City examines Legacy Trail connection options

There are thousands of votes, millions of dollars and nearly eight miles of physical space separating the northern end of the Legacy Trail from Payne Park near downtown Sarasota.

And yet, even ahead of a November countywide referendum that could secure the funding to connect the trail into the city, a crowd gathered in Payne Park on Saturday morning to explore the possibilities associated with an extended Legacy Trail.

Saturday’s event, called Roll & Stroll Sarasota, was part of “Active Mobility Weekend,” a three-day series of activities within the county designed to celebrate the Legacy Trail and promote alternative modes of transportation.

The city used the Roll & Stroll event to gather resident input on a trail connection between Payne Park and the bayfront. The three options under consideration would primarily use Main Street, Ringling Boulevard or Oak Street as the route to connect bicycle and pedestrian travel between the two points.

Assistant City Engineer Dan Ohrenstein said the trail designation wouldn’t mean major changes for any of the routes. Primarily, the city is just trying to figure out where it wants to direct the volume of bicycle traffic an extended Legacy Trail would draw.

But there could be some improvements, such as additional street markings or altered parking configurations. The city is undertaking a broader effort to make it easier for cyclists and pedestrians to get around the city. Part of that means enhancing the trail options available for residents and visitors.

“The long-term plan is to have (multiuse recreation trail) paths that go all the way from downtown to Lido,” Ohrenstein said.

Friends of the Legacy Trail, a volunteer nonprofit group, was present at Saturday’s event to share more information about the benefits of the trail — and of a potential extension. Earlier this month, the County Commission approved a referendum for November’s ballot that could permit the county to issue $65 million in bonds to extend the trail.

John League, president of Friends of the Legacy Trail, said the trail has proven its value by attracting hundreds of thousands of users during the past decade. He said extending the trail would offer environmental and health benefits for city residents. And the new bicycle and pedestrian options likely won’t be limited to the Legacy Trail itself.

“If this gets built, you’ll see folks in neighborhoods looking to connect their neighborhoods to the main spine of the trail,” League said. “It enhances trail use.”