Helpful and Informative Tools From the City of Sarasota

The City of Sarasota has 3 voting districts and a number of voting precincts.  Lido Key is in Precinct 211 within District 2.   The 5 Member City Commission has 2-At Large Commissioners, Vice Mayor Debbie Trice and Jen Ahearn-Koch and each district has a commissioner representing that district.  Commissioner Kyle Battie represents District 1, Commission Mayor Liz Alpert represents our District (2) and Kathy Kelley Ohlrich represent District 3.  Feel free to contact any or all of them with any comments or concerns.  Hearing from constitutes is an important part of effective government.

Our interim City Manager is  David Bullock and the Deputy City Manager is Patrick Robinson. Both Dave and Pat are very receptive to hearing from residents.

City News, a multi-media digital newsletter dedicated to sharing updates on projects, initiatives, upcoming meetings and happenings of interest in our community. City News is available in your inbox the Friday afternoon prior to a regular City Commission meeting.

The Bay Runner Trolley is an open-air trolley that provides complimentary service seven days a week with multiple stops along the way between Lido Key, St. Armand's Circle, and downtown Sarasota. Additional stops at Bird Key and Golden Gate Point have been recently added.

Lido Key stops include the Lido Beach Pavillion and Ted Sperling Park at South Lido Beach. Anywhere along Ben Franklin south of the Ritz passengers can wave down the trolley to get on or off.  A trolley route map is available.  Hours of operation and headway times for the complimentary service are: 

• 7 am to 10 pm, Sun - Thu, 7 am to 11 pm on Fri - Sat, including holidays
•  20-minute headway time during peak hours and 30-minute during off-peak hours 

The transit schedule will be monitored and modified as necessary to provide efficient service. The Bay Runner is equipped with a wheelchair boarding lift. The Sarasota Bay Runner app tracks real time information including approximate arrival times and is available via the Apple App Store, Google Play and a QR code on Bay Runner stop signs.

If you want a quick resolution to a problem involving City Services, use Click-2-Fix.

The City has created an app you can download to report problems such as

• potholes,
• broken sidewalks,
• tree limbs down,
• parking meters,
• request new or additional garbage and recycle bins/carts
• and much more.

City departments receiving the submissions include: Public Works, Parks & Rec, Utilities, Risk Management, Parking, and Code Compliance. Users can also add photos and the physical location of the issue to assist staff. The app forwards your submission to the appropriate departments where, during normal working hours, they will take care of the requests. Users will receive email updates and/or can return to the site to check the status of submitted issues. When the issue is resolved, the request will be closed. 

The City's micro-mobility initiative featuring scooter and bicycle sharing offered exclusively by Veo is running with approximately 350-400 scooters (seated and stand-up) and 50-75 bikes (traditional and pedal-assisted) available for rent. Look for established scooter and bike corrals and approved parking areas on Main Street (conveniently located near Bay Runner trolley stops), St. Armands Circle and other parts of the city. Hours of operation are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The vehicles can be unlocked and rented via the Veo mobile app available in the App Store and Google Play.  Veo uses geofencing technology to limit use of the vehicles in safe, designated areas. Scooters and bikes should use bike lanes and roads with speed limits of 30 mph or less. Sidewalks are permitted where no other path is viable and where less pedestrian activity occurs. Questions can be answered on Veo or Frequently Asked Questions.