VENICE – City residents – mostly those along Bayshore and La Guna Drive – offered opinions at a July 7 meeting about the construction of a sidewalk that could ultimately connect existing sidewalks along Harbor Drive with one along Tarpon Center Drive.
In 2017 the city started to build a sidewalk on a portion of the narrow neighborhood street which is popular with cyclists, as well as motorists seeking a shortcut to the beach and made even more dangerous because of lawn maintenance vehicles parked in the right-of-way.
Neighborhood input at previous meetings – including one in 2024 – identified the stretch from Tarpon Street north to Bayshore Circle as the most dangerous stretch, and the city had initially targeted that area for a sidewalk.
But in February that morphed into a new plan to explore building a longer sidewalk instead of what had been characterized by some as a “sidewalk to nowhere.”
Previous studies noted that a sidewalk on the west side could be connected to Bayside Drive, Baycrest Drive and Park Lane Drive.
Residents on the west side of the road echoed previous comments that they are more opposed to construction in front of their homes, citing everything from a loss of privacy to decreased property values and increased liability insurance costs.
Sidewalk touted as a need for safety
Sam Humphreys said one option she’d heard being discussed – widening the roadway by three feet on either side but not creating sidewalks– would not make things safer for pedestrians.
“We’re still going to be out there on the road playing dodge car,” she said. “That’s not safe.”
Bayshore Circle resident Ed Eliopoulos agreed and said that for him and his wife Cindy it’s a pedestrian safety issue.
“As residents here from Bayshore Circle, we regularly walk, bike and drive Bayshore Drive and La Guna – many of our walks include our three grandsons, aged 4, 2 and 4 months, which we did this past weekend.
“Safety for pedestrians is a top priority. We have had far too many close calls while walking and biking,” added Eliopoulos, who has lived or vacationed in Venice since 1976 and noted that while the demographic and population on the island of Venice has changed, the infrastructure has not kept up, especially with Bayshore and La Guna one of only three main thoroughfares for those seeking to drive west to the beach.
Traffic calming suggested as an appropriate solution
Other residents suggested more traffic calming, such in the spring of 2017, to slow traffic.
Bayshore Drive resident Kevin McKiernan suggested the city look into speed bumps and an electronic sign that would tell motorists how fast they are going – the posted speed limit is 25 mph.
In 2017, the cost of a sidewalk connecting Harbor Drive to Tarpon Center Drive was estimated at $1.5 million.
That led to council to suggest to staff to first focus on the stretch of road north of Harbor Drive until the intersection with Bayside Drive to the west and Bayshore Circle.
What’s next?
Next steps include consultant DMK associates to consider suggestions – including those from Monday’s meeting – to prepare a summary report.
That summary report would be the basis of a resident survey that would be both mailed to impacted residents and available online.
Assistant City Manager James Clinch said the direction from the City Council was for staff and consultant DMK Associates to find a solution that would solve the perceived safety problem and provide the least disruption.
“We’re balancing the safety concerns with protecting the character of your neighborhood,” Clinch said. “And we don’t want to rush that.”
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Bayshore Drive residents offer options as Venice contemplates new sidewalk for safety
Reporting by Earle Kimel, Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
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