Key town commissioners and staff plan to discuss Sarasota’s traffic plans. Haycock said the town would also submit another letter to Sarasota leaders.

The Sarasota City Commission could adopt the Sarasota In Motion Plan at its next meeting, which is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Monday, July 20.

Haycock said someone on behalf of the town of Longboat Key is planning to speak at the July 20 meeting.