BRADENTON BEACH – If the Old Town Tram continues providing rides within the city, it will do so without the financial support of the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA).
At its Dec. 6 meeting, the CRA board voted unanimously to discontinue funding of the free park-and-ride service it began subsidizing in November 2020 at a cost of $52,000 per year.
Using two electric golf carts, the tram was launched as a pilot program to help address the lack of parking on Bridge Street. It is partially funded by advertising sales.
Annual funding for the service was cut from the city’s 2023-24 budget, but CRA board members agreed at a Sept. 6 meeting to a $10,000 expenditure to keep it going until the end of 2023.
That temporary funding was based on the understanding that Joshua LaRose, owner of Sarasota-based Easy Parking Group and provider of the tram service, and CRA Chairman Ralph Cole would work together to look at options to make the service self-supporting.
One of those options included LaRose securing additional advertising from the businesses that benefit from having customers brought to their doorsteps.
LaRose said at the Dec. 6 meeting that he spoke to local business owners about advertising on the tram, but without success.
“People offered to donate $50-$100 a month to keep it going,” LaRose said. “They’re saying right now how slow it’s been over the summer and they don’t have the funds to do a full advertising.”
LaRose offered an option to save money.
“I can cut the hours and days back out of season, to maybe four to five days a week and maybe start a little bit later in the afternoon. That would dramatically bring down the cost,” LaRose said. “If we did a later start time and less days a week, we could probably do it with the advertisers we have now. I could keep one car going.”
Commissioner Jan Vosburgh has been an opponent of financial support for the tram service.
“I think we should discontinue it,” she said. “I don’t think it’s up to the taxpayers to pay for this.”
Cole echoed that sentiment.
“Businesses benefit the most from it,” Cole said. “Those are the people that need to step up to the plate.”
Commissioner Jake Spooner suggested the possibility of having the tram in service during the busier times of the year.
LaRose said in season the tram was giving nearly 8,000 rides a month.
“It’s encouraging that you said you could survive on its own with one car,” Chappie said. “We haven’t been satisfied. It was worth a shot. I’d like to see you do it on your own.”
LaRose indicated that he will likely continue the tram service with one cart.
“This fellow took over and is trying to support our businesses,” Bradenton Beach resident Jim Hassett said during public comment. “I think his business needs to be supported.”
In addition to board members Chappie, Cole, Spooner and Vosburgh, member David Bell was in attendance. Marilyn Maro phoned into the meeting. Member Ed Chiles was absent with excuse.
BRADENTON BEACH – The Manatee County Tourist Development Council (TDC) is recommending a plan to Manatee County commissioners to widen the Coquina Beach Trail for shuttles.
The trail is a paved path about the width of a city sidewalk that begins at the south end of the Coquina Beach parking lot and runs 1.5 miles along the beach north to Fifth Street South. The plan, discussed at the April 24 TDC meeting, would resurface and widen the trail, potentially for the use of the Old Town Tram golf cart shuttle service owned by Josh LaRose’s Easy Parking Group and partially funded by the Bradenton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA).
Easy Parking Group’s ‘Old Town Trams’ currently service Coquina Beach to Bridge Street, but are not allowed to drive on the current beach trail, making for a bumpy ride for passengers, or long waits in heavy beach traffic. This tram stopped for a break in the shade near 13th Street South. – Jason Schaffer | Sun
“They desperately need a way to get people back and forth from Bridge Street to here without sitting in traffic for an hour,” said Doris Snyder, who comes to the beach from Palmetto on a regular basis. “We like to hit one of the restaurants on Bridge Street for lunch or dinner when we come down here, but it’s impossible to park in that area unless you get incredibly lucky. We use the golf cart service a lot, but even if they drive off the road in the parking area instead of sitting in traffic, the ride beats you to death. A cart path would be amazing.”
Project Manager Mike Stern told TDC members that the trail improvements would cost $1.5 million – including the removal of 96 Australian pine trees whose roots are damaging the pavement – and take about eight months to complete. Stern said a large part of the cost will be building a root barrier, which will require the current trail to be removed so that the barrier can be placed underground to prevent future tree roots from growing under the trail and destroying it, causing more unnecessary cost in the future. With the barrier, the trail should last for many years with little serious maintenance, he said.
“While this sounds like a large investment, we hope this will last much longer than the original trail did because we are fairly confident that there was not as much root barrier, if any, used the first time around,” said Chad Butzow, director of Public Works for Manatee County. “Hopefully we’ll get a bit more longevity this time around.”
The county currently spends between $35,000 to $40,000 a year maintaining the trail, and Public Works says that the steps being taken with the new trail will save that money because the tree roots will no longer be an issue. If this holds true, a third of the cost of the project would be covered by the nearly half a million in repair dollars that wouldn’t need to be spent over the next decade.
When asked by TDC members if the trail could be widened enough to make ample room for golf carts and pedestrians, Stern explained that as long as they were working from the existing footprint, no new permits would be needed, but because of environmental issues due to its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, any size expansion proposals would require permits at the state level that could take months or even years, and be potentially costly.
Beachgoers enjoy the picnic area and shade provided along the Coquina Trail. – Jason Schaffer | Sun
While not addressing Easy Parking Group’s Old Town Tram by name, TDC member and Bradenton Beach restaurant owner Ed Chiles stated that six-passenger golf cart trams should be allowed to use the path so people could park at the beach and not have to endure the sometimes impossible task of finding a parking space near the Bridge Street shopping and dining area.
“The biggest single issue in Bradenton Beach is lack of parking,” Chiles said. “Coquina Beach may be the most parking spaces anywhere in one place in the county. This trail offers connectivity. I don’t want to see all the golf carts on there, I want to see one set of trams. That connects 1,200 parking spaces that this county has worked so hard on to what the CRA has worked so hard on in downtown Bradenton Beach.”
Elliott Falcione, executive director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the trams using the trail would also be a big help for water taxi passengers to get to and from downtown Bradenton Beach when the service begins in July of this year.
TDC Chairman James Satcher moved that the proposal be presented to the Board of County Commissioners, with the option to expand the scope of the proposal, such as a wider trail with a shell path adjacent, at a later date. The proposal was passed at the close of discussions.
