Island mayors are raising questions about resiliency on the Palma Sola Causeway, which was closed to traffic due to flooding associated with Hurricane Idalia.
Bradenton Beach Mayor John Chappie asked Sept. 11 whether the Florida Department of Transportation or the Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization plan to look at the viability of the causeway.
Chappie raised the issue during a meeting of the Island Transportation Planning Organization at Anna Maria City Hall.
The ITPO consists of the island mayors, who meet prior to a meeting of the MPO, a regional transportation group that was scheduled to convene Sept. 18 in Sarasota. The chair of the ITPO serves as a voting member of the MPO and, currently, Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy is chair.
Idalia passed the region Aug. 29-30, coinciding with a king tide that brought flooding on many local roads and shut down the causeway.
“It exposed a real problem,” Chappie said, noting the causeway is one of three approaches to the island.
He asked whether plans exist to elevate or fortify the causeway, a low stretch of Manatee Avenue/State Road 64 on Palma Sola Bay.
“We’re seeing considerably more washout,” said Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth. “It looks like it’s time to get it on a schedule.”
MPO executive director David Hutchinson said the causeway, as a bridge approach, is a high priority — “one of a number of high priorities.”
In other matters
- The island mayors raised questions about transportation funding apportioned based on U.S. Census numbers, pointing out that the island’s transient — vacationing — population is higher than its residential population.
How, the mayors asked, can the island get its share of federal infrastructure dollars when, for example, 70%-75% of Anna Maria’s dwellings are vacation rentals?
“There’s demands on infrastructure. There’s demands on service and it’s left to the locals to provide all of those things,” Chappie said.
- Reviewed a DOT regional safety plan to add pedestrian sensors on drawbridges, including the Anna Maria Island, Cortez and Longboat Pass bridges.
- Briefly discussed an ongoing vision plan for Cortez Road in part to address safety and congestion.
“It’s still kind of a dangerous place to walk, ride a bike, even drive,” Hutchinson said.
- The island mayors asked Florida Department of Transportation representative Pamela Barr to look into the status of several projects and programs, including crosswalk improvements and planned Complete Streets work in Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach.
Complete Streets is a smart-growth approach to planning, designing, building, operating and maintaining streets taking pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders into consideration.
“When will it get started?” asked Chappie, who was expecting action in fiscal 2023-24.
Hutchinson responded, “I think it got pushed out to 2025.”
Titsworth said, “We’re in a pickle about how this keeps getting pushed. … We can’t wait any longer.”
The mayor said the city might need to forge ahead.
But Barr made a note to check on the status.
Hutchinson said Anna Maria’s request to opt out of the Complete Streets effort was approved.
- Titsworth asked Barr whether the DOT was asked by Manatee County to conduct a traffic study for a proposed parking garage at Manatee Public Beach, located at the intersection of two state roads — State Road 64 and State Road 789.
“I’d like an update if the state has been tasked,” she said. “It’s going to be dumping at your road.”
- Titsworth said she was asking Manatee County to install lighting at trolley shelters.
“Solar is getting pretty popular,” she said.
- Holmes Beach city engineer Sage Kamiya said the City Center construction project was 95% complete, with pavement markings and some safety elements still to come.
- Murphy said Anna Maria was doing more design work on its “Reimagining Pine” project to incorporate improvements on Magnolia and Spring avenues in addition to Pine Avenue.
He expected plans by the end of October and then to put the project out for bids.
The next ITPO meeting will be Monday, Nov. 4, at Anna Maria City Hall, 10005 Gulf Drive.
About the MPO
The Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization is the regional transportation planning entity for Sarasota and Manatee counties.
MPOs are established through interlocal agreements to provide a process for governments within the region to coordinate with the Florida Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration.
The MPO is governed by a 17-member apportioned board comprised of elected officials representing both counties, nine cities and a representative of the Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority.
The island cities are represented on the board by the chair of the Island Transportation Planning Organization, currently Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy.
For more information, go online to mympo.org.
Did you know?
Between 1951 and 1956, a channel dredge resulted in spoil deposited to create the causeway and toll plaza for State Road 64/Manatee Avenue and the new Anna Maria Island Bridge.