Bridge openings may be changing, but not so soon.
Hoping to ease traffic congestion, island mayors and local transportation officials are a step closer to asking the U.S. Coast Guard to re-evaluate the scheduled openings of three bascule bridges that link Anna Maria Island to the mainland and Longboat Key.
Mike Howe, executive director of the Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization, said his office is preparing a letter asking the Coast Guard to initiate a review based on bridge counts, and asking that the three island bridges be limited to opening only twice an hour, year round.
Currently the bridges can be opened on demand from boaters twice an hour during season, Jan. 15-April 15, and up to three times an hour April 16-Jan. 14.
Mayors Dan Murphy of Anna Maria, Bill Shearon of Bradenton Beach and Bob Johnson of Holmes Beach comprise the Island Transportation Planning Organization. It meets up to eight times a year with MPO executive staff to discuss the agenda for upcoming MPO meetings and to give Shearon, the ITPO’s representative to the MPO, consensus for how to vote on issues that affect Anna Maria Island.
The mayors reached consensus April 20 to have Howe complete the letter and prepare a resolution.
The mayors will consider the resolution after Howe meets with the Florida Department of Transportation, which will act as the MPO/ITPO sponsor in relation to the Coast Guard.
Howe said he also will take the proposal to the Longboat Key Town Commission, which would be impacted by openings and closings at the Longboat Pass Bridge, linking motorists to Bradenton Beach.
The other two bridges affected by the proposal are Cortez Bridge on Cortez Road/State Road 684 and Anna Maria Island Bridge on Manatee Avenue/State Road 64.
“It would be extremely beneficial for all three of our commissions to adopt that resolution,” Shearon said. “I know that Longboat Key is very receptive to the process.”
Shearon added that Howe also should seek an endorsement of the proposal from the Manatee County Commission. Howe agreed.
“If things go smoothly, potentially by next season we could have something implemented,” Howe said.
Johnson suggested asking the Coast Guard to consider allowing even fewer bridge openings for holiday weekends, as well as during festivals and severe weather events.
Shearon, a former live-aboard boater, said unscheduled closings may prove difficult to achieve because the Coast Guard’s “Notice to Mariners,” a document/website that provides bridge schedules.
Shearon’s life partner, Tjet Martin of Bradenton Beach, attended the meeting and told the board that some bridge openings on the east coast of Florida are limited to once every 90 minutes.
Martin said the east coast bridge tenders told them, “‘You might as well anchor and have some breakfast because it doesn’t open till after rush hour.’”
The ITPO will meet next at 2 p.m. Monday, June 22, at city hall in Holmes Beach, 5801 Marina Drive.