In other business, it was reported that phase one of the ongoing drainage project at Coquina Beach is now complete, which added 192 parking spaces. Phase two is estimated to be completed by early July, adding 862 additional parking spaces, according to Stern.
Stern said the paving of the parking lot should be completed by the end of May, but there will still be more work to be done. He was pleased to report that fewer of the Australian pine trees that offer shade to the picnic area along the beach and parking area would need to be removed than first thought. This will not only save time and money, but keep much-needed shade in the area.
BRADENTON BEACH – The contract for the Old Town Tram parking shuttle service has been extended for another year.
First launched as a one-year pilot program in November 2020, the Old Town Tram consists of two golf cart-like trams that provide free rides seven days a week within the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) district, which extends south from the Cortez Bridge to the southernmost property lines along Fifth Street South.
Beyond the CRA district, the Old Town Trams also serve the Cortez Beach and Coquina Beach parking lots where tram users are encouraged to park and catch a tram ride to and from their destinations in the CRA district, which includes Bridge Street.
Bradenton Beach CRA members approved the contract extension with Joshua LaRose’s Easy Parking Group by a 5-1 vote on April 5.
During the meeting, City Attorney Ricinda Perry said the current contract was set to expire this month, but the contract could, with LaRose’s approval, be continued on a month-to-month basis if so desired.
When asked about a potential six-month extension, LaRose said he preferred something longer than that.
Each month, LaRose presents the CRA members with a monthly invoice for the tram services rendered. The Easy Parking Group invoice for March totaled $9,510. According to the invoice, advertising panels affixed to the two trams generated $5,175 in ad revenue, which left a $4,335 balance to be paid by the CRA.
Easy Parking Group owner Joshua LaRose provides the CRA’s contracted parking shuttle tram services. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
LaRose also provides the CRA members monthly ridership data and reports. During Wednesday’s meeting, he said tram ridership has increased by 40-60%.
CRA member Ed Chiles initially said he’d support a three-year extension, but the board agreed on a one-year extension. Perry noted that even with the extension, the contract can be terminated at any time by the CRA or LaRose with 30 days advance notice.
CRA member David Bell said he supports the trams and feels they provide an important service. He said he doesn’t have a problem with CRA funds being used to support the tram program, but, as he’s stated before, he feels the tram routes need to be adjusted.
Based on the ridership data and additional input provided monthly by LaRose, Bell has repeatedly expressed his support for discontinuing the little-used tram service at Coquina Beach and extending that service north of the Cortez Bridge where demand appears to be higher.
“People are not going to park at Coquina to come up to the CRA (district),” Bell said during the April 5 meeting. “My concern always is that we’re not analyzing the data the way that we should.”
CRA member Jan Vosburgh cast the only vote opposing the contract extension. Before doing so, she questioned extending the Old Town Tram contract at a time when significant portions of the Cortez Beach parking lot along Gulf Drive South are being rendered temporarily unavailable because of a Manatee County sewer line replacement project that’s not expected to end until late 2024.
Manatee County’s sewer line replacement project temporarily reduces the number of parking spaces available at Cortez Beach. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“I don’t see why we should be paying for the tram right now considering all that construction on Gulf Drive. Why bother with the trams? I don’t think we need it while all that construction’s going on,” Vosburgh said.
“Actually, I think it’s more important to have it now because of the construction,” CRA member John Chappie said, noting the county project sometimes forces people to park even further away from their desired destinations.
The Old Town Trams run Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and from 5-10 p.m. On Sundays, the service ends one hour earlier at 9 p.m. Passengers can hail a tram as it passes by or call 941-404-6240 to request a ride.
BRADENTON BEACH – Old Town Trams, an anticipated dock expansion project, additional utility line undergrounding, eliminating term limits and Hurricane Ian damage were among the top news stories in Bradenton Beach in 2022.
Tram extension
In early November, the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) members voted 3-2 in favor of extending the CRA-funded Old Town Tram parking shuttle program for another six months. Beginning in late January, the county sewer rehabilitation project taking place along Gulf Drive South for the next year or more will temporarily decrease the number of Cortez Beach parking spaces available for tram users.
The Old Town Tram parking shuttle program was continued for an additional six months. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Projects
Ongoing permitting issues with the Army Corps of Engineers prevented the dock expansion project alongside the Bridge Street Pier from taking place in 2022. The permitting issue pertains to the CRA’s desired eastward extension of the existing floating dock in order to accommodate additional finger piers. The Army Corps of Engineers has not yet approved the CRA’s request to extend the floating dock by approximately 40 feet to the east, toward the T-end of the pier.
These plans illustrate the finger docks to be installed perpendicular to the existing floating dock near the Bridge Street Pier. – City of Bradenton Beach | Submitted
In early November, City Attorney Ricinda Perry said she expected the CRA to soon receive an approved sovereign submerged land lease permit from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), allowing the premanufactured finger docks to be installed and connected to the existing floating dock while awaiting the dock extension approval. The floating dock is also expected to serve as a landing area for the downtown Bradenton to Anna Maria Island water taxi service Manatee County plans to launch in early 2023. At year’s end, the finger pier installations had not begun.
The public dinghy dock near the clock tower boardwalk was replaced in 2022. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Colliers Engineering & Design completed the plans for a $2.1 million flood control project designed to improve drainage and reduce flooding in the vicinities of 20th Place North, 21st Place North, the southern end of Avenue A and the southern end of Avenue B. The flood control project is being funded by a $2.6 million state appropriation. The city has until June 30, 2024, to complete the project expected to begin at some point in 2023.
A state-funded flood control project is expected to improve drainage and reduce flooding along the Avenue A and 20th Place intersection. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The state appropriation also provided the funds for the city to purchase a new TYMCO Model 435 Regenerative Air Sweeper truck for $154,352.
Using state funds, the city purchased a new street sweeping truck. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The CRA members held several discussions in 2022 that resulted in the completed plans for a currently unfunded Bay Drive South resiliency project that would create a resiliency barrier along Bay Drive South Shoreline and help protect that area from rising tides, king tides, storm surges and sea level rise.
In September, the CRA board approved a $195,853 binding cost estimate provided by Florida Power & Light for the next phase of utility line undergrounding project expected to take place along Third, Fourth and Fifth streets south, Bay Drive South and Gulf Drive South in 2023.
