Coquina Beach parking egress reintroduced as idea to fix congestion

The problem is known.

Traffic chokes up around the Bradenton Beach portion of Anna Maria Island, especially during peak season.

What isn’t known, however, is what can or will be done to relieve that congestion. During a Longboat Key Town Commission meeting April 6, Longboat Key Town Commissioner Sarah Karon brought up the topic in hopes of starting a conversation to improve the situation that has caused frustrations for Longboaters trying to get to the mainland via the Cortez Bridge.

Karon said changing where vehicles are allowed to exit the Coquina Beach parking lot is a “little bit of low-hanging fruit” that could lead to traffic flow improvements.

“If you’re on the north end, you see traffic routinely back up to Longboat Island Chapel, the 6500 block (of Gulf of Mexico Drive),” Karon said. “If you’re trying to make progress to the north, one thing you see as you’re coming across the Longboat Pass Bridge is the Coquina Beach parking lot all along the road to your left. It’s got I think five different egress points.”

Karon proposes closing some of those egress points during certain times of the day and season to lessen the points of entry onto State Road 789. 

“It would make a difference,” Karon said. “If you’ve got it down to one or two egress points, that means you’ve got one lane coming off Longboat Key and one lane going north headed off Coquina Beach instead of four to five side streets dumping in at that point with cars at every single one filing in.”

The Coquina Beach parking lot is Manatee County owned and maintained. The 857-space lot is free to park at and is home to the Coquina Beach Farmers Market three times a week from October through June.

A Manatee County spokesperson said discussions on changes to egress points in the parking lot are “tied to” Florida Department of Transportation’s planned Longboat Pass Bridge replacement project. According to FDOT’s project website, the Coquina Park entrance is the northern limit of the bridge project.

“The county has had initial conversations with FDOT, and early stages of coordination are underway. At this time, there has been no final determination on design, funding, or specific traffic modifications related to the parking lot,” a Manatee County spokesperson wrote in an email. “Given that these considerations stem from FDOT’s project and planning efforts, FDOT would be best positioned to provide the most accurate and up-to-date information regarding potential changes and traffic management associated with the project.”

FDOT did not respond to questions regarding traffic flow and whether the Barrier Island PD&E (Project Development and Environment) study will evaluate ways to alleviate traffic. The study’s website states the goal is to “consider strategies to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety and enhance mobility options for all users along the study corridor.”

Photo by S.T. Cardinal

Manatee County Commissioner Tal Siddique isn’t sold on the egress idea, something that has been talked about for years. 

“The conversation has to shift away from the adjustments to exit points,” Siddique said. “The challenge is if we shift to reducing the exit points, we simply cause a traffic jam inside our parking lot. If you try to expand them, you create problems for Gulf Drive. I think we’re at a happy medium where we are, and I don’t think there’s anything we can do to improve Gulf Drive’s traffic challenge by adjusting the exit points.”

Instead, Siddique wants to look at ways to get people on and around the island without using a car. 

“We want to create better ways to get around. What the cities are doing is essentially saying, 'Well, people already bike. They bike in unsafe conditions. Why not make it safer and get some state funding for this?'” Siddique said. “I think that’s the future. If you look at Sanibel Island, for example, very early on they built a separate 8- to 10-foot trail that’s completely off the road. I think that’s the future for the island. More ferry stops, a trail and I think just a general recognition that we’ve maxed out our ability to serve cars on the island.”

The short-term pain, as Siddique described the replacement of the Cortez drawbridge set to begin in the coming months, may lead to a long-term traffic improvement. Siddique said replacing the drawbridge with a fixed span bridge will reduce backups. The Cortez Bridge opens at the quarter hour and three quarter hour marks, according to WaterWayGuide.com.