Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/136775
Sarasota News Leader June 14, 2013 Page 42 Regarding the BRT corridor phases, Paul proposed the second one extend from the Van Wezel to the airport. That would encompass stops at Ringling College of Art and Design, New College, the University of South Florida and the Ringling Museum complex, he noted. "I think, somewhat, people have had BRT fatigue," Paul said, referring to the years-long discussion of the project, noting it first had been proposed in 2002. "The least supportive of transit of those three corridors would be the hospital to the mall," Paul added. That section has six lanes of traffic with land uses further from the road, he noted. When Commissioner Joe Barbetta asked whether the City Commission and staff had looked at the possibility of implementing new development guidelines that would allow for the payment of a transit fee to secure more density — one means of helping fund the BRT and circulator systems — Paul said, "I don't believe they've examined it." He planned to have further discussions with them on that issue, he added. Moreover, Paul said of the estimated annual operating expenses for all three phases, "I don't believe this county could support $2.5 million to go from the mall to the airport today." Combining the county's existing operation of the Sarasota County Area Transit bus system with the funding of a BRT system, Paul pointed out, is "a significant commitment to transit." Regarding other community partners, Paul said he had found documentation suggesting a meeting had been planned in December 2012 for county staff to talk with representatives of the colleges and the hotels along U.S. 41, as well as representatives from The Ringling Museum, the hospital, the mall and the airport to determine their level of support for a BRT corridor along that route; that workshop never was held. Although he had copies of letters those entities had sent the county expressing support, Paul continued, he felt some firmer commitment would be essential to winning FTA funding for the project. CITY COMMITMENT If the city and county boards decide to renew the Community Redevelopment Agency for the city, which is set to expire in 2016, a percentage of the ad valorem tax revenue set aside for use in that district could be designated for the transit systems, Reid told the County Commission. An 11-member committee appointed by both the city and county boards is about to begin exploring whether the CRA should be renewed, Reid noted. "I'm trying to get more of the private contribution to this," Barbetta said. Robinson voiced a desire to see the city more involved in the process. "I think [the City Commission needs] a financial stake in this game as far as downtown," she said. If the County Commission put up all the funding for operations, she added, "it's just like Monopoly money for them, and why should they care?"