They’ll be coming round the island when they come.
Funding for the construction of roundabouts at some Anna Maria Island intersections could be available in 2030, according to the Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization’s 2020-45 long-range plan.
Roundabouts could come sooner depending on the timing of the Florida Department of Transportation “Complete Streets” project studies and municipal undertakings in Holmes Beach.
According to the cost-feasible outline of the MPO’s long-range plan, three island intersections could receive roundabout construction funding in 2030:
- Cortez Road at Gulf Drive in Bradenton Beach;
- East Bay Drive at Manatee Avenue in Holmes Beach;
- Gulf Drive at Manatee Avenue in Holmes Beach.
Inclusion in the outline does not guarantee the roundabouts will be built, said MPO executive director David Hutchinson, and plans could change based on future intersection improvement evaluations.
For two intersections, East Bay Drive at Manatee Avenue and Gulf Drive at Manatee Avenue, the DOT is looking to implement improvements — which could include roundabouts — in conjunction with the new Anna Maria Island Bridge, according to DOT communications specialist Brian Rick.
Funding for the 65-foot-clearance fixed-span replacement bridge is not budgeted, but could go into the DOT’s 10-year work plan, Rick said in an April 21 email to The Islander.
The DOT has programmed a 2024-25 “Complete Streets” project study for the length of Gulf Drive in Bradenton Beach.
The study, which would include roundabout feasibility at the intersection of Cortez Road and Gulf Drive — just west of the Cortez Bridge — could be conducted sooner based on the outcome of DOT discussions slated for July.
The Barrier Islands Traffic Study — a 2017-19 DOT analysis of traffic congestion on the islands — found that another Holmes Beach intersection, East Bay Drive at Gulf Drive, would benefit from roundabout construction and recommended the DOT conduct a cost-benefit analysis.
Officials and planners have discussed installing roundabouts at other Holmes Beach intersections, including 52nd Street at Gulf Drive; Marina Drive at Gulf Drive; and Key Royale Drive/66th Street at Palm Drive/Marina Drive.
Since the intersections are outside the DOT’s jurisdiction, no state or federal funds are expected for those improvements, Hutchinson said.
The BITS study determined no improvements should be made to the intersection of 52nd Street and Gulf Drive due to low traffic volume on the side street and recommended the intersection at Marina and Gulf drives undergo a roundabout cost-benefit evaluation.
According to Rick, Holmes Beach is conducting a roundabout study for Key Royale Drive at Palm Drive.
Holmes Beach Police Chief William Tokajer — who is advocating for roundabouts at all the signal intersections in Holmes Beach — said June 2 that installing a roundabout at Marina and Gulf would require the city to purchase land from businesses that border the intersection.
“I know they’re going to be doing a drainage project there this year, which is going to incorporate changing the way those lanes go in that area to make it safer, but that’s basically putting a Band-Aid on until they can acquire the land,” he said.
Funding for a “Complete Streets” project in Holmes Beach from 27th Street North to Palm Drive/Gulf Drive is included in the MPO’s cost-feasible plan, with construction tentatively slated for 2040.
The project could result in the DOT allocating funds for a Holmes Beach roundabout feasibility analysis but not construction.
Moving the project into its beginning stages was included on the MPO’s 2020 project priority list but omitted from the 2021 list.
The DOT takes MPO project priority lists into account when developing work programs.
According to Tokajer, roundabouts offer several advantages over traffic lights.
Hurricanes can knock traffic lights out of commission, causing headaches for motorists and police officers, he said.
Some of the traffic lights on the island are not remote-controlled, meaning they can’t easily be adjusted to accommodate traffic surges, he added.
“Roundabouts keep traffic flowing,” Tokajer said. “And when you remove the traffic signals and put in a roundabout, then you don’t have to worry about the lights or the maintenance of the lights or putting an officer out there in harm’s way trying to direct traffic during a storm.”
Connecting improvements
The BITS study recommended changes to lanes and traffic signal timing at the intersections of Manatee Avenue and 75th Street and Cortez Road at 75th Street, both on the mainland.
On Longboat Key, the study recommended cost-benefit evaluations be conducted for roundabout installation at the intersections of Gulf of Mexico Drive at Broadway Street and Gulf of Mexico Drive at Longboat Club Road.
The MPO included moving forward with roundabout studies at both intersections in its 2021 project priority list.