(A little) good news on the traffic front …

It’s almost shocking news.

For years and years and years, we have harped on officialdom’s lack of any attempts to ameliorate the annual annoying traffic backups on the roads connecting St. Armands Key and Siesta Key to the mainland — especially the former.

But lo and behold, the Florida Department of Transportation — the overseer of the John Ringling Causeway, Ringling Bridge and State Road 789, which goes through St. Armands Circle to Longboat Key — announced this week it would begin posting crossing guards in St. Armands Circle with the intent to improve the flow of traffic.

At last. Even if it is just a 25-day trial and a tiny step, we’ll take it. Finally, some action. 

But while FDOT revealed that good news, there are other aspects of the downtown traffic scene that lets some air out of any glee over the crossing guards:

n FDOT is scheduled to shut down one lane of the Coon Key Bridge leading into St. Armands, starting April 4 and extending into July. Why start at the end of high season? FDOT says it cannot control start dates. “The projects go forward once the money is available,” says Robin Stublen, FDOT spokesman. 

n But topping that continues to be the talk of converting a portion of Fruitville Road from four lanes to two lanes near downtown.

Maybe that’s a good idea; who knows. It doesn’t sound like it. 

But here’s the bigger point: That idea seems to be apart from the bigger picture. As 500 new hotel rooms downtown open; as the Vue, Jewel, Sansara, De Marcay and other new condominiums open downtown and on Golden Gate Point; as the Quay property and Van Wezel are redeveloped; and as Lakewood Ranch South grows east of Interstate 75, how will the downtown road network accommodate the future growth?

FDOT and city and county planners should be creating simulations and strategies to deal with all of that.