Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/110922
Sarasota News Leader February 22, 2013 OPINION Page 91 The Sarasota News Leader regarding past and how his board has to deal with the will of plans to energize the North Trail and the latest the people. Fortunately, Barbetta was having initiative for a new overlay district. none of it. ���We get elected to make tough decisions,��� Barbetta said. During a County Commission meeting prior to the joint board discussions, Jonathan B. Paul, The BRT is not inexpensive by any means. the county���s interim transportation planning County Commissioner Christine Robinson, director, utilized video, graphics and a wide for one, made it clear that finding the funds array of photos and diagrams to illustrate to pay for ongoing operations would be a sethe use of BRT systems in cities as diverse as rious concern. Portland, OR, and Orlando. The key to these systems��� success is that middle word in the For that matter, just winning enough federal acronym ��� ���rapid.��� If people can expect to and other grant funds to build the system is wait no more than 10 to 15 minutes for an not going to be an easy quest, we gather from attractive, comfortable bus that will travel a the two presentations we have seen Paul and corridor with lots of popular stops, the bus Sarasota County Area Transit General Managbecomes a particularly attractive alternative er Glama Carter make. to the automobile. Yet, the payoff does have huge potential. Although the City and County commissions not quite a year ago remained focused on us- Barbetta rightfully characterized the puring the CRX railroad corridor for a large part suit of BRT ��� and the land-use changes that of a proposed BRT system, Barbetta made would be critical to its success ��� as a way to it plain during his board���s late-January dis- save the city from fiscal collapse. We wholecussion that U.S. 41 is the only corridor that heartedly agree with him. In the process, we makes sense. Students from New College and believe the city also, at long last, would realize the Ringling College of Art and Design would a vibrant North Trail, able to relegate to its love the ease of getting to and from down- past the sordid tales of prostitution and drug town ��� and the mall, we suspect. Given the deals that have been synonymous with that location of the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall section of U.S. 41 for decades. and other destinations along the Trail, Barbet- We urge all the city commissioners to seize ta is correct: That is the only corridor that has this opportunity, to make it clear to their congenuine potential. stituents the rewards that can come of this Why cannot all the city commissioners see process. the same picture and relish the opportunity It is time for them to stop their handwringing of convincing the public of its value? and become champions of a project with nuCity Commissioner Shannon Snyder talked merous benefits that could prove the end to during the joint meeting about ���democracy��� the city���s fiscal woes. %