One section formally a portion of Florida Gulf Coast Trail
During separate events over the past couple of weeks, two new sections of The Legacy Trail have opened for bicyclists and pedestrians, with one segment formally serving as part of the Florida Gulf Coast Trail.
On March 26, representatives of the Trust for Public Land, the Friends of the Legacy Trail, Sarasota County Government and other partners celebrated the opening of the new Beneva Road Connector, a half-mile multi-use trail that links The Legacy Trail at Beneva Road to Fruitville Road, the Trust announced.
“This new connector marks an exciting milestone in the development of the 420-mile Florida Gulf Coast Trail, which will ultimately unite seven counties from Tampa to Naples,” a news release explains.
Just days later — on March 31 — a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held for The Legacy Trail Extension Bifurcated Trail Project. Over a distance of 1.5 miles, a 6-foot-wide sidewalk that has been created parallel to the Trail “is intended to provide an additional layer of safety and accessibility by separating pedestrians from the main trail that is shared with cyclists,” a county news release notes.
The Beneva Road Connector of the Florida Gulf Coast Trail provides “residents and visitors with new opportunities to walk, bike, and roll safely through four public parks, connecting neighborhoods to nature, recreation, and community destinations,” the Trust for Public Land release adds.
The connector will help users safely reach the City of Sarasota’s Circus Trail, the Nature Park at Bobby Jones Golf Club and Sarasota County’s 17th Street Regional Park. Plans call for a future connection from the regional park to Nathan Benderson Park, home of the county’s international rowing facility, which is located south of University Parkway, county staff and Trust representatives have noted.
During the March 26 Beneva Road Connector celebration, former county Commissioner Charles Hines, program director for the Florida Gulf Coast Trail, told attendees, “This project represents a significant investment in community health, economic development, and sustainable transportation.” He added, “Funded and designed through a collaboration between the Friends of the Legacy Trail, the Maria Haber Charitable Fund at Gulf Coast Community Foundation and Sarasota County, the Beneva Road Connector exemplifies how partnerships can create meaningful infrastructure that connects people to nature and to one another.”
Rita Miotti, president of the nonprofit Friends of the Legacy Trail, added that her organization’s members are “proud to be part of this successful public-private partnership. We are deeply grateful to our generous donors, volunteers, and community partners whose support is helping extend the trail and strengthen connections throughout Sarasota County.”
Yet another speaker, Jon Thaxton, director of policy and advocacy for the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, which is based in Venice, pointed out that the new connector facilitates one of the primary goals behind the creation of the Florida Gulf Coast Trail and The Legacy Trail: providing “a needed safe mobility alternative to many communities that rely on walking and cycling as their primary means of transportation.”
The release explains that, in 2022, the “Trust for Public Land [TPL] began leading efforts to create the Florida Gulf Coast Trail in Southwest Florida. While many sections of the trail already exist, several gaps remain. Partnering with local public and private partners, TPL is working to close the gaps and make the 420-mile trail a reality.”
Moreover, the release notes, “TPL has become the most prolific trail organization in the country and has helped communities in 46 states plan and build more than 3,100 miles of rural, suburban, and urban trails to enable safe walking and cycling routes to everyday destinations.”
The release adds, “Learn more about the Florida Gulf Coast Trail and the work Trust for Public Land is doing to connect communities in Southwest Florida here.”
‘An amazing amenity’
As for the county’s first bifurcated trail segment: As The Sarasota News Leader reported in late October 2025, it extends from west of Beneva Road to Shade Avenue.
During the March 31 ribbon-cutting event, Ron Cutsinger, chair of the Sarasota County Commission, told attendees, “To me, the Trail is the gift that keeps on giving: It just gets bigger; it gets better; it gets safer. It just continues to be an amazing amenity for Sarasota County.”
Cutsinger added, “It doesn’t matter how old you are. It doesn’t matter what your ability is. It doesn’t even matter what your politics are. We love the Trail!”
On its website, the Friends of the Legacy Trail provides an interactive map of the entire Trail, including the North Port connections.
The expense of the bifurcated segment was covered by North County Park Impact Fees, a grant from the state’s Recreational Trails Program, and a private donation, a county webpage said. The contract with Spectrum Underground LLC put the construction cost at $356,083.25, a separate webpage pointed out.
The Kimley-Horn consulting firm in Sarasota created the design, the second webpage noted. That expense was $59,950.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) issued its formal Notice to Proceed on the project on Oct. 16, 2025, the second webpage added.