10 City of Sarasota intersections to be focus of latest High Visibility Enforcement campaign of Sarasota Police Department

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Goal is to improve safety for pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers

This image from the City of Sarasota Road Safety Dashboard, on the city’s website, shows locations where accidents were recorded from January 2021 through April of this year. Image courtesy City of Sarasota

The Sarasota Police Department once again is participating in a High Visibility Enforcement (HVE) campaign created to improve safety for pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers across the city, the agency announced this week.

“The goal is to reduce crashes, injuries and fatalities by reminding residents and visitors to stay alert and share the road responsibly,” a news release explains. “Sarasota County ranks among the top 25 counties in Florida for serious and fatal crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists,” it adds.

“To help prevent these tragedies,” the release continues, “Sarasota Police officers will conduct education-focused enforcement efforts.”

Last year, when the Sarasota City Commission formally accepted a grant from the Florida Department of Transportation for the prior High Visibility Enforcement campaign in the city, then-Deputy City Manager Patrick Robinson noted that the city had been participating in such initiatives for a number of years. A Sarasota News Leader search this week of City Commission meeting archives found that the first grant the Police Department received for a High Visibility Enforcement campaign came during the state’s 2016-2017 funding cycle.

These are the corridors that were the focus of the 2016-17 Sarasota Police Department campaign. Image courtesy City of Sarasota

The release this week also explains, “While the emphasis is on education, officers will issue warnings or citations, when necessary, with a focus on the below locations,” which were chosen based on crash data:

  • State Road (SR) 63 (U.S. 301) — Golf Street to Fifth Street.
  • SR 63 (U.S. 301) — 10thStreet to 21stStreet.
  • SR 63 (U.S. 301) — 32ndStreet to Myrtle Street.
  • SR 45 (South U.S. 41) — Arlington Street to Bahia Vista Street.
  • SR 780 (Fruitville Road) — from Cocoanut Avenue to Lemon Avenue.
  • SR 780 (Fruitville Road) — from Florence Avenue to Midwest Parkway.
  • South Osprey Avenue from Bay Road to McClellan Parkway.
  • SR 45 (North Tamiami Trail/U.S. 41) — 10thStreet to 42ndStreet.
  • Tuttle Avenue from Belvoir Boulevard to Sixth Street.
  • Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way from Central Avenue to State Road 683 (U.S. 301).
This 2026 data is provided by Signal Four Analytics for the State of Florida, regarding incidents in Sarasota County. Image courtesy State of Florida

The release adds, “Sarasota Police officers have been focusing on areas with higher rates of traffic incidents and pedestrian activity, educating the public on safe behaviors,” including the following:

  • “Yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks.
  • “Watching for bicyclists in travel lanes.
  • “Avoiding distractions behind the wheel.
  • “Obeying speed limits and traffic signals.”

Officers encourage individuals to stay aware and be courteous, the release says, so members of the community “can make our roadways safer for everyone who uses them.”

The initiative “is funded through a partnership with the Florida Department of Transportation, the University of North Florida and the Institute of Police Technology and Management,” the release explains.