The SHS MURT* 2019 - 2024
(the West Side Path around Sarasota High School)
and East Side pedestrian/bike enhancements
April 2024, the SHS MURT (multi-use path) around Sarasota High School, a pedestrian mitigation project that the School Dept committed itself to, in conjunction with the 2019 permanent closure of School Ave, is essentially, finally, complete.
HISTORY OF PROJECT
With the permanent closure of School Ave through the SHS campus in 2019, SHS became a half-mile-wide "mega-block" that not only impacted car traffic thru the neighborhood, but negatively impacted pedestrian and bicyclist access, causing, for pedestrians especially, significant impacts.
The School District committed to design and construct pedestrian/cyclist mitigation, including a MURT (multi-use recreational trail*) along the west side of SHS, plus some East-side enhancements along Hatton/Shade/TamiSola Streets.
West Side improvements (MURT) Original commitment in InterLocal Agreement allowed 3 years (until approx. Aug 2022) for completion.
With the permanent closure of School Ave through the SHS campus in 2019, SHS became a half-mile-wide "mega-block" that not only impacted car traffic thru the neighborhood, but negatively impacted pedestrian and bicyclist access, causing, for pedestrians especially, significant impacts.
The School District committed to design and construct pedestrian/cyclist mitigation, including a MURT (multi-use recreational trail*) along the west side of SHS, plus some East-side enhancements along Hatton/Shade/TamiSola Streets.
West Side improvements (MURT) Original commitment in InterLocal Agreement allowed 3 years (until approx. Aug 2022) for completion.
April 2024 UPDATE: Widening of the sidewalk in front of the Sarasota Art Museum (old SHS building) is completed. FDOT legal & permitting issues of an unbelievably complex nature between the School District and FDOT took nearly a year!This is the final phase of this pedestrian mitigation project, the SHS MURT (multi use recreational trail), the commitment made by the School Dept back in 2019 when they permanently closed School Ave.
December 9, 2022 update:
The "cut-thru" ped/bike path joining the Bahia Vista parking lot, by Circus Arts, to the Tamiami Trail lot, is constructed, landscaped and fenced. They have striped A BICYCLE LANE right in the parking lot, from the sidewalk along Trail, past the Museum entrance, to join to that back section.
About the sidewalk-in-front-of-Museum portion, still PENDING. 10/9/2023 they await FDOT issuing permits.
This portion of the project consists of widening / rebuilding the existing sidewalk along US41 / Trail in front of the Ringling College museum campus. Numerous legal and permitting complications have included:
-Utility Easements-Frontier was the last to submit Utility Interest Documents to Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) on 11/30/22. All others have been submitted.
-Ringling had a title encumbrance on the outparcel directly to the north which had to be cleared in order to submit to DOT. This took significant time to research, update, record and clear, and required our attorney and theirs.
-The City had to approve an Ordinance for a Subordination Agreement-As of 12/6/22, it was approved and was being processed for signatures.
All of the required documents have been submitted to FDOT and the CM (Tandem) is prepared to re-mobilize upon receipt of the permit. It will take Tandem 2-3 months from permit to complete the work. Materials have been ordered and are ready to go, with the exception of the light poles which have been ordered and are expected to be delivered in late February (2023).
[Editor note] You would not BELIEVE the amount of bureaucracy this project, along a FDOT roadway, has involved. I give credit to Project Manager DuBose, who has been forthcoming with providing information, including multiple email threads back&forth with FDOT with an astounding complexity of details involved: legal title issues, recording fees and tax payments from Ringling and School Board, copies of docs instead of originals, docs printed on the wrong size paper, etc. I mean, including some absurd, seemingly-ridiculous roadblocks!
The "cut-thru" ped/bike path joining the Bahia Vista parking lot, by Circus Arts, to the Tamiami Trail lot, is constructed, landscaped and fenced. They have striped A BICYCLE LANE right in the parking lot, from the sidewalk along Trail, past the Museum entrance, to join to that back section.
About the sidewalk-in-front-of-Museum portion, still PENDING. 10/9/2023 they await FDOT issuing permits.
This portion of the project consists of widening / rebuilding the existing sidewalk along US41 / Trail in front of the Ringling College museum campus. Numerous legal and permitting complications have included:
-Utility Easements-Frontier was the last to submit Utility Interest Documents to Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) on 11/30/22. All others have been submitted.
