Myrtle Street Tabbed For Additional Improvements

After some reconsideration, Myrtle Street will see sidewalks on both sides, bike lanes and lightning. But if the funding comes through.

Sarasota city and county commissions unanimously approved in separate votes Tuesday to approve an updated plan to reconstruct Myrtle Street from Washington Boulevard to Tamiami Trail.

At a November joint session between the city and county commissioners,  that would include a sidewalk on the south side of the road and other features , but residents have pushed for lighting and sidewalks on both sides because of the heavy use it will receive from students. The two agencies are partnering because the street runs both in and out of city limits.

That $3 milion segment will be built first, said Alexandra Davis-Shaw, city's general manager of projects and city engineer, as a safety valve in case funding doesn't come through for the additional $3.9 million in work.

Here's where $3.52 million of that will come from:

• $1.3 million swap of an earmark for a roundabout at 17th Street and Honore Avenue

• $250,000 in bike money from county

• $175,000 in county lighting funds

• $226,560 in city community development block grants available Oct. 2012

• $168,642 in county community development block grants available Oct. 2012

• $800,000 in county community development block grants available Oct. 2015

• $300,000 in county intersection funds

• $150,000 in city stormwater funds