Our Mission
We are a group of community members working towards a network of safe, sustainable, and equitable transportation throughout the Sarasota area. We believe moving throughout our beautiful city should be easy and enjoyable for everyone, regardless of what mode of transportation they choose. Together as a community, we can hold officials accountable, and create the political will to transform the way we get around town.
Our Goals
Improved Transit Service
Transit in northern Sarasota County may be a sufficient mode of local transportation during the day for residents without personal vehicles, although a lack of funding from state and county sources prevents Breeze from reaching its full potential. Transit in Sarasota should compete with driving by being fast, frequent, streamlined, extensive, and by operating during late nights and early mornings. Projects like express buses to North Port, Tampa, and Saint Petersburg would help Sarasotans access economic opportunities throughout the Tampa Bay region, although achieving this level of service requires significant commitment and funding from county, state, and local government.
Safer Street Design
Ranking as the 4th most dangerous metropolitan area in the United States for pedestrians in 2019, much of Sarasota’s traffic violence can be attributed to street design philosophies that prioritize the speed and throughput of motor vehicles over the lives of vulnerable road users. Although the City of Sarasota has launched a Complete Streets campaign encompassing projects such as Ringling Blvd or Shade Ave, county and state efforts have been inadequate to improve traffic safety in the greater area - especially for vulnerable road users. Officials must step up and prioritize the safety of all road users over the movement of single occupant vehicles.
Sustainable Development Practices
With rising costs of living in and around our downtown area, opportunities for housing, work, and leisure are sprawling further and further from our existing urban infrastructure. This not only makes it difficult for people to access these new opportunities, but it also places a burden on our taxpayers, who are forced to pay for the expansion of vital public services into low-density areas where resources will not be used as effectively. The removal of parking minimums, setback requirements, and single family zoning throughout Sarasota County will create thousands of new housing units in areas where transportation infrastructure already exists.