-Ringling had a title encumbrance on the outparcel directly to the north which had to be cleared in order to submit to DOT. This took significant time to research, update, record and clear, and required our attorney and theirs.
-The City had to approve an Ordinance for a Subordination Agreement-As of 12/6/22, it was approved and was being processed for signatures.
All of the required documents have been submitted to FDOT and the CM (Tandem) is prepared to re-mobilize upon receipt of the permit. It will take Tandem 2-3 months from permit to complete the work. Materials have been ordered and are ready to go, with the exception of the light poles which have been ordered and are expected to be delivered in late February (2023).
[Editor note] You would not BELIEVE the amount of bureaucracy this project, along a FDOT roadway, has involved. I give credit to Project Manager DuBose, who has been forthcoming with providing information, including multiple email threads back&forth with FDOT with an astounding complexity of details involved: legal title issues, recording fees and tax payments from Ringling and School Board, copies of docs instead of originals, docs printed on the wrong size paper, etc. I mean, including some absurd, seemingly-ridiculous roadblocks!
June 2022 update: construction work has begun on section east of retaining pond, just north of Circus.
January 2022 Update: The City gave permission to delay construction, until After "Season" is over, that is, after Easter 2022 (so as to not obstruct Sarasota Art Museum attendance during Season).
Each succeeding year, at the annual Convocation of Sarasota Governments meeting (City, County, & Schools), our City Commissioner Ahern-Koch has requested updates...
January 2022 Update: The City gave permission to delay construction, until After "Season" is over, that is, after Easter 2022 (so as to not obstruct Sarasota Art Museum attendance during Season).
Each succeeding year, at the annual Convocation of Sarasota Governments meeting (City, County, & Schools), our City Commissioner Ahern-Koch has requested updates...
March 2021 Update: The "MURT" (west-side improvements) planning has reached 90% design stage. This was brought to City Commission on March 15 specifically to request a few very specific changes from plans approved in 2019 per ILA (inter-local agreement). Details to be changed: tree buffer along the US41 section between roadway and sidewalk was denied by FDOT, which is the governing entity for US41. In 2019 trees were planned both as shade amenity and as buffer between pedestrian way and busy highway. Shade trees now to be installed to the east side of sidewalk instead. Discussion ensued on Ringling College objecting to trees due to "visually obscuring" the admittedly-lovely museum building, and art pieces in the Great Lawn, from highway users. A compromise of the addition of a low shrub buffer between sidewalk and road was added, although Ringling College objects to that too, on the basis of it falling under their maintenance responsibility, which they wish to avoid. Tree location change, with decrease of number of trees (removed trees will be installed elsewhere on path), plus a low shrub highway buffer, was approved. It was determined that no amendment to ILA would be required.
Trees planned are mostly Bucida, a.k.a. black olive var. Shady Lady, a widely-used, fairly short tree; shrub buffer to be native coontie. The MURT along the US41 portion also consists of doubling the width of the current sidewalk.
For details, see City Meetings webpage, Regular City Commission meeting March 15 agenda (Item IX.1), which includes 37-pg backup document; Page 3 shows detailed site plan for MURT (above).
Trees planned are mostly Bucida, a.k.a. black olive var. Shady Lady, a widely-used, fairly short tree; shrub buffer to be native coontie. The MURT along the US41 portion also consists of doubling the width of the current sidewalk.
For details, see City Meetings webpage, Regular City Commission meeting March 15 agenda (Item IX.1), which includes 37-pg backup document; Page 3 shows detailed site plan for MURT (above).
Contacts: Ernie Dubose is now in charge of these projects for the School District; Dan Ohrenstein, for the City.
East Side improvements Update: completed in 2021.
- Sidewalk segment improvements on Hatton St, Shade Ave and Tami Sola St. (The sidewalk improvements are intended to support what is necessary for someone in a wheelchair to traverse the perimeter of this part of the campus.)
- New driveway aprons on Hatton St and Tami Sola St (construction expected to start spring break--March 15)
- Sharrows ("share the road" markings) and signage on Shade Ave
- Crosswalks and ADA ramps at the intersection of School Ave and Hatton St
- 3 new sidewalk benches.
A Very Brief History of the Project
In conjunction with the permanent closure (vacation) of School Ave through the SHS campus (effective 8/19/2019), the School District committed to design and construct pedestrian/cyclist mitigation, including a MURT (multi-use recreational trail) along the west side of SHS, plus enhancements along Hatton/Shade/TamiSola.