The utility lines along Bay Drive South are expected to be undergrounded in 2023. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
In September, the CRA board approved a $195,853 binding cost estimate provided by Florida Power & Light for the next phase of utility line undergrounding project expected to take place along Third, Fourth and Fifth streets south, Bay Drive South and Gulf Drive South in 2023. The city also received $3 million in state appropriation funds for future undergrounding projects outside the CRA district that extends from the Cortez Bridge to Fifth Street South. City officials still await the removal of 33 side-street utility poles associated with a previously completed undergrounding project along Gulf Drive South.
A proposed hotel project on and around Bridge Street is now in the early permitting stages. – City of Bradenton Beach | Submitted
In December, the building department received the initial permit applications for a proposed hotel construction project involving multiple properties along Bridge Street, Gulf Drive South and Third Street South. The submitted plans propose a total of 103 upper-level hotel units, 126 ground-level parking spaces, a rooftop pool and deck area, ground-level retail space and a ground-level miniature golf course. Developer Shawn Kaleta and Bradenton Beach businessman and City Commissioner Jake Spooner are listed as the property owners for the proposed hotel project.
City elections
In November, Bradenton Beach voters approved a charter amendment that eliminated the term limits that previously limited the city’s mayor and city commissioners to serving no more than three consecutive two-year terms in office, allowing incumbent Ward 2 Commissioner Marilyn Maro to serve another term in office. Maro ran unopposed in the November election. Eliminating term limits also means Mayor John Chappie and Spooner can seek additional terms in office during the 2023 election. Running unopposed, Ward 4 Commissioner Ralph Cole also earned another two-year term in office.
City Commissioner Marilyn Maro (shown here with her husband, Ed) will serve another term in office. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
City voters also supported a charter amendment that now allows the commission to appoint someone from outside of a specific commission ward to fill a vacant commission seat if no one from that ward is willing to serve.
Hurricane damage
In late September, Hurricane Ian inflicted significant damage on two waterfront mobile homes in the Pines Trailer Park. The hurricane also damaged at least four mobile homes in the Sandpiper Resort Co-Op at the north end of the city. The hurricane also damaged the police department roof and those repairs are now pending.
This mobile home in the Pine Trailer Park suffered hurricane damage. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
This mobile in the Sandpiper Resort was damaged during Hurricane Ian. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Special events
The Bradenton Beach City Commission and CRA provided the Bridge Street merchants with $2,000 of combined financial support for the merchants’ annual Christmas tree lighting event, Christmas on Bridge Street and the annual Holiday Boat Parade.
The Bridge Street merchants’ holiday celebration included this magnificent Christmas tree located in front of the Bradenton Beach Post Office. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Passing
In April, former Bradenton Beach resident and Sunshine Law lawsuit defendant Reed Mapes passed away. At the time of his death, Mapes was the only defendant still appealing a 2019 court ruling that Mapes and five other former city advisory board members violated Florida’s Government in the Sunshine Law when discussing official city business outside of a properly noticed public meeting.
BRADENTON BEACH – By a 3-2 vote, the Old Town Tram parking shuttle contract has been extended for six months.
Initiated by the Bradenton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) as a one-year pilot program in November 2020, the free tram service uses golf cart-like electric vehicles provided and operated by Joshua LaRose’s Sarasota-based Easy Parking Group.
In 2021, the pilot program was extended for a second year and that one-year contract extension expired on Nov. 1. On Nov. 2, the CRA members and LaRose agreed to a six-month extension that expires on April 30. The CRA or LaRose can terminate the service at any time with 30 days’ notice. CRA members John Chappie, Ralph Cole and Ed Chiles supported the contract extension. Members David Bell and Jan Vosburgh opposed it.
Before agreeing to the extension, the CRA members discussed privatizing the tram service with LaRose and/or other operators, entering into another one-year contract with LaRose or discontinuing the tram service. The board discussed allowing the tram service to continue on a month-to-month basis but City Attorney Ricinda Perry said the contract doesn’t allow that.
The trams run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily, with the exception of Sundays, when service stops at 9 p.m. LaRose said privatization would likely result in reduced operating hours and days of operation.
Tram goals
The tram service is funded by the CRA and the monthly costs are partially offset by advertising revenues generated by the trams’ advertising panels. The long-term goal is for advertising revenues to cover 100% of the monthly costs. During the past year, advertising revenues have accounted for slightly more than 50% of the monthly costs.
The primary operational goal for the tram service is to encourage visitors to park in the county-owned Cortez Beach and Coquina Beach parking lots south of Bridge Street and take the trams to and from their desired locations within the CRA district that extends from Fifth Street South to the Cortez Bridge.
Of the two county-owned beach parking areas, Cortez Beach is closer to Bridge Street. LaRose has repeatedly stated that his tram drivers frequently pick up passengers at Cortez Beach but rarely transport passengers to and from Coquina Beach further to the south.
Visitors are encouraged to park at Cortez Beach and ride the trams to their desired destinations within the CRA district. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
LaRose said most rides are generated by personal interactions between tram drivers and those searching for a parking space, people hailing a ride in person or people hailing a ride by phone.
LaRose has repeatedly noted this his drivers frequently turn down requests for rides north of the Cortez Bridge, which remains outside the CRA’s intended tram route.
The long-term vision for the tram service includes installing a dedicated tram path running along the west side of Gulf Drive South from Fifth Street South to the North Coquina boat ramp. The dedicated path would allow tram drivers and passengers to avoid sitting in Gulf Drive traffic.
The tram path – and a dedicated employee parking lot near the Coquina North boat ramp – received preliminary Manatee County Commission support in 2021, but the installation of a tram path remains on hold pending a county pipe replacement project that is expected to significantly disrupt the Cortez Beach parking areas while that work takes place.
Perry said the lack of a dedicated tram path puts the tram service in “a tenuous position for success.”
Angela Rodocker, owner of the BridgeWalk and Silver Surf resorts, has long supported the tram service, while also remaining critical of its operations. She does not support the trams traveling north of the Cortez Bridge and has constantly expressed the need for tram drivers to adhere to a designated route within the CRA district.
Rodocker acknowledged the trams are moving a lot of people around, but she doesn’t think the service is meeting its original objectives. Bradenton Beach Marina owner Mike Bazzy encouraged the board to continue the tram service despite its shortcomings.
“Don’t give up, stay with it,” he said.
