Siesta Key trolley slated for 2017

Siesta Key won’t receive its long-awaited trolley service for Christmas, but a company may be operating an open-air transit option as season picks up in 2017.

Sarasota County has officially started collecting bids to test out the new transportation alternative, which would have a route stretching from the Village to Turtle Beach, according to solicitation documents. County staff aim to award a six-month contract after the bidding closes Dec. 28, and the service is slated to start 30 days after the contract is finalized.

The route will have between 22 and 26 stops depending on whether it is traveling northbound or southbound, with a bulk of pick-ups along Midnight Pass Road. If the service is successful, the county may add another six months to the contract and continue employing the chosen transit firm month-by-month thereafter.

The Siesta Key Village Association has been pushing for a trolley for at least the last 15 years to alleviate parking and traffic issues on the island.

Village Association board member Russell Matthes, who co-owns Daiquiri Deck Raw Bar, said in a previous interview with the Sarasota Observer that businesses should reach out to condo owners to encourage ridership — even before the trolley gets rolling.

Long term, Matthes said he hopes service on and off of the Key is added to the trolley service. For now, though, he’s focusing on ensuring any new transportation option attracts enough riders in the short term to make expansion a possibility.

“This is great news if we can get ridership out here,” he said.