Sarasota's Boulevard of the Arts, 10th Street could become "complete streets"

Sarasota’s Boulevard of the Arts and 10th Street would be transformed to promote safer travel under a plan the city is developing.

An 11-foot-wide “flex sidewalk space” would be built on Boulevard of Arts, for example. The wide sidewalk would be welcoming to pedestrians and would allow for outdoor restaurant seating.

This is part of the city of Sarasota’s plan to build “complete streets” on Boulevard of the Arts from Sarasota Bay to Orange Avenue and on 10th Street from U.S. 41 to Orange.

A “complete street” refers to an age-friendly street design that promotes safe travel to and from a destination, whether you walk, bike, drive or use public transportation, according to a city press release.

“It’s also accessible to all who utilize it and provides a sense of place for the community,” the city of Sarasota said.

The city revealed draft concepts for the two streets at open houses on Monday. The concepts take into account the results of a survey that more than 1,000 people completed in February, according to Corinne Arriaga, the city’s transportation planner.

Survey respondents wanted the city to focus on the pedestrian experience on Boulevard of the Arts, Arriaga said. So the city’s consultant, Kimley-Horn and Associates, developed a design for the street that includes a “flex sidewalk space.”

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In regard to 10th Street, survey respondents wanted the street to have safe multi-modal options, Arriaga said. Kimley-Horn developed a design for the street that includes protected bike lanes and eight-foot-wide sidewalks. The consultants also are proposing building a roundabout at the intersection of North Orange Avenue and 10th Street.

The streets will also have shade trees and other landscaping. Arriaga said that individuals who weren’t able to attend Monday’s open houses can still provide input on the designs by completing an online form.

She said that staff will update the City Commission on the project at a meeting this summer, and the commission will provide direction on the next steps. The project’s completion date is to be determined, according to Arriaga.

These improvements will take place in an area that’s undergoing other transformations as well. Just south of Boulevard of the Arts is the Quay Sarasota, a waterfront district that will include upscale residential units, hotel rooms, office space and commercial space. The boulevard is also at the southern end of The Bay Park, a project that’s turning 53 acres of Sarasota’s bayfront into an urban oasis.

Anne Snabes covers city and county government for the Herald-Tribune. You can contact her at asnabes@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter at @a_snabes.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Improvements could be coming to Boulevard of the Arts, 10th Street