Roadway project held out as model of collaboration, preservation and feedback between citizens and officials; Sarasota, FL

How to plan a roadway HeraldTribune.com Sarasota Florida Southwest Florida's Information Leader:
Efforts to satisfy neighborhood concerns led to a better project on Honore
Published: Friday, September 18, 2009 at 1:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, September 17, 2009 at 8:34 p.m.
Today's ceremonial groundbreaking for the construction of a section of Honore Avenue shows how far road planning has advanced in Sarasota County.
The $17 million project, which will create a 2.7-mile stretch of Honore between Bee Ridge and Fruitville roads, is the product of long and often contentious debates.
At several points, and as recently as last year, it appeared that the Honore extension would be designed and built as yet another generic, wide swath of asphalt -- putting traffic and noise unacceptably close to long-established neighborhoods, and requiring the removal of stately trees.
Fortunately, the contentiousness led to delays. And the delays -- combined with new policies, political compromises and a change of direction in planning -- are likely to produce a less expensive roadway with fewer detrimental effects on neighborhoods but one that fills a noticeable gap in the county's transportation grid.