Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/127088
Sarasota News Leader May 3, 2013 The County Commission is leaning heavily towards the U.S. 41 corridor because it contains more destinations and offers greater redevelopment potential than U.S. 301, which fronts few residential areas. One objective of the proposed BRT is to further development and redevelopment along the corridor by allowing people to use convenient public transit instead of their cars. Page 48 U.S. 301. That would skip Laurel Park completely. "The Board of County Commissioners needs to make a decision by this summer to restart the alternatives analysis," said Chapdelain. There may be a need to educate the County Commission before the decision. "The [Board of County Commissioners] believes wholesale land-use changes are needed on U.S. 41," said "The idea is, it's frequent and attractive enough to attract people as an alternative to the car," Paul. "I do believe you have the densities to support BRT on the U.S. 41 corridor." said Paul. The BRT will be expensive to establish and to operate. The county now pays $18.2 million from the general fund to run 45 buses on Sarasota County Area Transit (SCAT) routes. Should a BRT system be installed, the operaOne important factor for picking the route is tional expenses could jump another $2.5 milpopulation density. Chapdelain said the North lion per year. Tamiami Trail area is zoned for 35 units per acre (second only to downtown's 50 units per The federal government will pay up to 80 peracre) and has an average of 23 units per acre. cent of the BRT's capital costs — new buses, shelters, right of way alterations and signs. The focus now is on the airport-to-downtown But local government will be required to pay leg of the BRT. The service would then go to for the $2.5 million in annual operations. Sarasota Memorial Hospital and further south to the Southgate Mall at Siesta Drive. How- Paul suggested the cost could be shared beever, the route of the southern portion has tween the city and county using an interlocal proved contentious in the past. Laurel Park agreement or another funding source. Voters residents expressed concern about a pro- in other Florida communities have approved posed leg along their neighborhood's narrow a "transit tax" to pay for mass transit operations, for example. section of Osprey Avenue. "Everything points to U.S. 41," said Senior City Planner Ryan Chapdelain: "the number of destinations and attractions, and no landuse changes are required." The route was changed to Orange Avenue through Laurel Park, but Chapdelain suggested the new route might run from the airport down U.S. 41 to Fruitville Road, then to Lemon Avenue, then along Ringling Boulevard to The county has until mid-September to let the Federal Transportation Administration know if it will fund another study of alternative routes and how it plans to pay for ongoing operations. %