UPCOMING PUBLIC WORKSHOP – In-Person on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, and Live Online on Thursday, February 27, 2025
FDOT invites you to an upcoming public workshop for the Southern Section of the Palmetto Trails Network PD&E Study. The purpose of this workshop is to share the alternatives and analysis completed to date, and to provide the public an opportunity to comment for the official workshop record. Read the Public Involvement section below for all information.
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The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), District One, on behalf of Manatee County, is conducting a Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study for a proposed shared use pathway through the City of Palmetto and Manatee County. The pathway is one of six transportation improvements proposed in Manatee County’s BUILD (now branded RAISE) and T-HUD grant applications, known collectively as the Palmetto Trails Network Plan (PTNP). As stated in the 2018 BUILD grant, "The Palmetto Trails Network Plan (PTNP) is a regional system of transportation improvements made up of six (6) programs to reestablish connections lost through the construction of US 41 through the heart of Palmetto". A copy of the 2018 BUILD grant application can be found in the Additional Resources section.
This study will identify alignments and alternative facilities, and evaluate the potential impacts associated with each, including the social, economic, and environmental effects that may result from the eventual construction of the trail.
The trail will connect to the existing Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Trail and establish important community connections. It will also improve access to schools, parks, public transportation, jobs, and health services. The study will evaluate connections through the communities near Lincoln Park (also known as Coach Eddie Shannon Park) and Washington Park as well as connections to the area’s future regional trail network.
The project originally intended to evaluate Programs 1, 2, 3, and 5 of the 2018 BUILD grant which outlined segments for study. After some preliminary exploration identified necessary revisions to the original alignment of the network, these segments were replaced with the new Middle Section and Northern Section, respectively.
The Middle Section includes the evaluation of critical trail segments between the Manatee County Area Transit Center, Palmetto Youth Center, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Trail, Lincoln Memorial Middle School, and Lincoln Park (Coach Eddie Shannon Park) as well as the rehabilitation of the historic Lincoln Tunnel under US 41.
The Northern Section includes the development and evaluation of trail segments connecting Lincoln Park (Coach Eddie Shannon Park) and Washington Park through the neighborhoods just east of US 41.
The Southern Section, Program 6 of the 2018 BUILD grant, was added in Summer 2024, after the FDOT's acquisition of additional funds through Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). It includes the evaluation and development of trail segments and "complete street" facilities (traffic calming, shared bicycle markings on the road, and sidewalks) between the intersection of US 41 Business and Riverside Drive, through Connor Park, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park.