To hail a tram, call 941-404-6240. To learn more, visit the tram website.
BRADENTON BEACH – City officials soon will begin negotiating with Easy Parking Group owner Josh LaRose to create a paid parking program on city-owned lots.
The commission unanimously authorized City Attorney Ricinda Perry, Police Chief John Cosby and other members of the city team on Aug. 30 to enter into direct contract negotiations with LaRose to implement a paid parking pilot program that provides the city the ability to evaluate the effectiveness of the initial program before entering into a long-term contract.
“I figured I’d put it on the agenda and see what everyone else’s thoughts are,” Commissioner Jake Spooner said when initiating the paid parking discussion.
“Paid parking can give us a nice stream of revenue without raising the millage or doing other things to raise the funds that are needed,” he added, noting that paid parking revenues could help subsidize the city’s police department.
Commissioner Jake Spooner requested the paid parking discussion. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
As part of his research, Spooner engaged in preliminary discussions with LaRose, who for the past two years has provided the trams and drivers for the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA)-funded Old Town Tram parking shuttle program.
LaRose’s Sarasota-based company provides and manages the paid parking kiosk located in one of the Sandbar restaurant’s overflow parking lots in Anna Maria. He also provides and manages paid parking systems in downtown Sarasota, St. Armands Circle and Venice.
Easy Parking Group owner Josh LaRose presented his paid parking proposal to the city commission. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Spooner said paid parking would help create more turnover and make more parking spaces available to those who visit the CRA district, which includes Bridge Street.
Agreeing with Spooner’s statement, LaRose said a paid parking program would also encourage those who don’t want to pay for parking to park in the nearby Cortez Beach parking lot and use the free Old Town Trams to get to their destinations in the CRA district.
LaRose proposed a pilot program creating paid parking in the city-owned portion of the lot located between First Street North and the backside of the BridgeWalk resort, and the city-owned spaces near the police station and public works building along Highland Avenue.
The city-owned parking spaces near the police station are included in the paid parking proposal. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Spooner suggested the public parking spaces along Bridge Street could also be used for paid parking to help discourage employee parking in those spaces. That option might be presented for future discussion.
Private parking lots generally charge $4.50 to $5 an hour, LaRose said. For Bradenton Beach, he proposed charging $3.50 an hour, which could be increased, decreased or waived as needed with users paying using onsite payment kiosks or their cell phones. Cosby said he liked the idea of potentially increasing the parking rate on certain holidays to help control the number of visitors coming to the city.
LaRose suggested allowing Bradenton Beach residents to park for free or at a discounted rate using their city-issued hurricane re-entry tags or a parking decal to be issued by the city.
“We’re really only taxing the visitors that come here,” he said.
This payment kiosk in the Sandbar restaurant’s overflow parking lot in Anna Maria provides paid public parking for beachgoers and others. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Using a conservative estimate, LaRose said the proposed 56 parking spaces would generate between $240,000 to $343,000 in net revenues per year, depending on whether his company provides a full-time parking ambassador who’s paid an hourly rate to enforce the paid parking.
LaRose said his company uses the same parking enforcement technology that’s used by police departments. He said his company’s enforcement aimed primarily at educating users but can result in boots being placed on vehicles if needed.
The enforcement costs will depend on whether his company receives 100% of the revenues generated by the parking citations issued by his employees, LaRose said. A typical enforcement period is 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., but his company enforces parking in downtown Sarasota until 2 a.m. and in some parking lots, enforcement begins at 8 a.m.
LaRose said there would be no start-up costs or out-of-pocket expenses for the city. He proposes a 50-50 split of the net parking revenues that remain after equipment, signs, enforcement and other expenses are deducted. The city commission favors a 60-40 split. LaRose said the revenue sharing can be further negotiated before an agreement is finalized.
Cosby said it’s important to designate in advance how the paid parking revenues will be spent. He suggested using some of those revenues to replace the aging city hall building. Commissioner Ralph Cole said some of the revenue needs to be used to for additional funding of the city police department that has to deal with the increased enforcement needs created by the large number of visitors coming to Bradenton Beach.
Mayor John Chappie asked if the city is required to put the paid parking services out to bid so other companies can submit proposals. Perry said the city’s procurement policy allows the municipality to enter into direct negotiations with LaRose because he already serves as the CRA’s contracted parking tram provider, adding that the discussions must be conducted in a public setting in accordance with Florida’s Government in the Sunshine Law. Cosby noted the Easy Parking Group is a local company and said he and city staff already have a good working relationship with LaRose.
BRADENTON BEACH – Manatee County has some modifications in mind for the Coquina Beach, Cortez Beach and Bayside Park parking lots.
City and county officials discussed the plan recently when Bradenton Beach Mayor John Chappie, Police Chief John Cosby and Public Works Director Tom Woodard met with Manatee County Commission Chair Kevin Van Ostenbridge, Deputy County Administrator Charlie Bishop, Public Works Director Chad Butzow and Parks and Natural Resources Grounds Operations Manager Carmine DeMilio.
DeMilio summed up those discussions in a video recap that Chappie shared with city commissioners during their Aug. 4 meeting.
In the video, DeMilio details the county’s plans to create an additional overflow parking area near the children’s playground at the southern end of the Coquina Beach parking lot. Those plans include the installation of a split rail fence and the planting of royal palm trees to separate the children’s play area and the overflow parking area.
DeMilio said county staff would manage the overflow parking area and open and close the gates as needed to provide additional beach parking. DeMilio said this modification requires a change work order to the phase 2 drainage and parking lot improvements already taking place in the center section of the beach parking lot. Additional fencing will be installed along the entrance road that runs parallel to Gulf Drive South.
A median will be placed in the Bayside Park parking lot, south of the Coquina South boat ramp. – Manatee County | Submitted
DeMilio said the county also plans to install a median, with parking on both sides, in the unpaved parking lot at the south end of Coquina Bayside Park parking lot, near the Longboat Pass Bridge.
Cortez Beach
DeMilio said the county plans to eliminate automobile parking at the far north end of the Cortez Beach parking lot along Gulf Drive South, between Fourth and Fifth streets south. The county plans to limit that narrow strip of parking spaces to motorcycle and golf cart parking.
