Traffic and Transportation in Sarasota

Traffic has never been as bad a problem as it is today in Sarasota, Florida. What was once a sleepy tourist town has become built up and crowded due to an increase in hotels and residents. The population grew over twelve hundred percent between World War II and today. With the increase in population came suburban subdivisions, shopping malls, golf courses, and crowded beaches.

Sarasota has enjoyed a huge increase in tourism which has fueled the growth of the city. In 2016 2.7 million tourists came to the city, spending over $1.7 billion, generating over $20 million in tax revenue. While this is exciting the bad traffic situation could lead to a decrease in tourism if visitors can not get around easily. There are three solutions to this problem that can be put up for consideration.

Solution One

• Create more roads, highways, and parking lots. While this can help solve the problem, it has many downfalls. For example, expanding the coverage of roads and highways would greatly impact our natural environment. Much of the growth of tourism is because of our natural beauty and environment and this will hurt our economy of Sarasota.

Solution Two

• Enlarging existing roads and highways. This will allow for better traffic flow and accommodate more vehicles. The revenue from tourism can help pay for this improvement, however it will result in many roads and highways undergoing construction, which will increase even more traffic problems until the roads themselves are finished. Still, it is not guaranteed that this method will work

Solution Three

• Alternate forms of transportation including public transportation, biking, walking, etc. This I feel is the best option because if done properly there will be minimal disruption of the city and tourist areas. It will reduce traffic dramatically, but it isn't guaranteed that everyone will listen. But if public transportation, using the existing roads, is designed with the tourist and the residence in mind it can provide a simple way to avoid traffic, parking problems, and aggravation as they move around the city. This will also be very good for the environment by reducing the amount of fumes coming from vehicles.

Sarasota is a beautiful city with a lot to offer but we must find a way to solve our serious traffic and transportation problem. I recommend alternate forms of transportation.

Citations

• Tomer, Adie. “A Look at Sarasota's Growing Traffic Problem.” Sarasota Magazine, 1 May 2015, www.sarasotamagazine.com/articles/2015/5/1/a-look-at-sarasotas-growing-traf.... Accessed 28 Sept. 2017.
• Kelleher, Larry A. “OPINION: Sarasota Traffic Congestion.” Sarasota History Alive!, Sarasota County Historical Resources, www.sarasotahistoryalive.com/history/articles/opinion-sarasota-traffic-cong....
• Conway, David. “Sarasota Scores Record Tourism Numbers | Sarasota.” Your Observer, Your Observer, 19 Apr. 2017, www.yourobserver.com/article/sarasota-scores-record-tourism-numbers.