Legacy Trail modifications questioned

The intersection at Central Sarasota Parkway and The Legacy Trail is causing a stir among some area cyclists now that it has been designed to give motorists the right of way at all times.

Since the opening of The Legacy Trail three years ago, motorists and bicyclists have had many close encounters, including fender benders, at the intersection in question.

In February, a change to the intersection was made by Sarasota County at the request of the Palmer Ranch Communities Coalition.

The modification removed a flashing orange light activated by bicyclists seeking to cross Central Sarasota Parkway. Stop signs were, instead, placed on either side of the trail, and signs were installed warning trail users that motorist traffic does not stop. The county also agreed not to install a traffic light at the intersection, which the coalition strongly opposes.

By removing the flashing light, bicyclists must now stop and look before proceeding through the intersection.
But Steve Christian, a Friends of Legacy Trail board member and an avid bicyclist, said the changes made “aren’t clear and are confusing for bicyclists and motorists.”

Christian said the issue is whether cars should have to stop for bicyclists.

“It’s still designated as a county crosswalk, so the debate is whether a bicyclist in the crosswalk qualifies as a pedestrian or not,” Christian said. “What we want to know is do we have to stop or not?”

Christian has sought county staff’s opinion, which has agreed to look into the matter.

Christian said there needs to be more uniformity for The Legacy Trail intersections. Currently, there are four places on the trail that intersect with streets (not including the U.S. 41 Bypass in Venice that now bypasses car traffic altogether). One of those intersections, at Laurel Street and The Legacy Trail, contains a red light, while another intersection at Colonia Lane still has the same yellow flashing lights that the county eliminated on Central Sarasota Parkway.

“From a clarity standpoint, red lights at these intersections make the most sense,” Christian said. “We just want some clarity on those intersections moving forward.”

Sarasota County traffic engineer Christopher Hauber, however, said there doesn’t appear to be any safety issues with the Central Sarasota Parkway intersection. In fact, the changes made to the intersection, Hauber said, follow federal traffic safety standards.

“We will be taking a look at uniformity of the intersection and the other intersections on The Legacy Trail,” Hauber said.

Hauber said he doesn’t foresee recommending the county install red lights at The Legacy Trail intersections just for bicyclists.

As for uniformity standards, Hauber said he’s more inclined to recommend that other Legacy Trail intersections be modified like the intersection at Central Sarasota Parkway.

“Bicyclists, pedestrians and rollerbladers all yield for traffic and go when they have a chance, regardless of whether there is a red light there or not,” Hauber said.

Mike Gippert, president of Friends of the Legacy Trail, said, “There’s no evidence to support that the modified intersection isn’t working well at this time.”

“There haven’t been any accidents,” Gippert said. “Traffic for both bicyclists and cars seems to be moving well.”

Meanwhile, Palmer Ranch Communities Coalition President Margaret Brading is urging the county not to spend more county taxpayer dollars to modify the intersection again.

“The intersection is working just fine now,” Brading said. “The problem is it’s now the bicyclists’ responsibility to stop, and some bicyclists think motorists should have to stop for them.”

Before the changes were made, Brading said some bicyclists used the light and enhanced crossing to charge right through the intersection without stopping, relying on motorists to stop for them and creating fender benders.

Brading and the coalition believe the move made by the county is much better than a traffic light that was once considered for the area.

“We are already saturated with lights on Central Sarasota Parkway, and one here would create traffic jams every time a bicyclist wants to cross,” Brading said.