SARASOTA COUNTY (WSNN) – As Sarasota County workers wrap up the Legacy Trail Extension Project, they are having to remove or construct around a piece of history: the railroad tracks.
In the 1900s, Sarasota County was a frontier; travel was mainly by boat or by train.
“The tracks have been here since 1905, they serviced this area well into the 60s and 70s all the way down to Venice,” Historical Resources Manager of Sarasota County Rob Bendus said.
Now, as part of the Rail to Trails project around the country, the railroad tracks are being converted into a bike trail. Here on the Suncoast, it’s called the Legacy Trail. It’s connecting the City of North Port through Venice to downtown Sarasota.
“It’s a good use of old railroads that are no longer used for transportation of goods or people,”
Bendus says the last train that ever came through Sarasota County was in 1972.
“It was all railroads until after World War 2 when air travel took off and the interstate highway system took place, and then everyone had a car all of a sudden,” Bendus said.
People like Bertha Palmer and the Ringling Brothers played a major role in bringing the railroad down from Tampa to Sarasota County.
“Without that railroad, we would have never had that circus presence in Sarasota County,” Bendus said.
Sarasota is known for the arts, especially the circus arts.
“It’s because of the railroad that the circus winter headquarters were here because the Circus moved by train, a lot of trains,” Bendus said. “All the elephants and giraffes and animals and performers, all those tents and all those equipment went by railroad.”
Segment 3 between Bahia Vista Street and Fruitville is all that’s really left of the Legacy Trail project.
“These bridges were probably the biggest scheduling factor in the entire extension,” Sarasota County Natural Areas and Trails Division Manager Jon Robinson said.
While some railroad tracks are being removed, others are being preserved. This trestle bridge is over Phillippi Creek.
“In that area, it’s a great place to pull off, learn a little bit about the history and take a break on the trail,” Sarasota County Natural Areas and Trails Management Megan Eidel said.
“The entire Sarasota County will be linked by bike trail, which is really exciting,” Bendus said.
Segment 3 is expected to open in about a month.
The only two trailheads left to complete as part of The Legacy Trail northern extension are the Sarasota Springs Trailhead and Pompano Trailhead.