MANATEE COUNTY – Work is finally done on the Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (MPO) long-range transportation plan and it lists some big changes for Anna Maria Island.
New roundabouts, replacement bridges and a sea-level rise study are components of the plan that MPO representative Leigh Holt presented to Island Transportation Planning Organization (ITPO) members during a Monday, Sept. 14 meeting held via Zoom.
The plan, titled Transform 2045, extends to the 2045 fiscal year and is scheduled to be updated every five years. The plan is a draft scheduled for presentation to the MPO board during a Monday, Sept. 21 meeting, with a final draft to be presented on Thursday, Sept. 24 for a 30-day public comment period before going for final approval during the Monday, Oct. 26 MPO meeting.
Holt said that all three Island bridges are on the plan – the Anna Maria Island Bridge on Manatee Avenue, the Cortez Bridge and the Longboat Key Bridge. With a new 65-foot-high design already completed for the Anna Maria Island Bridge, funding is needed for construction. The Cortez Bridge, connecting the historic Cortez fishing village to Bradenton Beach, is set to enter the design phase with funds for right-of-way acquisitions proposed for fiscal years 2021, 2024 and 2025. Holt said that studies are planned for the Longboat Key Bridge before any decisions about repair or replacement are made.
The “complete streets” projects proposed by Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach city leaders, allowing for multi-modal transportation on main thoroughfares on the Island, are fully funded in the plan, according to Holt.
She added that plans to create a trail system for bicyclists and pedestrians from downtown Bradenton to 75th Street on Manatee Avenue and across Longboat Key and St. Armands Key to the Ringling Bridge in Sarasota also are in the plan. Holt said that $25 million has been set aside for the projects.
Other fully-funded projects in the plan include enhancing the Island’s gateways and installing roundabouts at the intersection of East Bay Drive and Manatee Avenue and at Manatee Avenue and Gulf Drive at the entrance to Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach. While Holt said that the roundabouts were previously planned for construction when the replacement bridge on Manatee Avenue is built, she said now they could be constructed before the bridge goes in. Additionally, the intersection of Cortez Road and Gulf Drive in Bradenton Beach also is being looked at as a potential location for a roundabout although there are space concerns, and due to the size of the 65-foot planned replacement bridge for the Cortez Bridge, the two projects might have to be constructed at the same time.
Resiliency projects also are on the plan with a sea-level rise risk assessment to be conducted over the next 18 to 24 months. Holt said the purpose of the risk assessment is to study the effects of potential storm surge on the barrier islands and allow local municipalities to apply for some of the $75 million in funding set aside in the plan over the next 20 years for projects to mitigate risk.
Congestion management projects include extending the northbound turn lane to Gulf Drive on westbound Manatee Avenue in Holmes Beach back to the intersection with East Bay Drive to allow for easier traffic flow around motorists traveling to Manatee Beach. Holt said there’s also a project on the plan to do work at the intersection of Cortez Road and 75th Street in Bradenton to help facilitate the flow of traffic to the Island.
She said that the MPO is looking at restarting the Beach Express bus service from 75th Street and Manatee Avenue to the Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach as well as allowing buses to move past slow or stopped motorist traffic on the bridges using the shoulder and the possibility of adding a dedicated bus lane on land along the two Island access corridors.
Holt added that the MPO also is looking at creating on-demand transportation services for travel from the mainland to the Island’s beaches where travelers can make a reservation on their schedule. She said they’re also trying to encourage employers to use vanpools to get employees to Island businesses.
To view the entire plan or submit public comments on the plan elements, visit the MPO website.
