Sarasota police serious about left-turn violators

Sarasota Police have handed out 74 warnings and 102 tickets for illegal left turns in a construction zone along U.S. 301 at Ringling Boulevard and Main Street. 

Florida Department of Transportation contractors have excavated the sidewalk, grass and one travel lane of northbound Washington Avenue on that block, making a lane shift necessary along with the temporary elimination of left turn lanes. 

With traffic signs, electronic signs and social media announcements, drivers have been warned about the new flow for weeks. Still, the  $166 fines and license points (three of them per offense) pile up. At one point on a recent morning, officers positioned their vehicles on Main Street and simply motioned to the curb drivers who turned left three and four at a time.

Brian Rick of the Florida Department of Transportation said the construction should be complete within the next two weeks, weather permitting.