Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/109601
Sarasota News Leader February 15, 2013 Page 54 plexes along that segment of the road showed a majority of respondents wanted a safer way to cross the street, especially during the height of season when traffic is heavy. Still, Jonker said, residents of Siesta Isles ���fought very hard��� for those blinking lights. ���It���s not a perfect sign by any means,��� he added, repeating his assertion that the Siesta Isles The Beach Way crosswalk, Jonker noted, ���is a Association members would be satisfied with major crossing for our community to [reach] crosswalks like those on Midnight Pass Road. the beach.��� Sarasota County Commissioner Nora PatterAdding that Siesta Isles has 300 homes, he said, ���We insist that the [blinking] light stay, and there���ll be a riot from my association if it goes.��� son, who was a guest at the meeting, told the SKA directors, ���We can look at the cost and the model��� of the Midnight Pass crosswalks as a possible new safety feature at Beach Way. For clarification, SKA President Catherine Luckner pointed out, ���What we���re talking about is [the constant blinking]. When people see a crosswalk and the lights are flashing, that means someone is in it.��� Beach Road is a county-maintained road, so Sarasota County would have to pay for any new crosswalk work. Before the lights were programmed to keep flashing at the crosswalks, Jonker insisted, people who wanted to cross from the east side of the road to the beach faced considerable difficulty in getting traffic to stop for them. After the meeting, Tony Romanus, president of the Siesta Isles Association ��� who was attending his first SKA meeting ��� talked with van Roekens and Jonker. Otherwise, Patterson said, ���I���m not going to enter this argument,��� evoking ripples of laughVan Roekens added that is the way the new ter among audience members and SKA direcMidnight Pass crosswalk lights work: A per- tors. son pushes a button to activate the lights beThen van Roekens withdrew his motion, pendfore crossing. ing discussions with Jonker and other Siesta ���But if the light goes away [at Beach Way], Isles representatives. He pointed out he did there will not be anything else but a sign,��� not want to ���jam something down somebody���s Jonker replied. throat.��� SKA Director Joe Volpe emphasized Luckner Drawing more laughter, van Roekens reiteratand van Roekens��� point: ���[The lights] should ed, ���At least we found the guy.��� not be flashing all the time.��� He added that he agreed with van Roekens about the need for ���They did not name names,��� Luckner said of reprogramming them. county staff members, chuckling herself. Van Roekens told the News Leader afterward ���If there���s always a warning, warning,��� van that he was confident the SKA and the associRoekens told Jonker, people ignore it. ation could find a better solution to the Beach ���And I tend to agree,��� Jonker replied. Way crossing issues. %