Grant will fund pedestrian, bike safety education effort in Sarasota

In an effort to better protect all roadway users in a multimodal environment, the Sarasota Police Department has received funding for a high-visibility enforcement initiative aimed at improving pedestrian and bicycle safety.

Sarasota County ranks among the top 25 counties in Florida for serious and fatal crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists. As a preventative measure, SPD officers will execute education-focused enforcement measures to raise awareness among drivers, walkers and riders about the traffic laws designed for safety.

Although the emphasis is on education, officers will issue warnings or citations when necessary. Targeted enforcement areas are based on crash data and include:

• North Washington Boulevard from 10th Street to Myrtle Street
• Fruitville Road from Lockwood Ridge Road to Midwest Parkway
• South Tamiami Trail from Arlington Street to Bahia Vista Street
• South Tamiami Trail from Webber Street to Hibiscus Street
• Central Avenue from Mira Mar Court to Fifth Street
• Tuttle Avenue from Belvoir Street to Sixth Street
• North Tamiami Trail from 10th Street to 42nd Street

The initiative is funded through a partnership with the Florida Department of Transportation, the University of North Florida and the Institute of Police Technology and Management.