Traffic light caused Longboat delays Thursday

Longboaters attempting to get to downtown Sarasota or St. Armands Circle Thursday had an hour wait to deal with, thanks to a faulty traffic light at Longboat Club Road, just before the New Pass Bridge.

Public Works Director Juan Florensa said it was discovered around 1 p.m. Thursday the light wasn't working properly and it was reset at 4:30 p.m. by a traffic engineer.

All day Thursday, southbound traffic on Gulf of Mexico Drive was backed up sporadically all the way to the Bay Isles Parkway traffic light.

In an email to the Longboat Key Town Commission Thursday evening, Florensa said town staff and the Longboat Key Police Department will be monitoring the light closely today to make sure it's not malfunctioning and doesn't need further repairs.