The narrow stretch of parking spaces at the north end of the Cortez Beach parking lot will be limited to golf carts, motorcycles and other non-automobiles. – Manatee County | Submitted
To address the issue of tandem parking – cars parking in front of other vehicles – the county plans to install fencing and/or rope bollards that would reduce the depth of the automobile parking areas to 10-12 feet deep, which would only provide space for a single row of automobiles to be parked between the fence and Gulf Drive South.
Fencing or bollards will be installed to reduce the depth of the Cortez Beach parking spaces in order to prevent tandem parking. – Manatee County | Submitted
DeMilio did not specify when the proposed changes would be made to the Coquina Beach, Bayside Park and Cortez Beach parking lots.
Tram path
After watching DeMilio’s video, Chappie commented on the proposed fencing in the Cortez Beach parking lot.
“The idea is to move it back so you cannot tandem park in that area. There’s a big safety concern – not only tandem, but three (vehicles) in a row,” Chappie said.
Chappie said vehicles parked two and three deep reduces access to the multi-use trail and reduces the drivable area between the parked cars and the bike lane along the western edge of Gulf Drive South. Chappie also said the city could create a tow-away zone there to further address tandem parking.
Commissioner Ralph Cole noted the Bradenton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) hopes to one day install along that same stretch of the Cortez Beach parking lot a dedicated path for the CRA-funded Old Town Tram parking shuttle service. Cole asked Chappie to make sure county staff takes that into consideration.
City Attorney Ricinda Perry reiterated the need for county staff to be aware of the desired tram path when planning the Cortez Beach parking lot modifications. She noted former City Engineer Lynn Burnett previously took several measurements in the Cortez Beach area as part of the initial tram path plans informally presented to and tentatively supported by the county commission. Perry suggested using temporary tape to lay out and conceptualize where the tram path might be located.
“I don’t want to lose that tram path,” she said.
Chappie said he would relay those concerns to county staff. The plans previously presented to the county commission include a tram path that extends to the Coquina North boat ramp parking lot and a proposed employee parking lot near the Manatee County Beach Patrol station. That parking lot would be reserved for those who work in and around the Bridge Street/downtown Bradenton Beach business district.
“Commissioner Van Ostenbridge is really enthusiastic about the whole project,” Chappie said.
BRADENTON BEACH – The Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) members want the CRA-funded Old Town Trams to serve more people who park in the Manatee County-owned parking spaces at Cortez Beach and Coquina Beach.
The unpaved Cortez Beach parking spaces are located along the west side of Gulf Drive South, just south of Bridge Street, from Fourth Street South to 13th Street South. The recently paved and soon-to-be-paved parking spaces at Coquina Beach are located at the south end of the city.
The Old Town Tram shuttle service pilot program is now in its second year and the current one-year contract with Joshua LaRose’s EASYParking Group expires in or around November. Before that contract expires, CRA members must decide whether to continue the experimental pilot program, enter into a permanent contract with LaRose, seek another private operator to provide similar services at no expense to the CRA or simply abandon the publicly-funded tram shuttle concept.
The CRA members’ long-term goal is to install a dedicated tram path along the Cortez Beach parking lot to alleviate the need for the trams to travel in the heavy traffic along Gulf Drive.
County officials have expressed preliminary support for a dedicated path and other tram-related amenities, but those plans can’t be pursued until an extensive utility improvement project that includes the Cortez Beach parking lot is completed. According to CRA member John Chappie, county officials have a definitive timetable as to when that project will start and end.
The other long-term goal is for tram advertising revenues to provide all or most of the funds needed to cover the monthly operating costs.
Concerns and solutions
Each month, LaRose provides a report that details ridership, routes traveled and advertising revenues generated.
During the April 6 CRA meeting, LaRose said the trams generated $5,475 in advertising revenues in March, which equates to 57% of the $9,665 monthly costs, with the CRA paying the remaining $4,190 balance.
LaRose said 5,632 passengers rode the two electric trams in March, with tram drivers picking up 169 passengers at the south end of the Coquina Beach parking lot and 1,102 passengers along Cortez Beach.
City attorney and CRA liaison Ricinda Perry noted the 169 passengers picked up from Coquina Beach equaled about five people per day.
“I certainly wouldn’t recommend this board invest more funds into it if it’s not being used,” she said.
Perry said there are more than 1,300 parking spaces available at the nearby county beaches compared to the dozen or so parking spaces near the Bradenton Beach Police Department where the trams frequently travel.
“The objective is to flip those numbers around. I need to know why that’s not happening on the beachside,” she said.
LaRose said his drivers tell him the heavy traffic presents challenges when traveling to the southern beach parking areas and a dedicated tram path would help. He committed to asking his drivers to get feedback from passengers as to why they don’t utilize the beach parking spaces.
Chappie noted the Cortez Beach parking area is three-quarters of a mile long and could be divided into three primary points to load and unload tram passengers. Chappie said the tram drivers should be driving through the Cortez Beach parking lot rather than on Gulf Drive and be looking for additional passengers along the way.
“The last thing the (tram) driver wants to do is get in that traffic,” CRA member Ed Chiles added.
The Old Town Trams operate seven days a week. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Perry asked LaRose what else can be done to encourage people to utilize the Cortez Beach and Coquina Beach parking spaces as originally intended.
LaRose said he could conduct a test run in late April or early May with one of the two carts only traveling between Bridge Street and the beach parking areas. The operating hours have been added to banners that promote the free service and he suggested placing another banner at or near Coquina Beach.
He also said digital QR codes have been created to share with the businesses in the CRA district. Accessed by cell phone, the QR codes will provide instant information about the tram service and how to hail a ride. To request a ride, call 941-404-6240.
The Old Town Trams operate daily between the Cortez Bridge and Coquina Beach from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and from 5-10 p.m.
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – After some big cats in zoos have been shown to not only carry COVID-19, but actually show symptoms, some wonder if their pets are safe.
Zoos from Tampa to Washington D.C. and around the world have been reporting lions and tigers that have not only tested positive for COVID-19, but have shown symptoms very similar to humans, such as respiratory illness. Scientists say it’s much more likely that humans in close contact with the big cats spread the virus to the animals, not vice versa.
An Island Animal Clinic vet in Holmes Beach says COVID-19 poses few risks to pets. – Jason Schaffer | Sun
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report that dogs, cats and ferrets have also tested positive, but the cases are few.
