Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/329100
Siesta Seen On June 10, after Commissioner Nora Patterson brought up the topic based on the SKVA discussion, the County Commission voted unanimously to make certain that staff has such a plan in place prior to the inaugura- tion of the trolley service. "Everybody's very excited about the trolley," Patterson pointed out to her colleagues, but "Are we letting people in the condos and the businesses on Siesta Key know this is going to start so that the people who are staying here in the summer know it's available and what the cost is." Patterson continued, "It's really important. This trolley could either be packed or be a real bust, and one of the important things is that people not take six months trying to fig- ure out it exists." Vice Chairwoman Christine Robinson voiced similar concerns. "I truly believe in my heart of hearts [that inadequate marketing was] why the [SCAT] Express bus failed in Venice," she said. "I don't want to do that to Siesta Key …" At Patterson's behest, Robinson made the motion to ensure a marketing plan is pursued. Keiderling also told me on June 9 that staff has decided to "wrap" the six buses that will serve Siesta on Route 10 with a design featur- ing a beach theme. Altogether, the department has 19 new buses, she pointed out. A wide range of advertising decals will be used on the others, she added, indicating, for example, that SCAT serves the airport, shops, theaters, schools and the hospital. Sarasota County Area Transit has released this final schedule for the Siesta trolley service. Image courtesy Sarasota County Sarasota News Leader June 13, 2014 Page 69