MPO Transportation Comments Needed

The draft FY 2026/27 - 2030/31 Metropolitan Planning Organization - Transportation Improvement Program is now open for review and public comment. The MPO's Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is the primary plan guiding all state- and federally funded transportation improvements in the Manatee–Sarasota area. Comments should be submitted by May 18, 2026. 

Link: www.mympo.org/our-work/mpo-plans/tip.

There are five ways to submit public comments:

1. Go to www.mympo.org/our-work/mpo-plans/tip and submit your comments using the Public Comment box.
2. Call: (941) 359-5772
3. Email: mpo@mympo.org
4. Mail: 5460 63rd St E, Suite A, Bradenton, FL 34203        
5. Attend: Upcoming MPO meetings, www.mympo.org/get-involved/meetings

• May 11: Technical Advisory Committee
• May 11: Citizens Advisory Committee
• May 18: MPO Governing Board 

Manatee and Sarasota County have not been aggressive enough in preparing our communities for the possibility of a hurricane strike. Funding for evacuation routes and shelters lags far behind the need. Hurricane evacuation is not considered a high priority when making changes in land use.
 
The TIP needs to prioritize funding to address the significant transportation deficiencies in hurricane evacuation routes. 
 
Is it possible to build a road for hurricane evacuation without increasing residential densities, thus defeating the purpose of building the road for evacuation? Nothing should take precedence over protecting the public's well-being.
 
Both counties have allowed development in low-lying and coastal areas, resulting in catastrophic losses during storm events. In short, our elected officials have taken far too little interest in preparing for and safeguarding against the next major hurricane, and both county governments continue to permit and subsidize development in low-lying coastal areas.
 
The significant shortage of evacuation routes and shelters, coupled with the tremendous increase in the number of people living in hurricane-prone areas, has contributed to a critical public-safety problem. The inability to evacuate within the limits of viable warning times creates a danger to the lives and property of the citizens of Manatee and Sarasota counties. Roads leading from hurricane-prone areas are woefully inadequate to safely move residents out of harm's way.
 
The increase in population and continued coastal development over the past few decades have left the residents of Manatee & Sarasota extremely vulnerable to the devastating effects of hurricanes. 
 
Additionally, the TIP should incorporate environmental safeguards into the MPO’s 5 Year Transportation Improvement Program 

• Strong and effective measures should be taken to ensure the protection of environmentally sensitive areas within the I-75 corridor. Such measures should include incorporating environmentally sensitive areas into open space corridors and special conservation management areas.
• Several environmentally significant areas have been identified within the I-75 corridor. Conservation of such areas would protect native habitat, endangered and threatened species, and enhance water quality.
• To ensure the protection of the Myakka River, the water quality of its tributaries must also be protected. Six tributaries are within the I-75 corridor in Sarasota County. A special conservation management area should be established for the tributaries of the Myakka River. 
• Proper and effective measures should be taken to ensure the protection of any watersheds identified within the I-75 corridor. Such measures should include avoidance of extensive clearing and removal of vegetation, limitations on the amount of impervious surfaces within the watershed, flood protection, improved hydrological conditions downstream, and water quality enhancement.
• Stringent measures should be taken to ensure the protection of surface and groundwater resources. Such measures should include limitations on the amount of pesticides and fertilizers used for landscape maintenance and the identification of non-point sources of pollution within the I-75 corridor area. 

Glenn Compton is the Chairman of ManaSota 88, a non-profit organization that has spent over 30 years fighting to protect the environment of Manatee and Sarasota counties.