“It appears that there have been a few pets that have been COVID positive, especially in the beginning,” said Dr. Emily Murphy, of the Island Animal Clinic in Holmes Beach. “There were a couple of cases of dogs that they believed were positive, but they were asymptomatic and we haven’t seen much since then. We don’t believe with the numbers we are seeing now that is transmissible to dogs and cats. The big cats in the zoo, yes, but not pets.”
Murphy echoes the CDC, saying the big cats in the zoos have shown respiratory illness that is almost certainly due to COVID, and that the COVID likely was transmitted to the cats through zoo workers who were COVID-positive being in close contact with the animals.
Other pets such as birds, reptiles and rodents appear to have almost no chance of being affected by the pandemic, she said; it also appears unlikely that your dog or cat would be a carrier that would pass the virus on to you or your family after contact with someone who is positive, such as a pet sitter or groomer.
“There hasn’t been anything like that that I know of where that kind of transmission has happened at all, but of course, I’m learning to never say never when it comes to this virus as it continues to change,” she said.
According to Murphy, there is no reason to worry about pet-to-pet transmission on play dates or trips to the groomer. It’s far more likely you will catch COVID from another human than any animal that may interact with your pet. Even though it seems unlikely your pet will have anything to do with the transmission of COVID, both the CDC and Murphy agree it is probably not a good idea to cuddle close to your dog or cat if you are sick with the virus. It is recommended you have someone else take care of your pet while you are positive, just to be on the safe side.
While Shawn Warner said she isn’t worried about her dog, Zeke, getting COVID as he rides shotgun with her in the Old Town Tram golf cart shuttle service in Bradenton Beach, she also is staying on the safe side, just in case. Zeke gets petted, hugged and kissed dozens of times every day they are on duty.
“I will say I take a lot of precautions,” Warner said. “I clean his face just like I do my own. I keep wipes on the cart and clean the steering wheel and seats, as well as Zeke and I.”
BRADENTON BEACH – The Old Town Tram parking shuttle pilot program is being extended for a second year.
Launched last November, funded by the Bradenton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) and supported by local advertisers, the Old Town Trams provide park and ride shuttle service within and around the CRA district that extends south from the Cortez Bridge to Fifth Street South. The service area also includes the county-owned parking lots at Cortez Beach and Coquina Beach, south of the CRA district boundaries.
The purpose of the one-year pilot program was to determine whether a CRA-funded parking shuttle service would work in Bradenton Beach. The goal is to encourage visitors to park at Cortez Beach, Coquina Beach and elsewhere in the CRA district and catch a free ride to their desired destinations in and around the Bridge Street area.
The long-term goal is to create a permanent shuttle service that includes a dedicated tram path along the west side of the Gulf Drive South that connects to Coquina Beach. The long-term vision also includes an employee parking area near the Coquina North boat ramp.
When pursued, the tram path and employee parking area to be located on county property will require county commission approval. The current county commission has already expressed enthusiastic preliminary support for the proposed CRA-funded tram improvements.
During Wednesday’s meeting, CRA member John Chappie said the pursuit of the tram path is on hold until after Manatee County completes a pending sewer line replacement project along Gulf Drive South that will temporarily disrupt the Cortez Beach parking areas.
City Attorney Ricinda Perry told CRA members the one-year pilot program contract with Joshua LaRose’s EasyParking Group expires in November. She said the board needed to decide if it wanted to let the pilot program expire, extend the pilot program for another year or enter into a long-term contract that would provide LaRose five continuous one-year service terms.
Joshua LaRose’s EasyParking Group provides the Old Town Tram trams and drivers. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Perry noted the extension of the pilot program would require LaRose’s consent, which he gave.
After much discussion, the members voted 7-0 in favor of extending the pilot program. Perry will present a new one-year pilot program contract at the board’s October meeting. The CRA and LaRose will both maintain their existing rights to discontinue the program at any time, with proper notice given.
Program objectives
Since launching the Old Town Tram service, the CRA members have repeatedly emphasized two primary objectives – that advertising revenues eventually cover all or most of the monthly costs, and that the tram drivers stay within the designated tram route and not travel north of the Cortez Bridge, which is outside of the CRA district and the tram route.
Each month, LaRose submits an invoice for services provided and monthly ridership reports. During Wednesday’s meeting, the CRA members approved the $4,580 invoice LaRose submitted for August. The invoice states advertisers covered $4,775 (51%) of the $9,335 monthly total owed, and that LaRose is currently waiting on two additional advertisers to finalize their advertising agreements.
According to LaRose’s report, the Old Tram Trams had 1,846 riders in August and 535 of those rides were the result of riders using the 941-404-6240 phone number to hail a ride.
Board discussion
Chappie said he’s not in favor of entering into a long-term contract yet. He suggested extending the pilot program for another year to provide more time to evaluate it. Chappie also said he’d like to see LaRose put forth an even greater effort to secure additional advertisers who place ads on one or both of the electric trams.
CRA Chair Ralph Cole said, “I think we need to look at it a little more because issues keep coming up. I see a lot of people using it, so it is a fairly good service. I’m not willing to jump into a five-year contract until I know that it’s absolutely right and running the way we want it to run. The consistency of the stops, that’s one of the things that’s really important.”
CRA member Jake Spooner said, “I think it’s working really well even as it stands today. Our bill this month is $4,580. Without getting the additional advertisers, you’re looking at four grand a month. Of all the things we do in the CRA district, parking is the main problem. If we can help solve the parking with $48,000 a year, I think we’ve made a major stride in finding a solution. To stop it now, when we’re still working out the kinks and building momentum, would be a big mistake.”
LaRose said, “I feel confident that we can fix all the bugs and make it a success, I just didn’t want the advertising part to all fall on me and be a reason that it’s not successful.”
This map illustrates the designated Old Town Tram route. – EasyParking Group | Submitted
Board member David Bell noted the shuttle service was originally intended to transport riders to and from Coquina Beach to the Bridge Street area. According to LaRose’s monthly reports, that is not yet happening on a regular basis.
“This project, as originally proposed and conceived, is a failure. It’s not going to Coquina. It’s not bringing people back from Coquina, but I think it’s really still valuable,” Bell said.
LaRose has said previously that there simply hasn’t been much demand for tram rides to, or from, Coquina Beach.
