from the desk of:
Tom Barwin
Sarasota City Manager
February 21, 2020
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Thank you for reading this week's edition! If you have questions, comments or suggestions for topics, please contact us directly: 941-263-6402 or
CityNews@SarasotaFL.Gov
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City Commission Workshop
Monday, Feb. 24 - 5 p.m.
City Hall - Commission Chambers
Special City Commission
Monday, Feb. 24 - 7 p.m.
City Hall - Commission Chambers
Firefighters' Pension Plan Board of Trustees
Wednesday, Feb. 26 - 9 a.m.
City Hall - Commission Chambers
Police Complaint Committee
Wednesday, Feb. 26 - 5:30 p.m.
City Hall Annex - SRQ Media Room
Police Officers' Pension Plan Board of Trustees
Friday, Feb. 28 - 8:15 a.m.
City Hall - Commission Chambers
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Great news for pedestrians, bicyclists and those seeking a healthier option to move between downtown and St. Armands Key! The new 10-foot-wide multi-use recreational trail (MURT) was recently completed on the south side of John Ringling Boulevard, and already it’s being used by bikers, walkers and runners. More walkers and bikers, less cars. Wonderful to see!
Next up for the project: a new water main will be installed, then a 10-foot-wide sidewalk will be constructed on the north side of John Ringling Boulevard. For approximately the next two weeks, dump trucks will be in and out of the area doing earth work, removing soil and bringing in suitable fill for the project. This will necessitate temporary early morning safety measures on the outside westbound lane along Coon Key. Once again, we will require the contractor to start early in the morning and reopen all lanes by early afternoon, well before afternoon traffic and rush hour. Staff will monitor the 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. lane closure and adjust as needed.
Once the trail is built, crews will turn their attention to landscaping the area with new native trees and shrubs. The project is on track to be completed by September 2020.
Feel free to take a sneak peek at the new trail on the south side and let us know what you think. It’s so inviting for walkers and bicyclists! If you're able, you may just want to leave the car behind when heading to St. Armands!
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US 41-Fruitville Rd. Roundabout: Traffic Pattern Change in Early March
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We shared in the last edition of Weekly Briefs that as part of the US 41-Fruitville Road roundabout project, custom-made materials to help improve stormwater flow have been fabricated and are en route to Sarasota. The complex process to place these super-sized concrete box-culvert sections five feet beneath US 41 will begin soon. When the initial stage of that critical infrastructure installation is completed, the new traffic patterns the community has been advised about will go into effect over a two-day period, including:
- Shifting NB and SB US 41 to temporary diversion lanes just west of US 41 near Fruitville Rd.
- Removing the traffic signal at US 41-Fruitville Rd. (which will allow traffic to flow without signalized interruption). The traffic signal will remain flashing yellow prior to removing it.
- Temporarily closing WB Fruitville Rd. between Cocoanut Ave. and US 41
- Returning the third left turn lane from EB Gulfstream Ave. to NB US 41
During weekly and sometimes daily meetings between the contractor, City staff and others, the contractor is expressing that they will meet their construction schedule and the new traffic patterns should be in place in early March. Construction timetables can be fluid, though, depending upon the arrival of necessary materials, weather, and unforeseen issues, particularly when working underground.
One week prior to the new traffic patterns occurring, multiple electronic message boards in the surrounding area will alert drivers of the upcoming changes.
Many people are subscribing to receive updates via the project website
www.US41FruitvilleRoundabout.com,
and we encourage you to do so to get the latest information directly to your inbox.
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Crews are building a diversion west of the US 41-Fruitville Road intersection to allow north and southbound traffic to continue to flow while the roundabout is constructed to the east. The bypass will open in early March.
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Crosswalk Safety: HAWK How-To
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The new roundabouts under construction along US 41 were conceptualized nearly two decades ago by the community as the most advantageous method to safely move traffic and increasing numbers of pedestrians and cyclists, while connecting downtown and the Bayfront. To do this, a series of roundabouts was designed to work together to reduce speeds, increase traffic flow and enhance overall safety.
When a traditional intersection is replaced with a modern roundabout, conflict points for motorists are reduced by 75 percent. And, for pedestrians, potential conflicts are cut in half, making roundabouts a much safer option.
The new roundabouts will feature crosswalks with HAWK signals. A High Intensity Activated Crosswalk signal functions differently than a traditional crosswalk. About a year ago, FDOT installed a HAWK signal on US 41 near First Street to help pedestrians safely cross from the west side of US 41 near the Westin, Ritz, and Vue to downtown.
The HAWK signals work well
when used properly
. Pedestrians need to press a “walk” button in two locations: one located along the sidewalk, the other in the pedestrian island. And, drivers need to stop or yield properly.
We’re hearing from the Sarasota Police Department's Traffic Unit that some motorists and pedestrians are unfamiliar with this relatively new system, which can cause unnecessary traffic delays or safety risks. The SPD produced a helpful tutorial, which you can watch below.
Here are the key points for motorists:
1.
When the overhead lights are solid red, motorists must stop
2.
When the overhead lights are flashing red, motorists must yield, then can proceed with caution
3.
There is no green light.
