FDOT updates Palmetto Trail PD&E; Riverside Drive and Connor Park options under study

Bruce Landis, the FDOT consultant manager for the Palmetto Trails PD&E, and FDOT project manager Jimmy Vilce briefed county and city leaders on a study of trail connections in Palmetto on March 3.

Landis and Vilce summarized work from two recent public workshops and said the study will evaluate multiple facility types and alignments so the trail can serve recreational and commuter functions. For Riverside Drive they described three options under study: a shared‑use pathway, a two‑way protected cycle track plus sidewalk, and a neighborhood greenway using traffic calming (for example, speed pillows) and shared markings.

Why it matters: The PD&E will guide whether and how the Palmetto trail connects across the river and through neighborhoods; the facility type affects safety, cost and right‑of‑way impacts. FDOT and the consultant said they are analyzing tradeoffs and community feedback to identify viable corridors.

The study also looked at Connor Park where stakeholders asked FDOT to consider three crossing options: a trail flyover through the park, a bicycle bypass around the park, or a reconfigured one‑way pedestrian path paired with a one‑way bicycle way that together would meet shared‑use standards. Consultants said they are compiling public feedback and engineering constraints before recommending specific alternatives.

Landis said the southern segment of the trail was added to the study after funding changes and that different parts of the project may employ a combination of facility types rather than a single continuous trail.

Ending: FDOT said it will continue public outreach, refine alignments based on community input and engineering constraints, and return with additional analysis as the PD&E progresses.