Bell asked LaRose if he thought the tram route should be extended north of the Cortez Bridge.
LaRose said the route could be extended north to the area near the Wicked Cantina and Gulf Drive Café restaurants, but he doesn’t recommend going much further north than that.
“Our goal has always been to increase activity and bring more people to the CRA district without them bringing their cars. I’d like to have us look at expanding the service area, maybe even with more vehicles, and seeing if maybe we can connect the city better,” Bell said.
BRADENTON BEACH – The Old Town Tram continues to make progress in ridership, route consistency and advertising revenues.
The Bradenton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) contracts Joshua LaRose and his Sarasota-based EasyParking Group to provide two electric trams, the tram drivers and the support services for the park-and-ride shuttle program. The pilot program is an attempt to address the lack of parking that exists in and around the Bridge Street area.
With a financial commitment of slightly more than $100,000, the CRA-funded one-year pilot program for a park-and-ride shuttle service was launched in November. The program currently employs two electric trams in the CRA district, which extends from the Cortez Bridge to Fifth Street South. As part of the designated route, the trams also travel outside of the CRA district boundaries to transport passengers who park in the county-owned Cortez Beach parking lot along the west side of Gulf Drive, from Fifth Street South to 13th Street South.
The pilot program encourages visitors to park at Cortez Beach and elsewhere in the CRA district and utilize the free tram service to get to and from the businesses and attractions along Bridge Street and elsewhere in the CRA district. The tram route also encompasses the parking areas near the Bradenton Beach police station and the Bradenton Beach Marina, at city hall after normal business hours, along Bridge Street and near the Bridge Street Pier.
Ridership and revenues
While attending the Wednesday, June 2 CRA meeting by phone, LaRose said the Old Town Trams provided 4,393 rides in May, and 737 of those rides were to or from the Cortez Beach parking area. He said the peak ridership was on Sundays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Fridays.
At the end of each month, LaRose submits an invoice to the CRA for the monthly services provided. The invoices average approximately $9,000 per month before the advertising revenues generated by signage placed on the trams are deducted. LaRose receives the advertising revenues directly and deducts those revenues from the monthly payment sought from the CRA.
The May invoice totaled $9,200. The amount to be paid by the CRA was $6,225 after the subtraction of $2,975 in advertising revenues. LaRose said he expects to receive an additional $1,800 to $1,900 in June when the Bridge Tender Inn, the Bradenton Beach merchants group and an unnamed ice cream shop join the existing tram advertisers.
LaRose said the anticipated addition of those three new advertisers and securing additional advertisers to fill the remaining ad spaces would produce advertising revenues that would cover approximately 85-90% of the tram program’s total monthly operating costs. If that happens, The Old Town Tram program would be close to achieving the financial self-sufficiency envisioned by the CRA members when they approved the pilot program.
“Congratulations CRA board,” CRA member Ed Chiles said of the progress being made.
Call for a ride
LaRose said the direct phone line available for those seeking rides generated 1,045 calls hailing rides in May. That’s in addition to the riders who simply grab a ride when a tram passes by every seven to 15 minutes or so. To arrange a free ride within the CRA district, call 941-404-6240.
The tram route map is posted at the Old Town Tram website. – EasyParking Group | Submitted
The Old Town Trams operate from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday. On Sunday, the service stops at 9 p.m. The route map and more information can be found at the Old Town Tram website.
Banner criticism
During Wednesday’s meeting, the CRA members briefly discussed a text message Mayor John Chappie and others received from Bradenton Beach resident and business owner Mike Norman. Norman’s text pertained to the tram banner installed earlier this year at the intersection of Gulf Drive and Cortez Road. Additional banners were placed near the Cortez Beach parking area and near the east end of the Cortez Bridge.
This Old Town Tram banner is located at the Cortez Road/Gulf Drive intersection. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
In his text message, Norman referred to the banner design as “stupid.”
“It says ‘park and ride.’ Park where? Ride where?” Norman stated in his text message that also questioned who came up with the banner design.
Norman’s text message included a sketch for a sign he feels would be more informative. His sketch features the words “Plenty of free parking” with an arrow pointing south. Below that, appear the words, “At Coquina Bch. Ride the Free Tram to Bridge St.”
Bradenton Beach resident Mike Norman suggested this design for future tram banners or signs. – Mike Norman | Submitted
The trams are authorized to travel all the way to Coquina Beach, but the demand for rides that far south has thus far been low, according to LaRose.
Regarding the banners, City Attorney Ricinda Perry said she, LaRose, BridgeWalk resort owner Angela Rodocker and Rodocker’s husband worked on the banner design at no cost to the city. She also noted Rodocker placed that same design and information on a billboard along Cortez Road at no cost to the city.
“This was the decision the board went with based upon on all of that labor,” Perry said of the banner design. “We have at least one individual who feels it’s not directing folks to where the tram is actually located, and he does not care for the look of the banner that’s out there.”
Perry referenced Norman’s proposed sign design and said his suggestions could be taken into consideration if and when the CRA members decide to install permanent tram signs.
“If it’s working right now, we need to just leave it, and down the line maybe something more permanent,” CRA Chair Ralph Cole said.
BRADENTON BEACH – Banners are now in place as part of the Bradenton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency’s (CRA) ongoing efforts to make more people aware of the free Old Town Tram service.
The free park-and-ride shuttle service is provided within the CRA district that extends from the Cortez Bridge to Fifth Street South and includes the Bridge Street business district.
One banner is at the entrance to the city at the west end of the Cortez Bridge. Another is south of the Gulf Drive/Bridge Street roundabout at the Fourth Street South intersection that marks the north end of the Cortez Beach parking lot, where drivers are encouraged to park and catch the free tram to their destination.
This Old Town Tram banner is located just north of the Cortez Beach parking lot, which is among the locations serviced by the free trams. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
A third banner is located near the east end of the Cortez Bridge in hopes of catching the eyes of folks headed over the bridge and into Bradenton Beach.
The free electric trams also serve the parking areas near the Bradenton Beach Police Station and the Bradenton Beach Marina, the city hall parking lot after normal business hours, Bridge Street, the Bridge Street Pier and elsewhere throughout the CRA district.
