Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/121369
Siesta Seen COUNTY COMMISSION POSTPONES A VOTE ON LOWERING THE SPEED LIMIT ON PART OF SOUTH MIDNIGHT PASS ROAD; SIESTA FIESTA WEEKEND COMING UP By Rachel Brown Hackney Editor People interested in a lower speed limit on a portion of South Midnight Pass Road will have to wait until May 8 for the County Commission to decide on the request. In her presentation to the commission during its regular meeting on April 10 in Sarasota, Wiggins pointed out that Midnight Pass Road has 11-foot-wide travel lanes with 4-foot-wide bicycle lanes and a 5-foot-wide sidewalk on the west side. Four crashes were recorded on the selected segment of road from Jan. 1, 2009 to Dec. 31, 2012, Wiggins added. That was the unanimous vote on April 10, when the commissioners asked a lot of questions about the real purpose behind the request for the stretch of Midnight Pass from Vista Hermosa Circle to Sanderling Road. The average daily traffic count is 6,700 veThat real reason? Folks want to be able to hicles, with a speed of 49 mph recorded for drive golf carts on the road, Commissioner those in the 85th percentile of the count. Nora Patterson said. Cooper's petition, provided to the County The petition for lowering the speed limit from Commission, says the lower speed limit was 40 mph to 35 mph was submitted to the coun- being requested "in order for the 100 residents ty on Nov. 12, 2012 by William Cooper, the se- of the 100 homes in Sanderling Club, and the curity chairman for the Sanderling Club Board commercial interests that serve that commuof Directors, according to a memo provided to nity, to be able to safely enter Midnight Pass the County Commission by Paula R. Wiggins, Road, from what is their only access point to transportation planning manager, and Coun- the road. At times of heavy traffic (especially ty Chief Engineer James K. Harriott Jr., dated during the winter season) it can be extremeApril 10. ly hazardous to pull out and [onto] Midnight During its Dec. 10, 2012 meeting, the Sarasota Pass, due to speeding cars. Visibility is also County Traffic Advisory Council (TAC) heard limited, which means exiting from Sanderling the petition and voted to recommend the re- Club requires pulling out, very close to the duced speed limit, the memo notes. road, in order to see the oncoming traffic."