High volumes of pedestrian crossings at this HAWK signal and the traditional crosswalk at Sunset Drive can also impact vehicle flow. Staff are monitoring these areas and will coordinate with FDOT and the regional traffic management office to facilitate possibly adjusting pedestrian wait times during peak traffic hours.
In the meantime, we encourage you to watch this video about HAWK signals. In the coming months, look for roundabout education specifically tailor-made for the new roundabouts on US 41.
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YouTube Video: How to use a HAWK signal
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Oaklands/Woodlawn Cemetery - Restoration Update
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Over the past several years, the City has taken an active role in the restoration of the historic Oaklands/Woodlawn Cemetery. Established in 1910 as the first burial ground for this region’s African American residents, the cemetery is the final resting site for more than 1,200 residents of Sarasota and surrounding cities and counties, including numerous veterans of World War I, World War II, Vietnam and other conflicts. But, the cemetery had fallen into serious disrepair in recent times.
In 2016, the City Commission oversaw the transfer of the property’s ownership to the City and funded various projects that would inventory and restore the headstones and burial vaults, beautify the property and create a safe and respectful place worthy of those buried there and their families.
The Booker High School Junior ROTC program has also unofficially adopted the property. The students have spent time helping to clean up the grave sites, and for this year’s service project, they created and installed a memorial marker dedicated to all veterans who lie there in rest.
The school hosted a special ceremony earlier this week to commemorate the new marker and bring together young people, veterans and community members at this historic site, fittingly during Black History Month. The ceremony included remarks from Mayor Jen Ahearn-Koch and Commissioner Willie Charles Shaw, who can trace his own family history to several of the veterans who are buried at Oaklands/Woodlawn.
Commissioner Shaw will host a day of remembrance and reflection at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23, at the cemetery, 1037 Gillespie Ave., for citizens and family members whose loved ones are buried there.
Next year, the JROTC students plan to install a flagpole adjacent to the new marker, which will only add to the tranquil ambiance and patriotic spirit of this important community landmark.
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CEO Course - Starts March 24
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Applications are now being accepted for budding entrepreneurs interested in delving deeper into the world of business and learning what it takes to make it as a small business owner. The Community Entrepreneur Opportunity (CEO) course offers a chance for business-minded individuals to assess their entrepreneurial skills, business concepts and marketing strategies. Through a mix of classroom training and mentoring, students will learn about management plans, financials, and competitive analysis, to help determine their business acuity and next steps as a new or aspiring entrepreneur.
Over the past 15 years, the CEO program has graduated 400+ students who went on to be part or full-time entrepreneurs.
The next CEO course is slated to begin Tuesday, March 24, with classes held each Tuesday night from 6 to 9 p.m. at CareerSource Suncoast in Sarasota.
Through the generosity of Wells Fargo Bank, the course is free and hosted by CareerSource Suncoast in partnership with the City of Sarasota.
A course application is
available online
. For more information please contact
Rowena Elliott
in the Office of Economic Development: 941-263-6000 ext. 36284.
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Sister Cities – New Relationship Underway
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Did you know that Sarasota has six Sister Cities - Dunfermline, Scotland; Perpignan, France; Xiamen, China; Vladimir, Russia; Tel Mond, Israel; Merida, Mexico? Sister Cities Association of Sarasota (SCAS) facilitates projects, including exchanges and other activities between citizens in Sarasota and these cities. We call it “citizen diplomacy.” Before a city gains “Sister City” status, the two Cities go through a “Friendship” phase and as of Feb. 1, Busseto, Italy joins Rapperswil-Jona, Switzerland as our newest Friendship City.
Busseto is the home of famed Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi, and it took Maestro Victor DeRenzi and the Sarasota Opera 28 years to complete Verdi’s full canon of work. Maestro DeRenzi initiated and collaborated with the Sister Cities Association of Sarasota to begin a Sister City relationship between Busseto and Sarasota.
To commemorate this exciting new relationship and the Sarasota Opera’s contribution to the creative exchange of music, art, and culture in our community and around the globe, the Maestro and the Opera will be awarded the One World Award at the March 29 “One World Gala.”
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John Fogerty
Friday, Feb. 21
Les Miserables
Feb. 26 - 28
Russian National Ballet: Cinderella
Tuesday, March 3
Celtic Woman
Wednesday, March 4
ABBA The Concert
Thursday, March 5
Georgia On My Mind: Celebrating the Music of Ray Charles
Sunday, March 8
Josh Groban
Monday, March 9
The Color Purple
Tuesday, March 10
Paul Anka Sings Sinatra
Wednesday, March 11
An American in Paris
Monday, March 16
The Choir of Man
Tuesday, March 17
John Pizzarelli and Catherine Russell
Wednesday, March 18
America
Thursday, March 19
Harry Connick Jr. - True Love: An Intimate Performance
Friday, March 20
Itzhak Perlman in Recital
Saturday, March 21
An Intimate Evening with David Foster: Hitman Tour Feat. Katherine McPhee
Sunday, March 22
Up, Up, and Away starring Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr.
Tuesday, March 24
An Evening with Bruce Hornsby
Sunday, March 29
To purchase tickets over the phone call 941-953-3368 or stop by the Box Office at 777 N.Tamiami Trail.
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"Sarasota Scene"
Norm Schimmel
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