The Old Town Trams make frequent passes by the Cortez Beach parking lot south of the Bridge Street/Gulf Drive intersection. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Traveling a designated route, a tram is expected to pass by any given point along the route every 10 minutes or so – and the ringing of a ship’s bell signals a tram’s approach.
Upon parking, pickup can also be arranged by calling 941-404-6240. More information, including a tram route map, is available online.
BRADENTON BEACH – The Old Town Tram parking shuttle program has reached an early crossroads in terms of advertising revenues, route consistency and other concerns.
Launched as an experimental pilot program in mid-November, the Old Town Trams are funded by the Bradenton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA). Implemented to help address the lack of parking on and around Bridge Street, the program uses two electric trams provided for a monthly fee by the Sarasota-based EasyParking Group, owned by Joshua LaRose.
Lower-than-anticipated advertising revenues, inconsistent travel routes, passenger safety and the lack of signage and promotion were among the concerns expressed during the Feb. 3 CRA meeting. During the meeting, LaRose, the CRA members and City Attorney Ricinda Perry spent more than two hours discussing the tram program, with additional public input provided by Bradenton Beach business owners Angela Rodocker and Walter Loos.
The discussion stemmed partially from the $7,370 invoice the CRA received from LaRose for his January services. The invoice included a single $900 deduction for advertising fees received from the Anna Maria Oyster Bar, and it noted an additional $575 in ad revenues expected from Rodocker beginning in February.
When approving the long-discussed pilot program last year, the CRA members expressed hope that ad revenues generated by the trams’ advertising panels would cover the monthly operating costs. CRA members included more than $100,000 in the CRA’s 2020-21 fiscal year budget for the one-year pilot program that will determine whether the parking tram service becomes permanent or is discontinued. The CRA receives $450,000 to $500,000 per year in property tax-related revenues.
Advertising revenues
Because the CRA currently receives 100% of the tram-generated advertising revenues, LaRose assumed the CRA or the city would seek out advertisers and he would simply help close the requested advertising contracts. In contrast, the CRA members and Perry assumed those responsibilities fell more squarely upon LaRose. The CRA members said the advertising duties should be LaRose’s responsibility because his company stands to benefit the most from the long-term success of the tram program.
EasyParking Group owner Joshua LaRose appeared before the CRA board on Feb. 3. – Submitted
LaRose said he does not have a staff member who can dedicate significant time to the pursuit of advertisers. He said such an employee would result in unbudgeted labor expenses not accounted for in his CRA contract.
Perry said she would try to provide LaRose with additional potential advertisers and LaRose agreed to put forth more effort closing out recommended advertising contracts. LaRose said he expects to close out contracts with several business owners he’s already spoken to and he hopes those revenues will be reflected in next month’s invoice. Those interested in advertising on the Old Town Trams can call 941-404-6240.
Route consistency
As they did in January, CRA members again expressed concerns about the tram drivers not following a designated tram route that services the CRA district, which extends from the south side of the Cortez Bridge to the southernmost property lines along Fifth Street South. These concerns include tram drivers straying north of the Cortez Bridge.
The program intends to encourage motorists to park in the county-owned parking spaces at Cortez Beach – south of the Bridge Street roundabout, along Gulf Drive between Fourth Street South and 13th Street South – and catch a tram to the Bridge Street business district. Monthly data provided by LaRose indicates January ridership was heavier near the police station, the Bradenton Beach Marina, city hall and the Daiquiri Deck than it was at Cortez Beach.
Signs and promotion
The CRA members authorized up to $700 to be spent on banners and signs they hope will make motorists more aware of the available parking tram program. The CRA hopes to place one banner at the entrance to the city at the west end of the Cortez Bridge, one or two banners along the Cortez Beach parking areas and possibly another banner near the southern entrance to the city used by those arriving from Longboat Key.
This route map indicates where the Old Town Trams are supposed to travel. – EasyParking Group | Submitted
Proposed sign locations include the parking areas near the police station and the marina, at city hall, along Bridge Street, near the Bridge Street Pier entrance and at Cortez Beach.
LaRose said he’s also publishing printed promotional materials that include a tram route map, which he hopes to have distributed at the local businesses.
Public comment
Rodocker has consistently supported the parking tram program, but during the Feb. 3 meeting, she offered a critical analysis of the existing problems and the corrective actions needed.
“Josh, you’ve got to understand the purpose of this whole project is simply to move people who come to the Island and can’t find a place to park,” she said, noting there’s still a sense of confusion as to who the tram program is designed for.
Regarding route consistency, Rodocker said, “It has to run the same route, whether people are there or not. The first time I wait for that tram and it never comes, I don’t trust it. I’ll never, ever use it again. Make sure the system is run exactly the same, every minute of every hour of every day. It’s going to fail if we don’t.”
Rodocker agrees signs and banners will help. She also feels there should be a dedicated website that is specific to the Old Town Trams in Bradenton Beach and clearly states what the service is for. The CRA trams are currently promoted at the www.oldtowntram.com website that also promotes LaRose’s tram operations in Siesta Key and Venice. According to Perry, the trams are supposed to run from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Rodocker said tram drivers who stray off-course and travel north of Cortez Road should be fired if that continues. She also said she’s seen Old Town Trams carrying more passengers than allowed and has witnessed two tram drivers sitting idle and chatting instead of circling the designated tram route.
“If I don’t see that running its route regularly, I’m going to tell the city they’re wasting their money with you,” Rodocker told LaRose.
“We need this to be successful, but we have to understand this is to move people who can’t find parking,” she said, noting the free trolley provides free transportation for those not in need of a place to park a vehicle.
After noting CRA funds can only be used for projects that benefit and enhance the CRA district, CRA Chair Ralph Cole said, “That’s why we need to pinpoint the exact route.”
CRA member Jake Spooner offered to research a tram-mounted GPS tracking system that would allow LaRose and the CRA members to identify where the trams travel. It was also suggested that a phone or web application be developed that allows users to locate the trams in real-time.
When providing his input, Loos said, “Looking at it from a user experience, and what it is currently, I wouldn’t use the service. Many of the businesses want to see this succeed, but we need to find a way to educate our visitors and make sure the overall experience is visitor-friendly – and that they know there’s a service that can take them from where they want to go and help them identify proper parking.”
LaRose and the CRA members left the meeting expressing hope that the concerns discussed can be addressed as this work in progress continues.
