Sarasota News Leader
August 30, 2013
for three years. The Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization was working on
defining that Manatee route, Blanchard said —
whether it would originate at State Road 64 or
State Road 70, for example. It would travel to
east of Interstate 75 to connect with SCAT at
the new University Town Center mall, which
is scheduled to open on Oct. 16, 2014.
Page 60
operators could be counted as the county's
50-percent match for the state grant.
Carter added that the cost of the Siesta trolley
operations for five years would be $3.02 million, compared to $4.07 million for the University Parkway route.
For three years, Barbetta pointed out, the cost
would be about $2.7 million for the UniversiDETAILS ON THE EXPENSES
ty Parkway route versus $1.8 million for the
Carter pointed out that the county would not Siesta trolley.
have to spend more money out of its general "This route's a no-brainer to complete," Hines
fund or reserves to pay for the Siesta Trolley said of the University Parkway plan for SCAT.
for three years, as the salaries of the nine bus If Sarasota County could get Manatee County
Construction was well under way at Benderson Development's University Town Center in May. Photo
by Norman Schimmel
