TO: Honorable Mayor & Members of the North Port Commission
FROM: Peter D. Lear, CPA, CGMA, City Manager
TITLE: Endorsement of Proposed Project Funding to The Sarasota-Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization in a Prioritized Order
Recommended Action
Approve endorsement of Proposed Project Funding to the Sarasota-Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization in a prioritized order.
Background Information
Sarasota County, Manatee County, and the cities therein, are asked each year to submit projects considered priorities to the Sarasota-Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). Last year, the City Commission endorsed the following project fund applications, prioritized in the order they are listed:
• Price Boulevard Widening, Sumter Boulevard to North Port High School/Heron Creek Middle School
• Biscayne Drive Bicycle Lanes Extension, Glenallen Boulevard to Ponce de Leon Boulevard
• Ponce de Leon Boulevard Bicycle Lanes, Biscayne Drive to Tropicaire Boulevard
None of the above three projects were approved for funding last year. The 2018 list of projects includes these same three projects, prioritized in the same order as before, plus two additional projects of importance, in the following prioritized order:
• I-75 Interchange at Yorkshire Street - Federal funding, which is expected to become available, focuses on economic benefit. The City’s Activity Center 6 is proposed for future industrial related development. The importance of this interchange to the City’s future growth is emphasized, by this ranking from the City Commission, and improves the interchange’s potential for federal funding.
• River Road Widening, US41 to I-75 - Sarasota County is negotiating the transfer of River Road to the Florida Department of Transportation. The segment of River Road from US41 to I-75 is heavily used by North Port residents commuting to work in areas north of the City. The City of North Port endorses the improvement to River Road.
• Price Boulevard Widening, Sumter Boulevard to North Port High School/Heron Creek Middle School. The project will reconstruct this segment from a two lane/two direction undivided roadway to a four-lane divided roadway with a raised center median, curb and gutter, within the existing right-of-way. Sidewalks, bicycle lanes and Sarasota County Area Transit stops will be included in the roadway. The existing bridge over the Myakkahatchee Creek will be replaced with a new four-lane bridge. The four-lane roadway will transition to the existing two-lane roadway, directly west of the driveways of the North Port High School and Heron Creek Middle School used by the buses at the west end of these properties. A traffic signal warrant study will be conducted for the Price Boulevard/Spring Haven Drive intersection during design. A traffic signal assembly will be added if warranted. A total amount of $29,850,000 from the Preliminary Design and Environmental phase through Construction is being requested, reference Attachment 1.
• Biscayne Drive Bicycle Lanes Extension, Glenallen Boulevard to Ponce de Leon Boulevard. The design of an extension of the existing bicycle lanes on Biscayne Drive, from Elyton Drive to Glenallen Boulevard, is currently advertised for proposals. This project funding application will continue the bicycle lanes to Ponce de Leon Boulevard. A total amount of $2,256,000 from the Preliminary Design and Environmental Phase through Construction is being requested, reference Attachment 2.
• Ponce de Leon Boulevard Bicycle Lanes, Biscayne Drive to Tropicaire Boulevard. The existing I-75 overpass has paved shoulders that will accommodate six feet wide buffered bicycle lanes. This project would connect to the Tropicaire Boulevard Multi-Use Path, Ponce de Leon Boulevard to Toledo Blade Boulevard, Project - the design of which is currently advertised for proposals. A total amount of $5,620,000 from the Preliminary Design and Environmental Phase through Construction is being requested, reference Attachment 3.
Strategic Plan
Maintained/Upgraded/Expanded City Infrastructure
Financial Impact
N/A
Procurement
N/A
Attachments:
1. Price Boulevard Widening, Sumter Boulevard to North Port High School/Heron Creek Middle School Fund Application
2. Biscayne Drive Bicycle Lanes, Glenallen Boulevard to Ponce de Leon Boulevard Fund Application
3. Ponce de Leon Boulevard Bicycle Lanes, Biscayne Drive to Tropicaire Boulevard Fund Application
4. Power Point Presentation
Prepared by: Benjamin Newman, P.E., Projects Engineer
Department Director: Juliana B. Bellia