Ted Sperling Park MURT underway after 12 years of planning

Twelve years after it first appeared on Sarasota County’s capital improvement project radar, a multiuse recreational trail at Ted Sperling Nature Park is expected to begin development this year. The $1.96 million project will provide multimodal connectivity between the park and South Lido Beach, completing connectivity for pedestrians and bicyclists to South Lido from downtown Sarasota via the Ringling Bridge.

At 10 feet in width, the 4,500-foot-long MURT will consist of boardwalks and asphalt pavement to accommodate cyclists, skaters, walkers and runners. The project is funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Treasury through the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities and Revived Economies Act, with the exception of $88,000 in project management costs, which will be funded by impact fees.

“It is going to provide access to South Lido Beach. It is going to move people off the road. It is going to allow walkers the bikers to gain access to that trail and to the beach,” said Shawn Yeager, senior manager of Sarasota Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources, overseeing parks programming and stewardship. “Also, it’s going to connect with an existing multiuse recreational trail that begins in downtown, goes across the Ringling Bridge, through St. Armands Circle and meanders its way down toward Lido. This is going to be a natural connection that will provide opportunities for folks to walk or bike all the way from downtown to that beach.”

The distance of the multiuse trail from Bayfront Park to South Lido Beach Park is approximately 4 miles, on average about 21 minutes by bike.

The MURT will also offer trail capacity for additional visitors who ride the Bay Runner to its southern terminus at Ted Sperling Park. Launched in February, the free trolley service runs from downtown Sarasota to South Lido Beach.

Lido Key resident and 2022 Sarasota City Commission candidate Carl Shoffstall has been involved in discussions about the MURT extensions on the islands as a member of the city's Parks, Recreation and Environmental Advisory Board. 

“They got Bird Key done. Then they did the stretch from Ben Franklin Drive down to the to the Lido Pavilion and then they stopped because of the finances," Shoffstall said. "I think it's great. It's really needed. The biggest thing is it’s going to connect the entire city. Our residents out here can can walk or bike down there and they can go around the entire the entire circumference of the park on this trail. It's just more more access to the park for public use."

In 2016, the County Commission authorized the county administrator to develop a RESTORE Act multiyear implementation plan to fund the project. With the bulk of the funding now in place, planning is underway with anticipated completion by spring or summer 2024. Stantec Consulting Services is designing the trail project.

Headquartered in Edmonton, Canada, Stantec provides consulting services in planning, engineering, landscape architecture, surveying, environmental sciences and project management. The company operates an office at 6920 Professional Parkway E., Lakewood Ranch.

In addition to the project management fee, the budget for the trail includes $400,000 for design and engineering and $1.47 million for construction. Already in place is $1.06 million with the remaining $445,061 scheduled to be funded in fiscal year 2023.

Yaeger came to Sarasota in 2016 with the project planning well underway. He credits the groundwork that began in 2010 for recognizing the future needs of the community and beginning the process ahead of the curve.

“I think my predecessor in this position really had some excellent forethought in thinking about these things and what kind of connections we're going to need based on increased traffic flow and visitation,” Yaeger said. “Sarasota is an amazing place to visit and it’s only getting bigger.”

On May 31, city staff and representatives of Stantec walked the site, effectively kicking off the design and engineering phase.

“It's going to take a little while, but we want to make sure that it's done right, especially through that park and that habitat,” Yaeger said. “We want to provide the best experience possible for the user while also balancing the natural resource management and protection of the habitat and wildlife there.”