Longboat Key letters to the editor 1.4.2017

The plan to install roundabouts on U.S. 41 at Fruitville Road and Gulfstream Avenue deserves first prize for lack of foresight and incompetent planning. 

With the uncontrolled building of condos and hotels and the upcoming plans for the Quay property and the totally inadequate infrastructure to handle all of this ... if you think you have a problem now, well, “you ain’t seen nothing yet!” Think nightmare!

With the north-south bumper-to-bumper traffic on U.S. 41 at Gulfstream Avenue and at Fruitville Road having the right of way, drivers coming off the bridge will grow old waiting to get on to a roundabout to go north or south on U.S. 41.

Shortening and synchronizing all the lights from 10th Street to Bee Ridge Road would be a far better way to keep traffic flowing in both directions.

Doing nothing to alleviate the miles-long line of cars from Longboat Key, through St. Armands and over the bridge to U.S. 41 is unconscionable. As things stand now, anyone with a date, a meeting or a reservation in Sarasota should plan on leaving the night before.

Installing pedestrian walk and wait lights at intersections around St. Armand would be a great help in keeping traffic moving. How many more studies and talk, talk, talk do we need … or will it take an act of Congress to get something done?

Stan Horwich, Longboat Key