Traffic and snowbirds (Sarasota, Bradenton, Venice: renters, school, living)

[Pacific_Dub]

How bad do traffic/commute times get in Sarasota-Bradenton-Venice during snowbird season?

[sixstring09]

I would say about a 30-50% increase in commute times during season.

[MattMN]

Originally Posted by sixstring09

I would say about a 30-50% increase in commute times during season.

Obviously it depends where you are going and when. But this could be an accurate quote. For someone working downtown SRQ driving from Lakewood Ranch, a 25 minute drive on a smooth day could take 45-60 minutes on a bad day. Accidents on I75 between Ellenton to the north and Clark Rd (exit 205) to the south greatly increase during Season.

[craigiri]

Things should be shaping up better this year with many of the crowds picking other places to vacay. Locals will be happier with less traffic....

[Travelassie]

Originally Posted by craigiri

Things should be shaping up better this year with many of the crowds picking other places to vacay. Locals will be happier with less traffic....

From your mouth to G-d's ears..........

[Tommygphotos]

I hate the increase in treaffic but my ncome rises drastically for season so I hope it does not decrease, sorry all

[Ladywithafan]

Should be very interesting season with respect to Red Tide/Tourism. As I've mentioned I do work on Siesta during the mornings across from the public beach. Maybe 25 cars in a parking lot built to hold 950. Reservations on both Lido Key and Siesta are usually down this time of year but are just about non-existant. Will this serve as a forcast for snowbird traffic? IDK but I'll tell you this, when the red tide first showed up, my mother thought she had a sore throat from a cold. I kept telling her it was red tide but she didn't believe me - living seven miles from Anna Maria, she didn't believe it carried that far in the air. As I work in the property management business, my portfolio is composed of year round residents, snowbirds & weekly/monthly rentals on Lido & Siesta Key. We'll see how it goes, but remember, since our area's attraction is the beach and if the truth is not told to snowbirds & renters about conditions at the beach, you'll hear about it on VRBO, Homeaway, Trip Advisor, etc... about how "nobody told them about the red tide", traffic will not be an issue then.

[craigiri]

Red Tide is really bad this week - maps are looking much worse than last. Not good.

It's too big to just "go away by itself". It seems to me that it will take very cold temps (water) and/or a couple big storms. It is now showing up in the panhandle....which, IMHO, is indication of how large this bloom is.

I think the locals will be praying for traffic if this continues. And, yes, a lot of first time visitors.....this may turn out to be their last visit.

They (Government, Media) will likely greatly underestimate the economics involved. It's hard to actually count what goes on inside the heads of people who thought of moving here, visiting more, etc....

I can speak for a couple retirees I know - both year-rounders and some snowbirds. They are here for the water. Period. Well, I can think of one that is inland.....but other than that one.....

All of them have the resources to go elsewhere.

No, the world won't end and either will Sarasota or the coast. But after 10 years of the Recession effects, it's not a good thing...by any measure.

[Nancy in Nokomis]

craigrl - we moved here with jobs and children - and the main reason we moved was for the Gulf and the beach - no other reason to stay here but now that we are established with jobs and school we have to
- I can understand why tourists would not want to come - they want to boat, fish, lay, play and swim in the Gulf - without that there is nothing really here.

[beach43ofus]

Yes, the water is a big deal, but so is warm Winter weather. Don't underestimate that.