Traffic, Village parking on Tuesday's agenda

Town Commissioners on Tuesday are expected to discuss several transportation issues that have taken center stage in recent weeks.

Because of Monday’s Presidents Day holiday, the commission is convening its regular workshop meeting at 1 p.m. Tuesday in the commission chambers of Town Hall.

Among the items on the agenda, continuing discussions of barrier island traffic congestion and parking in Longbeach Village.

Town staff is expected to bring to the commission  a list of goals, areas of focus and action steps to implement over the next two months to facilitate communication advances and advocate for traffic-mitigation solutions. .

The goals:

• Utilize available traffic data to measure traffic conditions and related impacts from projects or changes in traffic patterns.
•  Institutionalize a process through which the town receives notification by local governments and Florida Department of Transportation during the maintenance of traffic planning stages of related construction projects. Staff will then facilitate a discussion on potential mitigation techniques.
• Institutionalize a process for notification of special, or annual events that may impact traffic between the barrier island and mainland.
• Advocate for off-season scheduling for construction or maintenance projects, night working hours, and reducing overlap of projects, etc.
• Seek collaboration and support from other affected communities (St. Armands Key, Lido Key, Bird Key, Bradenton Beach)

Among the action steps the town is proposing:

• Inventory current construction projects that may affect traffic on Longboat Key
• Inventory projects to come that may affect traffic on Longboat Key
• Request agencies to include Longboat Key in their notification checklist.
• Identify traffic data source options and associated costs/resources to analyze and report on traffic conditions and effects.
• Meet with representatives from Lido Key, St. Armands Key and Bird Key to discuss joint advocacy on traffic congestion issues.
• Meet with FDOT and city of Sarasota to discuss current projects and projected schedule for future roundabout projects.
• Meet with representatives from Bradenton Beach and Manatee County to discuss current and planned projects, and projected schedules
• Continue participation in Metropolitan Planning Organization to advocate for implementation of Barrier Island related improvements.
• Continue participation  in MPO Barrier Island Traffic Study Technical Committee to monitor and review efforts to implement BITS recommendations.

Commissioners will also hear from town staff on ongoing examinations of traffic and parking issues in Longbeach Village. Residents in a neighborhood poll have sought a system for resident-only parking in the historic neighborhood. Over the previous 11 months, Commissioners have made several changes to parking and traffic in the enclave, such as expanded no parking zones, a prohibition on overnight parking, banning the use of public parking by private valet services, lower speed limits on Broadway Street and other changes.

As the town inventories available street parking in the village and its uses, it also is beginning to look at resident-only arrangements in areas of St. Augustine and Miramar. Additionally, Town Commissioners have expressed a desire to monitor the effects of a new parking lot under construction by The Chiles Group for Mar Vista Dockside employees and valet services and a parking rrangement between owners of Whitney Plaza and The Shore.

 A system of four-way stops along Broadway Street has also been proposed by residents. Town staff is also evaluating that option and will report back to Commissioners.