North-South Corridor Alternatives Analysis
Sarasota County Area Transit (SCAT) is completing an alternatives analysis to examine bus transit service improvements designed to connect major employment and activity centers in a traffic-congested, north-south corridor. The corridor begins in the north around Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, serves downtown Sarasota, and connects to Sarasota Memorial Hospital and areas beyond to the south.

The Bus Rapid Transit investment in this north-south corridor is aimed at fulfilling adopted policies and goals of Sarasota County, the City of Sarasota and the Sarasota-Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization to manage growth and to foster sustainable economic and community development.

	Watch County Talk about Sarasota County Bus Rapid Transit with County Administrator Jim Ley and Anthony Beckford, SCAT general manager (6 min 35 sec)
	Click here to view the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project open house (1 hr 5 min)

Goals
Specific project goals include:

• Improve the quality, speed and attractiveness of transit services in the core area of the region, particularly in areas of highest residential and employment density
• Support regional economic development by improving transit access to key employment sites and activity centers
• Improve the operating efficiency of transit services in congested corridors and roadways
• Support long-term sustainable development and land use in the region

The alternatives analysis is examining various transit service improvements to achieve these broad local and regional goals and to boost bus ridership by improving connectivity to key activity centers and bypassing congestion.

Potential Improvements
Among potential improvements being studied are:

• Roadway infrastructure enhancements to create a dedicated transit guideway.
• Traffic signal priority for buses at selected intersections.
• Increased bus service frequencies and passenger information systems.
• Improved passenger stations and shelters