An initial, informal walk-about of the perimeter of SHS campus, east side and west, happened in 2017 with a few neighborhood residents and Ryan Chapdelain, City, and Kathy Ebaugh, School District, to look at suggestions for improvements to the perimeter, should the campus become a mega-block through the proposed vacation of the block of School Ave. Community Workshops were held at SHS in 2018 for interactive discussion. Alternatives to vacating School Ave had been widely discussed in public meetings, and vacation of the street was finally approved.
Further features, requested by neigborhood representatives, include landscaping (shade trees), benches, lighting, & other such design improvements; these will be contingent on funds remaining; School Board offered to commit $3million to this project.
BTW, the City, as part of their long-range mobility planning, is considering making Shade Avenue into a "complete street," which could mean a more robust design for bicycling than sharrows. This is THEORETICAL & not approved in planning.
In conjunction with the permanent closure (vacation) of School Ave through the SHS campus (effective 8/19/2019), the School District committed to design and construct pedestrian/cyclist mitigation, including a MURT (multi-use recreational trail) along the west side of SHS, plus enhancements along Hatton/Shade/TamiSola.
An initial, informal walk-about of the perimeter of SHS campus, east side and west, happened in 2017 with a few neighborhood residents and Ryan Chapdelain, City, and Kathy Ebaugh, School District, to look at suggestions for improvements to the perimeter, should the campus become a mega-block through the proposed vacation of the block of School Ave. Community Workshops were held at SHS in 2018 for interactive discussion. Alternatives to vacating School Ave had been widely discussed in public meetings, and vacation of the street was finally approved.
Further features, requested by neigborhood representatives, include landscaping (shade trees), benches, lighting, & other such design improvements; these will be contingent on funds remaining; School Board offered to commit $3million to this project.
BTW, the City, as part of their long-range mobility planning, is considering making Shade Avenue into a "complete street," which could mean a more robust design for bicycling than sharrows. This is THEORETICAL & not approved in planning.
* [Editor note: A "MURT" is a multi-use recreational trail. I feel this is misleading, as it implies that bicycle and pedestrian traffic is solely a recreational function, not an integral transportation sector.]
The images above show the route of the MURT. 2019 plans include
(1) installing a sidewalk along Browning St to US41, (sidewalk has already been installed on North side of Browning) (2) replacing the narrow sidewalk along US41, from Browning to the big parking lot south of the SAM (art museum/old high school building), with a safe and attractive streetscape for bikes and peds, (3) moving the existing fence and gate on the west side of SHS to enable public access "across the moat" to the west side of the Paul Rudolph wing (outside the hardened perimeter of the school buildings), (4) installing paved pathway between the big parking lot / Euclid stormwater canal retention pond and SHS west wall, and (5-6) installing & improving access between Circus Arts and the Bahia Vista SHS parking lot to Bahia Vista Street. The original School District offer was for the north portion of the path to run between the SAM buildings and the SHS stadium (not along US41), however District nixed that design for various reasons. Also agreed to is an MOU by the School Board committing to keep the MURT open to the public 24/7. |
Some Additional, even older, notes
Jan 2020 update: At the Jan 17, 2020, Convocation of Sarasota Governments meeting, Jody Dumas assured me that planning is in progress for the MURT as well as for east-side sidewalk improvements, as discussed during last year's School Ave vacate meetings. In fact, 3 of our City Commissioners brought up questions regarding the progress of this. Mr. Dumas and Tim Enos, head of Schools Police Department, also assured me that they are in the process of implementing the new perimeter fencing project, including tweaking many weaknesses that were cited during last year's vacate meetings. Their City point person contact is City Engineer Dan Ohrenstein. Mr. Dumas expects the School Board will have information to communicate with residents sometime in February 2020 (perhaps a workshop). [did not happen]
Update on Bahia Vista pedestrian crossing near East Ave. At the 2020 convocation, City Commissioner Ahern-Koch also brought up the safety concern of the pedestrian crossing on Bahia Vista (from SHS to Midtown Plaza), a very-heavily used SHS student route at SHS dismissal time to Panera. Subsequently, in October 2020, the County issued a comprehensive report, Sarasota County School Zone Crossings Study: State of the System and Recommendations, analyzing signage and needed changes for all schools; this report did not recommend changes to this crossing. Bahia Vista Street is (apparently; there is some discrepancy in the Report) under the responsibility of the County, not City.
2022 Update: crossing request buttons & blinking warning lights have been installed here.