SARASOTA — Sarasota County transportation managers want to cut out its fixed routes to North Port, Engelwood and Venice.
Commissioners will be asked today to approve Sarasota County Area Transit's new bus plan that eliminates the fixed local routes for South County.
Instead, SCAT wants to establish "Mobility-On-Demand" service, similar to Charlotte County's Dial-A-Ride system where people call for door-to-door bus service.
"The new service plan offers additional choices and flexibility (for riders) to get around their communities," said Jane Grogg, interim SCAT director, on Tuesday. SCAT's disadvantage transit services will remain in place, serving all of Sarasota County, including South County.
SCAT managers developed the plan after a review of the existing bus existing system, identifying "low-performing routes" and other inefficiencies. SCAT expects to save $3.5 million in its operations.
SCAT's fixed route buses will be concentrated in the city of Sarasota and North County. However, one fixed route will travel along U.S. 41 from downtown Sarasota south to North Port.
The purple areas on the map show where county officials want to switch from fixed routes to "mobility on demand" bus service. The dark lines are the eliminated routes, and the yellow line is the route that will remain, if commissioners approve the plan on Wednesday.
SCAT and Charlotte County Transit officials have started talking about overlaying services across the Sarasota-Charlotte county line in Englewood, Grogg said.
Elaine Miller, a member of the Englewood Community Redevelopment Agency Advisory Board, has been a proponent of improved transit service in the Englewood area. The fixed route service in Englewood suffered from a dearth of looped routes, inconsistencies, seasonal services that affected year-round residents.
The Mobility-On-Demand system must be responsive and practical for its riders, Miller suggested. Grogg said SCAT aspires to provide the service within 30 minutes.
"A 30-minute window for pickup could satisfy ridership," Miller said.
The Sarasota County Commission meeting is scheduled 9 a.m. today in the commission chambers of 1660 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota. Meeting can be viewed on the county's Facebook page. For more information, visit www.scgov.net.
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