Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/94842
THE FUTURE OF MOBILITY Bike lanes are common along major streets in Sarasota County, but more are sought. Photo courtesy Sarasota County SARASOTA COUNTY SEEKING COMMENTS ON A DRAFT BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN PLAN IN PREPARATION FOR A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE By Rachel Brown Hackney Editor Buoyed by the participation of approximately 900 residents in Phase One of the creation of Sarasota County's first Bicycle and Pedestri- an Plan, staff assembled a draft proposal with the hope of seeing similar participation in the form of new comments and suggestions. However, the preliminary burst of enthusiasm seems to have waned, Beth Rozansky, a senior planner in the Transportation Planning Group, told The Sarasota News Leader Nov. 19. Since the draft was completed, discussion of it among the public "hasn't been as active as we had hoped," she added. Given the potential for federal funding to as- sist the county in creating more bike paths and pedestrian trails, she said, staff is encour- aging people to weigh in. To allow more time for that, she said, the county will continue to make the draft available through the end of the year on its website and possibly through January. Staff also is working on ways to bring the draft plan to the attention of groups and organiza- tions whose members might not be familiar with it. "We're trying to make sure we have reached out to the stakeholders," Rozansky said.